Horse racing handicapping

 

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Horse racing handicapping is a term which refers to a race in which horses carry different weights. In order to keep the suspense of the race and make it more even, a better horse will carry a heavier weight.

The main purpose of the procedure is to make the race more unpredictable, so people can still bet. Although a particular bet is less likely to be a winner, it will bring a far greater reward if the horse on which the bet was placed wins.

This basically translates into more necessary expertise into horse betting. It’s true that the very best horses are not for handicap races. However, exceptions exist, namely the Grand National and the Melbourne Cup, which are among the most important races in the world and they are handicap races.


The weights assigned to each horse are determined by the race secretary, and they are based upon each horse’s race record. The horse which is considered superior gets to carry the heaviest weight. This weight goes down proportionally according to each horse and the acclaim that it has.

The most famous horse who has managed to capture everyone’s imagination by the wins in handicap races is Seabiscuit. I was an undersized horse, and it was not very much to look at. Although it was considered lazy at first, he was eventually trained by the legendary Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons.

Seabiscuit, who lived from May 23rd 1933 until May 17th 1947 eventually became a champion. Although it had a bad start, Seabiscuit became the most impressive champion, and even became a symbol of hope for many Americans who were going through the great depression.

Seabiscuit was also the subject of many movies and books, due to its dramatic evolution from a poor looking horse to a champion. A book was written in 2001, called “Seabiscuit: An American Legend”.

Then, a full length movie was made in 1949, which was called “The Story of Seabiscuit”. The most recent film on the subject, a 2003 production, which was simply called “Seabiscuit”, was even nominated for the Academy Award at the Best Picture section, but it eventually lost to “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”.

The sympathies and the acclaim this horse managed to gather along its impressive career have never been equaled. It will probably remain the stuff of legends forever, a throw back to an era which had a different perfume, and when horse racing handicapping had a master in Seabiscuit.

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