Using the Third Race Back Angle to Pick Winning Horses

While the form cycle is often confusing and hard to figure or use accurately when handicapping horse races, there is one angle that seems to work well. If you are trying to find live horses that may improve off their last effort, then finding a horse that is on its third start after a layoff is often a good bet.

Fresh horses usually have an advantage over horses that have run many races because they are not worn out or lame. But while a fresh horse may not be lame or feeling the tiring effects of a long campaign, it may also need some races to get back into shape.

Mid season form is something you will often here when speaking of a horse at the peak of condition. That means that a horse that has some races will have gotten back into racing shape but still be fresh enough to compete at the top of the form cycle.

When we say peak, we mean at the top of the form curve. Any athletes, whether two legged or four legged, will have a form cycle. It can best be described as a curve. Naturally, though they may have had workouts and have been in training, horses will start at the bottom of the curve when they return to racing because it takes actual races and the heat of competition to hone those muscles and skills.

The first several races seem to help a horse condition its muscles and also to help it get its head back into racing. If you see a horse that is on its third race after a layoff of 60 days or more, figure that it will probably improve. The third start after a layoff angle is one of the better bets in horse racing, assuming that you can get fair odds.



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