Have you ever been a bowler?

If so, you may know some bowlers are "spot" bowlers. They make the roll strategy "simple" by picking a spot on the set of arrows that is most likely going to result in their particular roll style hit the desired spot on the standing pins.

That's a way to handicap greyhounds, to some degree. Particularly in a 5/16 race if you can simply handicap the 3 or 4 dogs to come out of the first turn and still be near the lead you could have a pretty good chance in quinella, exacta and trifecta wagers.

Any dog that has a chance of closing from beyond the top 4 after the first turn usually shows pretty clearly in the form and can be factored/played accordingly.

I pay close attention to past performance in terms of a dog liking an inside or outside route, and then look at speed and endurance. If a dog looks like it likes an inside route, and has the speed to clear the first turn in front.....and doesn't show a tendency to tire.....that's a solid play.

Of course the #1 dog has a statistical advantage in most cases because normally there will not be a dog on the inside of it on the front stretch to drift out and knock offstride. On a similar note, I do look for likely collisions that could happen on the first turn due to multiple dogs likely wanting to be in the same place at the same time.

I've played dog tracks from Florida (every one, including the old track at South Beach.....long gone), Wisconsin, Arizona, New England and I think every state that has/had 'em including West "by golly" Virginia.

I've done pretty well over the years. Oh, and by the way, don't bet every race....of course. Pick your spots. And if you play win-place-show watch the pools closely. Normally not much $$ there and it's amazing how low of a "win" wager can make the odds board change.

I miss the dog tracks. Wish we had 'em out here in California.

you sound like
 

you've been reading Prof Jones is book how to win at greyhound racing.

I'm following similar patterns that he talks about.

Haven't bet the greyhounds since, but I will be soon enough.

Aaron

I'm not sure which track you will be betting, but the biggest problem with betting greyhounds is the amount of money in the pools! In Jacksonville, you basically cannot bet into the win pool, because $20 effects the odds too much. A large bet can have you playing against yourself.
Bigs mentioned this earlier in the thread, the Quinella double is an interesting wager, with fairly large payouts, of course depending on how much is in the pool.

I'll ask my Hound when I go upstairs about what to look for. He's asleep in our bed now. Turned 9 yesterday

Professor?

I was in the neighborhood and wanted to be a horse at Santa Anita so I went into the Hollywood Dog Track. Saw a few likely felons and assorted petty criminals but noone who looked like a professor. The Professor must have been on sabattical that night. Very scraggly crew there. On the other hand, Palm Beach on a Saturday is packed with people playing Gulf and NYRA. Totally different crowd at PBKC but anyone under 60 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

A couple weeks ago, some genius bet $300 across the board on a dog.. needless to say, the dog goes off 1-9, and he runs 3rd, paying 2.10 to show. $900 wagered, $315 returned.

Cardus, Interesting perspective, I never thought of that.


My favorite dog of all time was Derek's Cadillac. I was there for four or five of his 16 wins in a row some years back.

His Dad was Irish Cadillac. Irish Cadillac would pick a fight mid race and try to bite another dog...muzzle and all.....and still come back to win.

I spent a single New Year's Eve at the dog track in Hollywood FL.

The doggies came out in tuxedos before the feature race. No lie!

Those dogs have personality, and I DO love to watch them run.

Thankfully, there are groups working diligently to help guarantee a humane aspect to what has in the past been an ugly part of the sport.


I guess it's a good think Michael Vick has never owned greyhounds......

I played it up in Reno a few times. The teller there told me not to even try to handicapp the race, just go by the odds. I usually just boxed 3 horses....oops, I mean dogs in the exacta.

When I first started working at Plainfield, we had a couple of tuxedo races each year. I believe one was called the Blazing Red Memorial. I was 16 when I started working there and didn't really know much about it, but I ended up working there for 7 years and learned a great deal about greyhound racing as I moved up the racing official ladder.

As was mentioned before, the break and the run up to the first turn is key. Each track has its own post position bias. The stats are usually available on the track website. Most often, the 1 hole is best. I tend to give a good deal of consideration to grade drops, for example a dog who has been racing in C the past couple of races in now down in grade D against weaker competition. A double grade drop (A->C or B->D) is even better, though sometimes it is clear that the dog's ability is dropping as well. Times are good to look at, though the trip factors hugely into the final time. Replays are a very good handicapping aid, if available.

Yeah, it was definitely my favorite job ever. When I was real young, I remember my mother and I parking on top of the hill and peering through the trees to watch a race or two go off in front of thousands of people who came outside to watch from the apron. It was quite different the last few years of its existence. Very sad. Two of the largest casinos in the world coming to Eastern CT sealed PGP's fate.

I still like to play the puppies once in a while, but I wish Plainfield was still around.

PBKC is really a very nice place. I dont know anything about dogs, infact thats my only experience ever being in a dogtrack, but it was a very nice place. I was also there for Gulfstream.

PBKC is nice, I agree. And they're making a killing there being just far enough away from Gulf to get the simulcast (Calder and Gulf don't take each others' signals). The handle on PB is as high or higher than Pomano, the harness track. PB is owned by the Rooney family who owns the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I have not thought about some of the tracks that Cardus listed in a long, long time. When I was a kid, the Globe and the Herald used to cover the Wonderland Derby in a huge way, and I am sure the Record-American did before that. I am dating myself a little with theat reference. I have done all the NE tracks, thought Green Mountain was the most beautiful spot next to Saratoga to watch any kind of race. Dingy, but the surroundings were incredible. Shoreline Star - you still know you are in Bridgeport. Wonderland used to be the palce to be on a Saturday night. Most guys who grew up betting anywhere around Boston will laugh and smil when they hear "There goes Swifty.... and they're off!!!" Last point, I can't remember the other dog involved, but when Rosster Cogburn had a 3 race match race set up, you couldn't get onto the apron to see it the track was so full. Wonderland does not draw that may people (or teeth) now in a month's time. The power the Carney's have, and how they have used it to try and put Charlie Sarkis out of business, is unreal.

The only thing I know is...@ Plainfield play the 1- 4 -8 Triple box....:p