Increase your enjoyment quotient and your bankroll.

Buy this photo!

By C. Reid McLellan

My wife joined me in Southern California the last week of October to spend Breeders’ Cup weekend at Santa Anita for her birthday. We enjoyed two days of Championship Thoroughbred racing and then spent Saturday night at Los Alamitos to enjoy the Los Alamitos Championship and other American Quarter Horse racing.

The main thread contributing to the enjoyment of both events were the championship horses competing. Another major part of the racing “enjoyment quotient” is selecting a horse, betting on that horse and collecting some winnings when our horse performs as wagered. Many times, however, enjoyment of a racing experience is tempered by money lost at the betting windows. We’ll visit each month about the wagering experience and ways you might be able to increase your enjoyment quotient at the races.

Learn everything you need to know about Quarter Horse Racing with a subscription to The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal. From the latest winners to cutting-edge technology that improves the health and performance of the horses, the Racing Journal’s got you covered.

I hear at least one fan every day say, “I think that horse will win, but I’m not going to bet on it because its odds are too low!” Value is a word that gets overused by people who talk about wagering on horses. Sometimes we forget that the only runner that is of any value in the win pool is the runner that actually wins the race.

Many of the same players who will not bet $20 to win on a horse that is 8-5, will sit at a $20 blackjack table in a casino all night betting $20 on a “horse” that never pays more than 3-2 and most of the wins are paid at even money. A $20 win bet on an 8-5 runner will return $52 to the player – a profit of $32. A $20 win bet on a runner that is 5-2 will return $70 to the player – a profit of $50.

Take 40 percent of your bankroll and divide that by four. That is the amount of four win bets that you will make tonight. (If your bankroll is $100, then you would have $40/4 = $10 for each of four win bets. Play the other $60 any way you like, but keep the winnings separate. I’ll bet that many of you will have more profit from the four win bets than you have from the other 60 percent of your bankroll.

As you consider playing the exotic bets, remember that in Texas we do not have a single exotic bet that you can win unless you pick the horse that runs first. To win more money at the racetrack, bet to win.

As Executive Director of The Elite Program, C. Reid McLellan, Ph.D., organizes and teaches Groom, Owner and Trainer Elite classes around the country.

As owner and agent of Purple Power Equine Services, Reid helps people buy and sell race and show prospects and provides guidance and assistance with training, breeding and other equine services.

Looking for a great gift idea for a horse racing enthusiast? You can’t beat a subscription to The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal. The Racing Journal’s packed with important information to help you enjoy Quarter Horse racing.