Dallas and Grand Prairie Horse Racing Tips

Tip 1: Know the card before you go

Open the race list the day before. Check the post times, the distance of each race and how many horses are running. Small fields and short sprints play differently from big fields. See entries and results for the next race day.

Tip 2: Watch the first races

The first two or three races show how the track is playing that day. Are the winners coming from the front, or from behind? From the inside lanes, or the outside? Write it down. It can help with the rest of the card.

Tip 3: Check for scratches

A scratch is a horse taken out of a race. It changes the field and can change the odds. Look again close to post time.

Tip 4: Look at the rider and the trainer

A few riders and trainers win a large share of races at a meet this size. Notice who is hot this week, not only in general.

Tip 5: Keep a notebook

Write down every pick, win or lose, with the reason. It is the only honest way to know if you are getting better. That is the rule Brian follows too: every final pick goes on the public record.

Tip 6: Set a budget, and stop at it

Racing is entertainment. Never use money you need. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 21+.

Race day pages for the Metroplex

Every Lone Star Park race day has a page: picks today, picks for tomorrow, and the dated pages linked from Lone Star Park Picks. More local reading: handicapping horses in Dallas.

Keep reading

• Texas horse racing handicapping
• Quarter Horse race day guide
• Thoroughbred race day guide
• How to handicap Quarter Horses
• How to read a racing form
• How our picks are made
• Lone Star Park entries and results
• Every pick, win or lose

Good to know

Brian's Lucky Picks is a handicapping information subscription. No bets are taken and nothing can be gambled on this site. The only charge is the pass. Picks are opinions, not guarantees. Not affiliated with Lone Star Park. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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