Keeping Track of All Things Horse Racing

Here’s a beginner’s guide to keeping track of horse racing.

Horse racing is a rare sport in the sense that it can be followed all year round. With the possible exception of December 25, there are meetings taking place across the world on a daily basis. For those who take their racing seriously, there is a need to be organized. With so many events in place, just how can you keep track of your favorite sport?

Managing Your Outlay

“Churchill Downs after a storm” (CC BY 2.0). Photo by The Pug Father.

It’s important to be organized for any type of sport. Soccer has regular fixtures during the season, while golf is played for much of the year. Those who play video games should also keep a running calendar to keep track of any new releases. For those who place wagers, it’s vital to keep track of any bets that you place throughout the racing year. Your sportsbook offers useful tools in this respect: Many will list statistics for each horse taking part in the big races. In the same way that online casino players use a blackjack chart to improve their strategy, those stats can help them make informed decisions on their bets. Each sportsbook should also have a ‘history’ section where previous bets can be analyzed, so that customers can keep track of their financial outlay.

Maintaining Your Calendar

“Calendar*” (CC BY 2.0). Photo by DafneCholet.

Serious racegoers will already be aware of some important dates in the calendar. The Kentucky Derby is held on the first Saturday in May. In the UK, the Epsom Derby takes place on the first Saturday in June. On the other side of the world, in Australia, the Melbourne Cup is run on the first Tuesday in November.

There’s a lot of information to take in and, for those who are new to the sport, it can be tough to keep pace with all of the big events. The majority of national newspapers will list all the major meetings via their online platforms. At the start of each month, it’s a good idea to check these out, before writing the important dates into your own, personal diary. There are many other online sources that will list upcoming events. The main TV companies responsible for broadcasting all sports can also be useful for this, and it’s important to know who to follow.

Where to Watch

There’s nothing like watching a horse race in person. The atmosphere for the big meetings such as the Kentucky Derby is a match for any major sporting event. We can’t always be in attendance but, thankfully, there are a host of broadcasters picking up live horse racing.

In the United States, the majority of top races will be found on the CBS Sports Network. For the biggest events such as the Classic or the Kentucky Derby, coverage may also be found on the main CBS channel. Other, smaller meetings may be picked up by ESPN who provide one of the best all round networks for sport in general. Livestreaming may also be accessed via a host of apps. If you want to follow horse racing to a serious degree, it’s all about staying organized. Keep your diary updated and don’t miss any of the top class action throughout the sporting year.