The horses are at the gate, the warm sun is shining on your face, you're sipping your favorite brew, you have a great seat, cool binoculars, and hopefully a winning wager?these are the thrills of horseracing. If you don't feel that thrill even with all these neat things happening to you, maybe you just need to understand horse racing a little better.



We've put together a small list here for you so you'll be absolutely thrilled the next time you go to the racetrack.

?Know the Horses ? If you just look blindly at the racing forms for each horse running in any race?that will give you the basics, but the neither the jockey or trainer, or even the horse for that matter will come up to you and say, ?hey I'm good.? Do some research on your own about the horse and find out how he's done, obtain track records, what races has it won, and is it or has it ever been sick? Who were the horse's parents and did they run any races or are they pretty much glue? You can do your research from track brochures on event days or visit Bet America at the link below.

?Trainers and Jockeys - You like the name ?Wingnut? for the horse you want to bet on and he looks fine?but do you know anything about the jockey who is riding him or who trained him or how he has been trained? If not, once again, we suggest you check out the trainer's experience to see if the jockey has won a significant amount of races, is familiar with the horse, and knows how to handle the horse. See, are you starting to feel the thrill yet?

?Betting ? You didn't come to the track just to watch?after all, you can win money by betting on horses! There are basically three ways to bet on old Wingnut! First, you can bet to win and this usually gives the highest payout if the horse wins. The fastest horse usually wins so if Wingnut is limping, switch horses. Second, you can bet to place. Betting to place means your chosen horse will come in first or second?see how simple? Finally, you can bet to show where your horse may come in first, second, or third. This will give you the lowest payout but it's safer than the first two ways to bet.

?Stamina ? Horse racing is one of the oldest sports ever and if you want to be a horse nut and find that thrill, think not just about the race itself, but how the horse you picked is gliding, running, streaming down the track. Think of how hard he has to work and what stamina he must have. It's a pretty awesome feeling watching each horse and watching old Wingnut passing the leaders to win!

?Winning and Betting ? This is a big thrill in horse racing. While the guy next to you may be looking at the technical side of horse racing for tips or some other dumb reason, you can bet he has a wager in his pocket?after all, that's really what the thrill is?watching Wingnut win and redeeming your winnings!

If you still feel like there must be some thrill you're missing, then you haven't spent enough time at the track or watching races at that sports bar you like so much. We recommend visiting Bet America at http://www.betamerica.com for more information on the thrill of horseracing!