Betting on the All-American Futurity

Mission Viejo, CA--Even the great Olympic sprinter Jesse Owens tried to outrun them—and couldn´t. They´re so muscular Mr. Universe would envy their ripped bodies. If they clomped into a bar the outlaws would run for cover. An Australian rider called them "monsters."

Rightfully so.

When they explode from the starting gate with more thrust than Apollo rockets, all hell breaks loose. The ground winces in pain. Holding on for dear life, the riders pitch-and-roll like hapless sailors aboard storm-tossed ships.

"They" are the world´s fastest equine athletes--Quarter Horses, masters of the 440-yard distance, who´ll be lighting their afterburners in one of the world´s richest and most exciting horse races at Ruidoso Downs Race Track on Labor Day.

With more than $2 million up for grabs in the All-American Futurity--Quarter Horse racing´s version of the Kentucky Derby--the dirt will be flying when these mighty equine dragsters thunder down the track.

Clocked at speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour, the versatile, hard-working Quarter Horse is a unique American breed—not only a speed demon on the track, but equally capable of working expertly on the ranch or in the show arena.

In fact, some equine historians claim that the animal represents the first native breed in the U.S., tracing back to genetic crosses between Spanish and Indian horses. Early American colonists used these horses for competitive match racing--one-on-one contests involving short races down village streets, country lanes, or pastures. Because of their special talent for sprinting a quarter-of-a-mile (440 yards), they were called "Quarter Horses."

Held in Ruidoso, New Mexico, the All-American attracts widespread media and television coverage. In the 1959 inaugural race, a chestnut filly named Galobar, who went off at odds of 7-2, sprinted to victory, earning a meaty slice of the $129,686 purse. More than 16,000 racing fans watched the equine fireworks in 2006, with hundreds of thousands of dollars wagered on the race.

This year, one fortunate owner will become an instant millionaire. One fortunate jockey will pocket a cool hundred grand--for less than 22 seconds of work. That´s $4,545 per second.

Gamblers and horseplayers can fatten their wallets too. While simply watching these heart-pounding races is fun, adding the profit motive to the mix creates a highly addictive form of entertainment.

Even if you don´t know the difference between Mr. or Mrs. First Down Dash, you can cash winning tickets in Quarter Horse races, where favorites win at nearly the same rate as Thoroughbreds. You don´t have to be a nuclear physicist to handicap these races, and you don´t have to know what every little symbol and abbreviation in the racing program means.

In fact, too much knowledge can burden you. There´s a wise racetrack adage, "Study long…go wrong."

Picking winners can be as easy as picking daisies. (You will need a racing program, of course.) According to the research from "Fast Horses, Fast Money: The Complete Guide to Quarter Horse Racing," simply betting the racehorse with the highest-percentage trainer at the home track can be a profitable betting strategy. Trainers´ win percentages are usually listed in your program.

Another painless way to win is to bet one of the horses with a top-three speed index at the home track and at the race´s distance. You´ll see these numbers (usually from 70-100) listed in a column on the right-hand side of each racehorse´s past performances.

While the formula behind these numbers is fairly complex, the numbers themselves represent how fast the animal runs. The higher the number, the better. The research in "Fast Horses, Fast Money" clearly shows that a significant majority of winning Quarter Horses had earned a top-three speed index in their last race at the same distance on the home track.

Speed kills.

Finally, look for quick-breakers—sprinters that zoom out of the gate faster than their sleepy competitors. Because Quarter Horse races are so short, many analysts believe that it´s all about what happens at the break—slow pokes that mosey on out are at a significant disadvantage because they´ll be breathing fumes all the way down the racetrack.

Tailgaters and sleepyheads rarely get their pictures taken in Quarter Horse racing.

Indeed, research shows that the vast majority of winning racehorses do, in fact, break first, second, or third. Perhaps these champs are simply more alert, focused, and keyed-up when the gates pop. Professional racehorses, ready to spring into action.

How can you tell if a horse breaks sharply?

Find the column to the right of the race´s class level. This column indicates the horse´s post position in each race. The next column over contains the key information--"first-call numbers," which show how well the animal broke in each race.

For instance, a horse with a "1" in this column broke first in his last race--a good sign. An animal with an "8" lollygagged eighth, hardly encouraging news. Unless this equine turtle had some legitimate excuse or simply had a bad day at the office, he may not be a good bet.

(Steve Sharp is the author of "Fast Horses, Fast Money: The Complete Guide to Quarter Horse Racing," the first comprehensive wagering/handicapping guide to link new research on winning Quarter Horses with step-by-step betting and handicapping strategies.)