Article by Thomas Burkett
Reliably Profit From the Ponies(Money Management 101)
How can you win at the horse track? The answer isn’t as simple as it sounds. The horse track takes over 20 percent of every dollar paid into the pools. This vig is difficult to overcome. However, a sound money management system can help you overcome this massive vigor. In fact without a sound fiscal policy, it is impossible to overcome the juice. The following stanzas will describe a foolproof money management system that will reliably prevent the major obstacles of profit.
The Down 20 System
Put simply, the down 20 system originates from the notion that you are down 20 dollar as soon as you walk through the gate. Your only goal is to break even. So, prior to betting on your first race, you will make a journal entry that suggests you are down 20 dollars.
Next, you handicap the first race and locate a 4-1 horse that you think has a chance of winning. At this point, you need to win 20 dollars to get to even. So, you need to bet 5 dollars on this horse to win (20/4)=5. You then place 5 dollars on this horse to win, and he fails to do so. You now add the 5 dollar loss to the ledger add that to the previous 20 dollars and you find yourself needing to recoup 25 dollars in losses.
Now you handicap the 2nd race and fall in love with a 2-1 favorite. To recover the 25 dollar carryover, you place a bet of 13 dollars ((25/2)=12.5). Again this horse fails to win falling in a photo finish by a neck. You must then add the 13 dollar loss to the ledger and roll the entire 38 dollars to the next race.
After handicapping the 3rd race you find a 6-1 horse that you think should win the race. Needing to recover 38 dollars, you place a 7 dollar wager on the horse (38/6 = 6.333). For the third time on the evening you have selected a losing horse and you now find yourself needing to recover 45 dollars from the down 20 system.
In the 4th race you find a 4/5 favorite that you know will win the race. He has drawn the inside post and has won 4 in a row. You place a wager of 57 dollars on this horse to win in order to recover the 45 dollars you are down. (45 * 5/4 = 56.25). The horse again loses. So, you need to recover 102 dollars in order to satisfy the down 20 system.
In the 5th race you are frustrated. You need to recover 102 dollars. Some will desire to start over or leave or give up on the system at this point. You should set a loss limit for the day. And never bet more than you can easily lose; however, you are actually only in the hole for 82 dollars. Also, you might want to stay away from less than even money favorites. Their loss can seriously injure bankroll. However, it is this race that I find a 3-1 favorite that I feel should win. I place a 34 dollar win bet on this horse. I am paid off 158.20 for the win. I then start over being down 20 and hit two more win tickets and profit slightly less than 70 dollars for the evening.
It really is that easy. However, it is possible to not win a bet all night long. My longest losing streak has been 17 races and I was in deeper than 1200 dollars before cashing. I started skipping even money favorites pretty quickly in that streak. And, I often skip them now after getting in over 100 deep.
It works!
for more expert horse handicapping secrets and tips visit Gooses Gold
Thomas is a Harvard Grad Student and a Kelley MBA. In this article he discusses a simple money management secret for use at the horse track. He describes details outlining a winning money management scheme for use at all horse tracks
Find More Time Management 101 Articles


