Rating other tracks

Once you understand how to grade a dog, the next step is to correctly identify dogs from other tracks. You can compare their grades to that of the local dogs.

To achieve this, two things must be considered; the quality and grade of their home track, and how their grading system is organised. These two factors often give non-local dog owners the kind of advantage or disadvantage that handicappers consider crucial information.

The size and quality of a track usually provides an insight into the class of dog racing there. If a track is larger, there will be more bettors and consequently a higher purse. The higher stakes attract the owners of the quality kennels that breed stronger and faster dogs. An effective grade analysis is fine when dogs race against each other day after day at the same track. It is only when a dog visits another track that it is necessary to evaluate whether it will be advantaged or disadvantaged.

Where this is the case, these variables often only last till the end of the first race, by which time the dog’s abilities are obvious to the public.

A handicapper must therefore learn how to rate other tracks so they can be ready to take advantage of the crowds initial ignorance regarding dogs from other tracks. This knowledge can be obtained by looking at a track-rating chart.

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