Greyhound Handicapping: How Inside Box Positions and Running Style Affect The Outcome Of Dog Races

Some dogs love to run the inside of the track. They break to the left and hug the rail all the way around. Of course, this is a good thing for them, because the closer to the rail they are, the shorter the distance around the race course.

So, why isn’t every race won by the 1 dog if it runs the inside? That’s a good question. The simple answer is that speed has to be taken into consideration, as well as distance. A dog that is faster but runs mid track can beat an inside runner even though the mid track dog, technically, runs a longer distance.

That’s not the only consideration though. Running style doesn’t just mean where a dog runs on the track. It also involves how fast a dog gets out and whether it keeps to one part of the track or only runs mainly on one part of the track, with times when it veers onto another part of the track.

That sounds more complicated than it is, so let me explain. When the chart writer writes a comment like “ran inside”, it might mean that that dog ran inside all the way through the race. Or it might mean that the dog ran inside for most of the race. It might have moved to the middle or even outside of the track on corners or to avoid other dogs.

So, inside runners can also run on other parts of the track. The term just means that they prefer to run on the inside for most of the race. So, if they’re in the 1, 2 or 3 box – the inside boxes – and they break out of the box first, they’re where they want to be, at least for most of the race. They have an advantage, but how much of an advantage depends on the percentage of the race where they’re a true inside runner.

Whether they break is also a big factor in how much an inside box will benefit a dog who mostly runs the inside. An inside runner in the 1 box with a dog who can outbreak it in the 2 box will have a rough trip if the 2 dog also wants to run the rail. In fact, many times in this situation, the dogs will collide or the 1 dog will get cut off by the 2 and run behind it throughout the race, because it can’t get the rail position for itself.

What this means is that the smart greyhound handicapper will look closely at the other dogs in the race before deciding that an inside runner has a big advantage just because it’s in an inside post position.