How To Bet To Win On Dogs Who Fade

It’s the end of the race. Your dog is in the lead by two lengths. He’s led all the way around the track and you can see the payoff already hitting the tote board. At 5-1, you’re going to make out well, especially since you have him in the quiniela with the dog who’s right behind him.

But wait! What’s happening? Suddenly, right at the wire, he fades and gets passed by the second and third dogs. You don’t get anything, because he came in 3rd. This scenario happens several times a day at any dog track you care to pick.

I’ve had it happen to me many times. I got so I wouldn’t even consider betting on a dog who fades. But one day when I was doing some research, I realized something. Very few dogs actually fade. What happens is that the dogs behind them close on them and pass them.

This led me to realize that there are times when it makes sense to bet on a so-called “fader.” One of those times is when it’s in a race with dogs who don’t close. If there are mostly breakers and dogs who speed up at the first turn and then slow down coming into the final stretch, a “fader” is a good bet.

If the dog has good early speed, it can get out ahead of the slower breaking dogs. Then, when they speed up on the first turn, it’ll still be ahead. If they can’t close, but lose steam in the stretch, the “fader” won’t fade because there aren’t any closers to close on it.

Another time a “fader” has a good shot at winning is when it’s in a dash. These short races don’t give closers enough time to make their move on the leader. At the end of the race, it’s usually the first dog to get out of the box who wins.

The last scenario that favors “faders” is when they move to a track with a shorter stretch. Dogs pace themselves. At least for its first few races, the dog will be expecting a longer stretch distance and will pace itself accordingly. This often puts it ahead of the pack at the finish line.