Greyhound handicapping isn’t an exact science, so it’s easy to focus in on one thing and miss other things when you’re trying to pick a winner at the dog track. One example is how most handicappers tend to notice outstanding dogs to the point where it keeps them from noticing other dogs who aren’t superstars, but are worth checking out.
For instance, some dogs burst onto the scene as puppies, rocket to the top of the grades and stay there. While other dogs take a while to figure out their running style in M and J, and then also take a while to work their way up to D or C, where they stay by winning just enough races to keep from being graded off.
Why would you want to bet on this kind of dog? Well, how about when they’re about to drop down into a lower grade or when they’re about to be graded off? If they’ve always managed to stay in a certain grade and they’re dropping down into a lower grade, chances are, they’ll win within two or three races.
Of course, you have to make sure that they’re not injured or getting too old to cut the mustard. And you should definitely go over their last few races to make sure there wasn’t a radical change in running style.
It doesn’t hurt if they’re in a box that they like and have some other advantage – like a dog on either side of them who’s slow to break, for instance. Or that they’re the only breaker – or closer – in the race.
The thing to remember about these dogs is that they come in often enough to stay live in the highest grade they can handle. If they have good conditions – something that gives them an edge – they’re a good bet.
What’s better is that a lot of the bettors will just dismiss them with a quick glance. If you’re smart enough to delve a little deeper into their history, you can find yourself with a nice payoff on a dog that doesn’t look like much at first glance.
