Greyhound Handicapping - Should You Bet On A Dog That Fell In Its Last Race?
Greyhounds are really graceful, but even the best of them fall from time to time. When you're running at 45 mph, a fall can be serious. However, greyhounds are made for chasing prey and falling is part of the chase for any animal that prefers "fast food".
Spills and tumbles that would break human bones most often just end up in bruises or sprains for dogs. How many times have you seen a greyhound pick itself up and continue the race after tumbling over and over when it falls on a turn?
But when a greyhound falls in a race, it has to school before it can get back into contention, so that the judges can be sure that it's fit and able to run again. These schooling races are often held before the live race card, so if you can get to the track early enough, watch them.
Also, in the dog's lines in the program, it will show the schooling race and how the dog did. I always look it over and if the dog ran a race with a good time and doesn't have any lines like "lacked effort" or "dull performance" in the schooling race, I consider that the dog has recovered from its fall.
I also like to see one good real race after the schooling race, just to let me know that the dog hasn't gotten a "thing" about falling, which happens once in awhile. That's why, often, the schooling race will only have three or four dogs in it, so that the dog who fell won't be afraid to run with the other dogs.
A few dogs who fall are never able to really contend again, because they're just too shook up. These are the dogs who run at the back of the pack, because they don't want to get hit or crowded by another dog.
So, look at the dog's schooling race, wait for it to have a good "real" race, and if it looks good, bet it. Chances are the dog will shrug off the fall and get right back into contention.
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