With all it’s gorgeous scenery and almost regal pageantry, one tends to ask oneself, why in the dickens is Keeneland such a challenge to the average horse bettor?  Favorites struggle, longshots come out of nowhere and the obvious becomes errant.  And in fact, several recent studies placed Keeneland as one of the toughest tracks in America to handicap.  Favorites win less often at this thoroughbred track located in the heart of horse racing than anywhere else.  It’s enough to stress the casual bettor to the max.

Let’s take a look at 6 major reasons why this is the case:

1)  The quality of the competition. Only a handful of US tracks draw the quality of horses found at this Lexington, KY race track.

2)  The quantity of the competition.  Notice how many horses, on average, are entered and actually go off in Keeneland races. They average over 10 horses per race with some races handling up to 15 entries.

3)  The length of the meets.  A Spring and a Fall meet are separated by about 5 months with each meet having only 16 to 18 days of racing.  It makes for the typical horse, stabled at the track, to maybe get 1 to 3 races during the month and therefore making comparisons more difficult than say a 3 month season.

4)  The ability of the connections.  With the high purse amounts of the races and the tradition surrounding Keeneland it is logical that only the best are attracted.  The list of jockeys, trainers and owners is a “who’s who” of the thoroughbred racing world.  It’s futile to place a bet just based on a top jockey or a leading trainer at Keeneland!

5)  The time of the year.  The Spring meet ends just days before The Kentucky Derby and the Fall meet ends just days before The Breeders’ Cup.  It’s the jockey’s time to shine in order to get the good mounts and the trainers time to get their barn in order. That may be why you see jockeys bringing home longshots and top horses seemingly out for a brisk workout.

6)  The track.  Polytrak is still hard to figure at times and comparing the synthetic surface of one track to the next can be difficult too.

So, as you can see, it can be a bit overwhelming and for the unknowing – it can be costly. That is precisely why it is important to be armed with more information than the average Joe Exacta out there.

Keeneland is not just a racetrack, it’s an experience, no wait, it’s the ultimate thoroughbred racing experience in America. So if attending or simulcasting or watching at home and want to get the edge on this most exciting challenge in horse racing – pick up our selections at The Track Philosopher – you’ll have the advantage and make your day so much more rewarding than the not so gentle-man shown above.

Tip: Be the hit of your table and print out several copies of “The Track Philosopher” Keeneland cards for that race day and pass them out to your friends. Make the day more, let’s say, relaxing!

 I recently read an article about a jockey whose name has yet to be heard by roughly 80% of the thoroughbred racing culture of America. Not only has he been riding just shy of 40 years but, at 58, is 5 wins away from his 6,000th win.  His name is Perry Ouzts and he rides the small track circuit in the Ohio Valley, like River Downs, Beulah Park and is presently at Turfway Park. These small market tracks were the starting blocks for such big names as Rafael Bejarano and Julien Leparoux and even Steve Cauthen.

However, Ouzts preferred to stay close to home in Hebron, KY with his family and focus on the surrounding area. In doing so he laid the groundwork for a stellar career with a recent Turfway Park riding championship in 2010, 11 riding titles at Beulah Park and 24 at River Downs.  And it’s that strong work ethic and love of the game that is an inspiration to many. Perry Ouzts has been looked up to by many a Midwesterner racing fan for being there and giving it his best over and over (approximately 44,000 mounts).

Many fans growing up near the   small track circuits had those special winning jockeys that were involved in some of their personal best bets. One such jockey, for me anyway, around the same time Perry Ouzts was an apprentice, was a journeyman jockey, J.L. Lively, who would travel the circuit from Illinois, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Arkansas each year. He was my hero at Ak-Sar-Ben and Lincoln Fairgrounds. He was the jockey I looked up to and the one I counted on to bring home my $20 win bets. And as good as he was, he was never inducted into the Jockey Hall of Fame.

Perry Ouzts will most likely share the same fate, even with his victories listing him as the 17th winningest rider in history. Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day summed it up, that it is unfortunate that Ouzts and a handful of other jockeys racing at less prestigious racetracks aren’t recognized for their accomplishments, especially considering the lesser quality of horses and the less than adequate conditions – they did it the hard way.