bet on horses

Odds are based on the amount of money wagered on a race. All odds are calculated based on the money bet on horses to win. A horse's individual odds result from taking the amount of win money bet on the individual horse, divided by the total amount bet on the race.
A longshot, or a horse with high odds, will pay more money if it succeeds in finishing in the top three.
Wagers in the other pools, such as place and show pools or exotics, do not affect the odds shown on the tote board.
In addition, the morning line odds shown in the program do not affect the odds shown on the toteboard. These are only a prediction of how the track handicapper believes the public will wager.

Before a horse is allowed to race, it must be registered with the AQHA and must be given a permanent identifying tattoo on its upper lip. The tattoo is a combination of numbers and letters unique to that horse and is applied prior to the horse's first race. Before each race the number on the lip is checked with the official record to be sure they match.
Horses train in the mornings to get in shape for races. Sometimes they are just jogged or galloped around the track. Other times they are sent to workout, which is when the horse is exercised at racing speed for a certain distance. The workouts are recorded for you to read and use in making wagering decisions
Each race pits horses against each other for a set amount of purse money. Most horses live on the backside, or barns located near the track. Sometimes they ship in from other places, such as farms or other racetracks. At a scheduled time before their race, horses are walked to the paddock. This is the area where they are saddled in preparation for the race. Once they are saddled, the jockeys mount and the horses are led out onto the track. Once there, they are paraded before the stands and given a chance to warm up. This is called the “post parade”. Horses are then led to post, or starting gate. At post time, the gates open and the horses run the race. The winner takes a trip to the winner’s circle for a photo. After the official results are posted on the tote board, bettors can collect their winnings and horses are returned to the barns where they are cooled and bathed.
Immediately after a race, the top three.