Greyhound Handicapping With Average Win and Running Time Stats
Do you know what Wheeling, Tucson and Southland have in common and how it can affect your bottom line? They all publish the Average Win Time statistics. If you play these tracks, you should be familiar with these numbers. If you don't play these tracks, you might want to consider it. The stats can really help you handicap races at these tracks.
All three tracks publish the average win times. Southland and Wheeling also publish the average running times excluding winners. They're broken down by grade and distance. This makes it easy to compare the dogs you're handicapping to the average times for their grade and distance. It also makes you aware of the differences in distances between the tracks.
At Tucson, the average win time for a 550 yard sprint in A is 30.94. So, if you're handicapping an A race and there's a dog with a much slower average time in its last six races, you're going to think twice about backing that dog to win in this race. However, if there's a dog with a much better average time in its last six races, you'll know that you have to consider it, no matter if it has been hitting the board or not.
I've found some nice priced winners this way. It's actually just another way to determine class. Greyhounds whose average speed can match the average speed for their grade and the distance of the race they're in are contenders. Those that can't even approach the average winning speed aren't. It's as simple as that.
Of course, when you're handicapping younger dogs who are moving up the grade ladder, you have to take into consideration that they're improving. You also have to look at track condition, because a couple of races on an off track can skew a dog's average time. It can either look higher than it really is or lower, depending on whether the off track was muddy or wet fast.
It's interesting to compare the average win times to the average running times excluding winners at Southland and Wheeling. At Southland, the average win time in AA in a 583 yard sprint is 32.12. While the average running time for the non-winners in the same grade and distance race is 32.40. That's quite a big difference. It shows you what separates the winners from the losers in greyhound racing.
So, if I'm handicapping an AA sprint at Southland, I'm going to look for dogs whose average times are close to 32.12 and higher than 32.40 for sure. At Wheeling, the average win time for an AA sprint is 29.88 because the distance is 549 yards, shorter than Southland by 34 yards. The average running time for AA sprints at Wheeling is 30.48. I keep this in mind when I'm handicapping and compare each dog's' average time to these times.
Of course, this isn't the only criteria I use to handicap races at these tracks. But it certainly helps me narrow down the field. Then I can figure out post position, running style, and how the race will play out from the break to the first turn. Knowing the averages helps with this also, because dogs that can't match the average speed are also going to be unable to match the breakers that have better average speed.
If you'd like to improve your win average, add these stats to the rest of your handicapping toolbox. You can find them on the tracks' web sites under stats and save the page or even print it out. I do that, so that I can refer to them while I look for winners at these tracks. I know that most people don't even glance at these stats. Anything that puts me - and you - ahead of the crowd is a good thing when we're trying to win at the greyhound track.
All three tracks publish the average win times. Southland and Wheeling also publish the average running times excluding winners. They're broken down by grade and distance. This makes it easy to compare the dogs you're handicapping to the average times for their grade and distance. It also makes you aware of the differences in distances between the tracks.
At Tucson, the average win time for a 550 yard sprint in A is 30.94. So, if you're handicapping an A race and there's a dog with a much slower average time in its last six races, you're going to think twice about backing that dog to win in this race. However, if there's a dog with a much better average time in its last six races, you'll know that you have to consider it, no matter if it has been hitting the board or not.
I've found some nice priced winners this way. It's actually just another way to determine class. Greyhounds whose average speed can match the average speed for their grade and the distance of the race they're in are contenders. Those that can't even approach the average winning speed aren't. It's as simple as that.
Of course, when you're handicapping younger dogs who are moving up the grade ladder, you have to take into consideration that they're improving. You also have to look at track condition, because a couple of races on an off track can skew a dog's average time. It can either look higher than it really is or lower, depending on whether the off track was muddy or wet fast.
It's interesting to compare the average win times to the average running times excluding winners at Southland and Wheeling. At Southland, the average win time in AA in a 583 yard sprint is 32.12. While the average running time for the non-winners in the same grade and distance race is 32.40. That's quite a big difference. It shows you what separates the winners from the losers in greyhound racing.
So, if I'm handicapping an AA sprint at Southland, I'm going to look for dogs whose average times are close to 32.12 and higher than 32.40 for sure. At Wheeling, the average win time for an AA sprint is 29.88 because the distance is 549 yards, shorter than Southland by 34 yards. The average running time for AA sprints at Wheeling is 30.48. I keep this in mind when I'm handicapping and compare each dog's' average time to these times.
Of course, this isn't the only criteria I use to handicap races at these tracks. But it certainly helps me narrow down the field. Then I can figure out post position, running style, and how the race will play out from the break to the first turn. Knowing the averages helps with this also, because dogs that can't match the average speed are also going to be unable to match the breakers that have better average speed.
If you'd like to improve your win average, add these stats to the rest of your handicapping toolbox. You can find them on the tracks' web sites under stats and save the page or even print it out. I do that, so that I can refer to them while I look for winners at these tracks. I know that most people don't even glance at these stats. Anything that puts me - and you - ahead of the crowd is a good thing when we're trying to win at the greyhound track.