The bettor who wants to become an expert at EZ Horse Betting needs many tools at their disposal. They should have speed charts and pace projections. Records should be kept on jockeys and trainers. An overlooked piece of information that handicappers might want to consider adding is a pedigree analysis. This report only need to be completed once, but it could prove to be useful again and again when making wagers.

What is a Pedigree Analysis in Horse Racing?

A pedigree analysis is a report that looks at the blood line of a race horse. The purpose of compiling such a report is to get an idea of what the horse is genetically disposed to achieve as an athlete. For example, if a large number of the runners in a horse’s family have preferred running on turf courses, there is a chance that this preference will be passed on through the bloodline.

It should be made clear that, like any other factor considered by handicappers, pedigree analysis is not a golden ticket to winning bets. The legendary jockey Chris McCarron once said in regards to pedigrees, “My brother is a good golfer. That has not made me a good golfer.” The same principle applies to horse racing. Even though a horse’s siblings or sire or dam was successful at something doesn’t guarantee that the horse will inherit those same traits.

So, why are we even taking about this element of handicapping? The reason is that racing traits are indeed passed on with enough regularity to make the theory of genetic preferences plausible. The horse that defies these expectations is often the exception and not the rule. It is a strong enough angle that it can make a profitable difference in your handicapping.

Applications for Pedigree Analysis

This brings us to the applications of pedigree analysis. At EZ Horse Betting we focus on teaching people how to bet horses at an online racebook. Our emphasis is the handicapper. We believe that a pedigree analysis can be used to identify:

• Horses that prefer a specific distance
• Horses that prefer a specific surface
• Horses that prefer running on a muddy track
• Various other preferences

Pedigree analysis is not only beneficial for the handicapper. It is also useful for the owner who is considering a costly purchase at an auction. Horse auctions are often filled with horses that have nothing to demonstrate their potential talent except a pedigree. This pedigree used by many bloodstock agents, owners, and trainers to put a dollar value on a horse they see at auction. It helps them understand how much to bid.

The reports are also used by track handicappers and analysts for the Daily Racing Form and other publications. The handicapper may use them to see if a horse has an edge in a specific race.

How to Compile a Pedigree Analysis

It is possible for the handicapper to make their own pedigree analysis, the same way it is possible for a bettor to make their own speed figures. The accuracy of the analysis will depend to a large extent on the effort applied in making it. For those who do not wish to make their own reports, it may be possible to obtain them for free online.

The Bloodhorse is an excellent source of free pedigree reports. The only negative here is that reports are only available for a select group of horses. There is no database, either. Most of the reports appear on The Bloodhorse website as a blog post. You’ll simply have to search out the ones that you need.

You can also pay a bloodstock agent to make a pedigree analysis for you, but this can be very costly. Potential owners are the only ones that usually require such reports. You are better off making the report yourself from scratch, and doing so is not that hard.

The way you begin to make a pedigree analysis is the same way you begin to make a family tree. You will start with the horse you are wanting to research and then work backward. You will first list the horse’s sire and dam. Then you will list the sire and dam of the horse’s parentage, and so on. You can go back as far as you like, but three generations is usually enough to substantiate the existence of any trends you need to be aware of.

What you want to note for each horse in the family tree are things like their record on turf, how they ran in the mud, and whether or not the dam has produced any other offspring that went on to become winners in big races. The great thing about making your own pedigree analysis is that you can choose which factors you want to explore. For example, you may just want to identify potential mudders. Other factors might not be of importance to you.

Pros and Cons of Pedigree Analysis over Other Information

A pedigree analysis does hold some value over other handicapping information. The biggest advantage of the reports is that the information doesn’t really change. Compare this with the speed figures of a horse which must be constantly adjusted throughout its career. Make your reports, file them in a folder, and forget about them until they are required.

The downside is that pedigree information is generally not strong enough to use exclusively. There are many bettors who use speed figures and nothing else to make their handicapping choices. You won’t be able to do that with pedigree analysis. It just doesn’t give the complete picture you need to make winning bets.

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