Top 10 Horse Racing Myths

EZ Horse Betting strives to bring you the most accurate horse racing information. Access to good information is the key to becoming a great handicapper and cashing winning tickets. We also think it is important to dispel some of the common misconceptions about horseracing. Here are the top ten horse racing myths.

No. 10—Bet the Gray on a Rainy Day

You’ve probably heard this one quoted lots of times at the racetrack. Some people believe that gray horses perform better when it rains and the track is muddy. There is, in fact, no evidence to suggest that a horse’s color affects whether or not it can handle a wet track. Many gray racehorses hate the mud and do not do well in wet conditions. It can be fun to make bets on a premise like this, but if you want to win the big money you must stick to the tried and true handicapping angles.

No. 9—Secretariat Saved The Family Farm

The popular movie Secretariat starring John Malkovich, Diane Lane, and jockey Otto Thorwarth was an entertaining film that does a pretty good job of telling Big Red’s story. Secretariat is regarded by many as the GOAT, or Greatest of All Time, but there is one thing the film is wrong about. Penny Chenery, the owner of Secretariat, is portrayed as a somewhat unwilling owner who assumed the duties of running the family farm after her father’s illness. According to the movie, Chenery retained trainer Lucien Laurin specifically to train Secretariat and save her farm. The truth is that Chenery and Laurin were no strangers to the Winner’s Circle. Just one year prior to Secretariat’s achievement, the duo had captured two legs of the Triple Crown with Riva Ridge. The horse won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes but lost the Preakness.

No. 8—All Jockeys are Short

While many jockeys stand around 5′ tall, there is no restriction on how tall a jockey can be. Only a jockey’s weight is subject to restriction. Ronald Ardoin, one of the most successful jockeys of all time, tops out at around 5’9”. Of course, it can be harder for taller jockeys to make weight since the frame of their body is larger.

No. 7—War Admiral Was a Villain

This is another misconception that is derived from a motion picture. In the film Seabiscuit, War Admiral and his owner are both portrayed as ill-tempered. While War Admiral could be hard to handle and high strung, neither he nor owner Samuel Riddle were the villains portrayed in the film. War Admiral was simply competing against another horse as horses do. Riddle was a highly respected owner who contributed much to the game of horseracing.

No. 6—Zenyatta Danced for the Crowd

The legendary mare Zenyatta received comparisons with Ruffian for her success on the track. She was a fan favorite who attracted throngs of supporters whenever and wherever she raced. A habit of Zenyatta was to prance lightly on her feet with her neck bowed as she was led past race fans on her way to the track. Some asserted that this dancing movement was done to please her admirers. The truth is that prancing and moving sideways while heading to the racetrack can often signal anxiety or nervousness. Zenyatta’s movement is observable, but her private motivation cannot be established from it. Compare behavior with the individual horse’s routine instead of treating a human description such as “dancing for fans” as an explanation.

No. 5—All Thoroughbreds are High Strung

This myth is one of the most prominent on the racetrack. For whatever reason, thoroughbreds have a reputation for being difficult to handle. There have certainly been some horses known for their ill temper. John Henry is one that comes to mind. Most trainers would disagree with this generalization. Some would even go so far as to say that horses which are calm and focused achieve greater success. Perhaps the best example of this is American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown winner. In the days following his historic achievement, American Pharoah was taken out to meet members of the media who were allowed to pet him and take pictures. Observers saw him stand calmly while hands reached toward him and the cameras whizzed and clicked.

No. 4—Favorites are a Good Bet

The favorite of a horse race is the horse who receives the most bets to win. It is the betting public who determine the favorite of a race. A favorite is the lowest-priced runner in the relevant market; its win rate varies by field, track and period. A fixed 33% claim is not a universal law. Whether it is a good bet depends on the price relative to its estimated chance. A horse with a genuine 50% chance is break-even at even money before separate costs, positive expectation above that price and negative below it. Short odds alone do not determine value.

No. 3—Any Horse Can Race

Thoroughbred horseracing is restricted to thoroughbreds. A thoroughbred is a horse that can trace its lineage to one of three original stallions. The ancestry of a horse is what qualifies it to compete as a racehorse. Registration is only part of entry eligibility: age, race conditions, health and regulatory requirements also apply. Other racing codes use other breeds. Thoroughbreds’ speed while carrying a rider is impressive, but it does not establish the unsupported claim that no other creature can cover that distance at that speed.

No. 2—Horseracing is Controlled by the Mafia

Regardless of what you may have seen in The Godfather, horseracing is not controlled by the Mafia. The truth is that each state has a racing commission which oversees racing in its state. Each racetrack also employs a team of stewards which are tasked with making sure races are conducted fairly.

Why Myths Persist in Horse Racing Betting Culture

Horse racing myths persist because they contain enough partial truth to be convincing to bettors who have not studied them rigorously. The myth that betting favourites always loses money, for example, is based on the genuine observation that betting every favourite mechanically produces a net loss — but it ignores the important reality that a favorite can be a value bet only when its obtainable payout is high enough for its estimated chance. An underpriced runner offers too little return, not an automatic profitable opportunity. This partial truth makes the myth superficially plausible while the critical distinction that separates it from a genuine insight goes unexamined.

Understanding why myths are wrong is often more instructive than simply being told they are wrong, because the analysis that reveals the myth’s flaw also reveals a genuine insight about how betting markets work. Examining the myth that “hot jockeys always win” reveals the genuine pattern of momentum in jockey confidence and trainer support while also revealing the market’s tendency to over-correct by over-betting jockeys on hot streaks. That is a candidate explanation to test, not proof of a market inefficiency. Separate a rider’s actual recent opportunities from the results and check whether the proposed effect remains after accounting for horse quality and price. For more on debunking common misconceptions, our betting superstitions guide separates familiar rituals from evidence. And our guide to the concept of value in horse racing provides the analytical framework that makes myth-busting productive rather than merely academic.

No. 1—Horseracing is Fixed

Racing has documented integrity violations, but an unexpected winner, poor ride or late odds change does not establish that a race was fixed. Read an actual commission finding and the supporting evidence before making that allegation. Stewards and regulators oversee conduct; their existence does not prove that misconduct never occurs. Compensation and purse incentives vary, and financial incentives alone cannot establish every participant’s intention in a particular race.

Take a minute to check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. Use these reviews as account research, then verify location-specific eligibility and authorization. The racebook comparison does not establish universal access.

For the film-versus-history example, the museum’s Lucien Laurin profile documents the trainer behind Riva Ridge and Secretariat. American Pharoah’s 2015 achievement was followed by Justify’s 2018 Triple Crown; “most recent” descriptions in older articles need that context.