For the horse racing enthusiast or someone new to the sport, I offer up my top ten horse racing web sites. The list does not include wagering platforms, pure handicapping sites, or blogs. These horse racing sites revolve around news pertaining to the sport, offer up an interactive experience, and/or provide participation in contests. Drum roll please.
1) Road to the Roses (roadtotheroses.com). This site usually starts up in mid to late February of each given year and runs until the first Saturday in May. You know what day that is; The Kentucky Derby. It is a great interactive site where you assemble your own stable of horses on their path to the most exciting two minutes in sports. Thousands of people participate every year in the hopes of winning valuable prizes.
2) Horse Racing Nation (horseracingnation.com). This is a relatively new site. It is a great site that offers you the opportunity to design your own silks. As a participant at this site you are allowed to demonstrate your handicapping prowess as well as comment on other participants handicapping selections. The site has news, links to some of the best thoroughbred blogs, videos of key races, and other valuable information. These guys are doing it right!
3) Daily Racing Form (drf.com). The online version of the oldest horse racing publication in North America. It contains the best news and handicapping information. Drf publishes entries and results for all thoroughbred and quarter horse races in North America. A wonderful feature is the “Race of the Day” where you can download past performances for free. The offer all kinds of handicapping information from books to race cards for sale. Beautiful site with a wealth of information.
4) Case the Race (casetherace.com). Great site. Has a wonderful free contest that provides you with the opportunity to make selections at various pre-determined races. It provides you with your own metrics vis a vis contest points and virtual money won. Then it ranks among the other participants in the contest. For each race it provides you with its power rankings based on a proprietary scientific formula. Other handicappers from across the country offer up their selections for Saturday races. This an enjoyable site. I include it in the list because of the interactive contest.
5) Blood Horse (bloodhorse.com). Fabulous information packed site. Contains all kinds of video shows about trainers, jockeys, and horses. Also provides video for “That Handicapping Show” which always very informative. Great tidbits of information regarding all manner of the horse racing business.
6) National Thoroughbred Racing Association (ntra.com). They have a very well done web site. It covers a lot of news and information about the sport. Has links to other sites with contests and other promotional items. Its key component is the stakes schedule which allows users to access to past performances for a least one stakes race on the weekend.
7) Brisnet.com. A simple site that provides handicapping information on a membership basis. I include it here as it has a “Race of the Day” contest where it provides free past performances that you can handicap and then make your selection for the contest. Currently it is running a contest whereby you get one entry for each “race of the day” selection you make. The winner gets tickets to the Kentucky Derby in May of 2010.
8) Horsehats.com. This is an E commerce site that has a terrific offering of all kinds of great gifts for the horse lover you know. It has links to all kinds of horse products too. I include it here because it has an important element for all handicappers; an exotics calculator. You just plug in your picks and it shows how much the ticket will cost. This is especially important when you are putting together complex ten cent superfecta tickets.
9) Espn.com. You will need to mouse over “All Sports” for the drop down menu, then click “horseracing”. News is more or less a rehash from other sites, but they do have some very good columnists that can offer valuable insight. Links to other sites and wagering platforms are also there. They have poor updating tendencies.
10) CBSsportsline.com. You have to mouse over the “more” button for the drop down menu, then click “horse racing”. Does have a message board where you can talk horse racing with other fans. It has a few links to other sites. It seems as though the sport is an after thought for them.
When you have time please noodle around any or all of these sites. I am sure you will find them both informative and enjoyable.
