Tip Sheets 101

What Is A Horse Racing Tip Sheet?

What Is a Tip Sheet?

A horse racing tip sheet is a document that is used to provide information on potential bets for horse racing. The document will list all of the horses that are participating in the race, as well as their odds and what the handicapper believes about their chances of winning.

Tip sheets can be a valuable resource when it comes to betting on horse racing. By comparing the odds and looking at the past performances of each horse, you can make an informed decision about which ones to bet on.

What Is a Handicapper?

Handicappers are professionals that analyze horse racing data — including each horse’s past performance — and track conditions to pick potential winners for each race. Many handicappers release their selections to the public in the form of a tip sheet. These tip sheets, which are available online and in print format, detail what the handicapper believes to be the best horse in each race and what their odds of winning are, along with any additional notes on performance.

Tip Sheets 101

How Can I Use a Tip Sheet?

There are a few different ways that you can use a horse racing tip sheet:

Compare the odds for each horse and choose the one with the best payout.
Use the information about each horse’s past performance to make your own decision about which one to bet on.
Follow the experts’ picks and see how their strategies pan out.

Tip Sheets 101

How To Read a Tip Sheet

When you are looking at a tip sheet, you will want to take a close look at the horses that are listed. You should consider the odds for each horse, as well as what the experts are saying about their chances of winning. The specific information included depends on the type of tip sheet you’re reading.

Green Sheets

Green Sheets compile information from the industry’s top handicappers based on the handicapper strength of the horse. Your Green Sheet contains the following information, in order of left to right:

Gate Position (also called “Post Position”) — The position the horse is in the gate. Gate positions are assigned randomly, with 1 indicating the gate position closest to the track interior.
Horse Name — An arrow next to the name indicates the horse is racing up or down a class.
Lasix Status — Indicates whether the horse is on Lasix or not. An asterisk next to the “L” indicates the horse is a first-time Lasix user.
Jockey Weight
Odds — Denotes the odds of the horse to win the race at the time the sheet was created.
Jockey — Includes last name and first initial.
Speed — The speed of the horse in their last race
Handicapper’s Comments
Last Placement — Where the horse finished in its last race. The smaller number indicates how many lengths behind the horse finished in the last race, or how many lengths ahead if the horse finished 1st.
Last Track/Class — The track code where the horse last ran and the class it competed in. A list of track codes can be found below.
Placement History — How many times the horse finished in 1-2-3-4.
Purse Winnings — For the current year to date.
Trainer — Includes trainer’s last name and first initial.

Finger Sheets

Finger Sheets are based on the gate position of each horse and contain the following key information, in order of left to right:

Gate Position (also called “Post Position”) — The position the horse is in the gate. Gate positions are assigned randomly, with 1 indicating the gate position closest to the track interior.
Horse Name — An arrow next to the name indicates the horse is racing up or down a class.
Jockey Weight
Odds — Denotes the odds of the horse to win the race at the time the sheet was created.
Jockey — Includes last name and first initial.
Speed — The speed of the horse in their last race

Understanding Track Codes

Track codes are simply shorthand for the names of various tracks around the world. Use the chart below to determine which track code is yours.

Code

Aqu

Track

Aqueduct

Location

NY

Code

AsD

Track

Assiniboia Downs

Location

Canada

Code

Bel

Track

Belmont

Location

NY

Code

BtP

Track

Belterra

Location

OH

Code

Cby

Track

Canterbury

Location

Minnesota

Code

CT

Track

Charles Town

Location

WV

Code

CD

Track

Churchill Downs

Location

KY

Code

Cnl

Track

Colonial Downs

Location

VA

Code

CLS

Track

Columbus

Location

NE

Code

Dmr

Track

Del Mar

Location

CA

Code

Del

Track

Delaware

Location

DE

Code

DeD

Track

Delta Downs

Location

LA

Code

ElP

Track

Ellis Park

Location

KY

Code

EmD

Track

Emerald

Location

WA

Code

EvD

Track

Evangeline

Location

LA

Code

FG

Track

Fair Grounds

Location

LA

Code

FP

Track

Fairmount

Location

IL

Code

FL

Track

Finger Lakes

Location

NY

Code

Fon

Track

Fonner

Location

NE

Code

FE

Track

Fort Erie

Location

Canada

Code

GG

Track

Golden Gate

Location

CA

Code

GP

Track

Gulfstream Park

Location

FL

Code

GPW

Track

Gulfstream Park West

Location

FL

Code

Hst

Track

Hastings

Location

Canada

Code

Haw

Track

Hawthorne

Location

IL

Code

Ind

Track

Indiana Downs

Location

IN

Code

Kee

Track

Keeneland

Location

KY

Code

KD

Track

Kentucky Downs

Location

KY

Code

Lrl

Track

Laurel

Location

MD

Code

LS

Track

Lone Star

Location

TX

Code

LRC

Track

Los Alamitos

Location

CA

Code

LaD

Track

Louisiana Downs

Location

LA

Code

MVR

Track

Mahoning

Location

OH

Code

Med

Track

Meadowlands

Location

NJ

Code

Mey

Track

Meydan

Location

Dubai

Code

Mth

Track

Monmouth

Location

NJ

Code

Mnr

Track

Mountaineer

Location

WV

Code

OP

Track

Oaklawn

Location

AR

Code

OTC

Track

Ocala Breeders Sales

Location

FL

Code

Prx

Track

Parx

Location

PA

Code

Pen

Track

Penn National

Location

PA

Code

Pim

Track

Pimlico

Location

MD

Code

PM

Track

Portland Meadows

Location

OR

Code

PrM

Track

Prarie Meadows

Location

IA

Code

PID

Track

Presque Isle

Location

PA

Code

RP

Track

Remington

Location

OK

Code

Ret

Track

Retama

Location

TX

Code

Hou

Track

Sam Houston

Location

TX

Code

SA

Track

Santa Anita

Location

CA

Code

Sar

Track

Saratoga

Location

NY

Code

Sun

Track

Sunland

Location

NM

Code

Tam

Track

Tampa Bay Downs

Location

FL

Code

Tdn

Track

Thistledown

Location

OH

Code

Tim

Track

Timonium

Location

MD

Code

TuP

Track

Turf Paradise

Location

AZ

Code

TP

Track

Turfway Park

Location

KY

Code

WRD

Track

Will Rogers Downs

Location

OK

Code

WO

Track

Woodbine

Location

Canada

Code

Wds

Track

Woodlands

Location

KS

Code

Wyo

Track

Wyoming

Location

WY

How To Win With a Tip Sheet

There’s no one way to place your bets that guarantees a win, but horse racing tip sheets can be a valuable source of information when it comes to choosing the right horse and the right strategy. There are a few different betting strategies you can take:

Bet Type

Show

Chances of Winning

Very Good

Explanation and Expectation

Your horse must finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

Bet Type

Place

Chances of Winning

Good

Explanation and Expectation

Your horse must finish 1st or 2nd.

Bet Type

Win

Chances of Winning

Average

Explanation and Expectation

Your horse must finish 1st.

Bet Type

Quinella

Chances of Winning

Average

Explanation and Expectation

Your horses must finish 1st and 2nd in either order

Bet Type

Exacta

Chances of Winning

Hard

Explanation and Expectation

Your horses must finish 1st and 2nd in exact order

Bet Type

Trifecta

Chances of Winning

Very Hard

Explanation and Expectation

Your horses must finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in exact order

Bet Type

Superfecta

Chances of Winning

Extremely Hard

Explanation and Expectation

Your horses must finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th

Bet Type

Daily Double

Chances of Winning

Hard

Explanation and Expectation

Your horses must win the two consecutive races

Bet Type

Pick 3

Chances of Winning

Very Hard

Explanation and Expectation

Your horses must win three consecutive races

Bet Type

Pick 4

Chances of Winning

Extremely Hard

Explanation and Expectation

Your horses must win four consecutive races

Bet Type

Pick 6

Chances of Winning

Hardest of All

Explanation and Expectation

Your horses must win six consecutive races

Tip Sheets 101

Trust Green Sheet Racing

With decades of experience, Green Sheet Racing’s handicappers are highly skilled at analyzing horse races and compounding that information into tip sheets for bettors like you. No matter what horse racing track you’re betting on, Green Sheet Racing offers strategic Green Sheets and Finger Sheets to help you make the best picks possible.

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