7 racetracks every new horseplayer should bet this winter

Planning to bet on horse racing this winter? You’ve picked a good time to join the game.

The months following the annual Breeders’ Cup are always competitive. With promising prospects gearing up for the Kentucky Derby (G1), and with accomplished older horses laying early groundwork for championship campaigns, winter racing exists in a state of flux. You never know what might unfold on any given day.

Not sure where to begin in your handicapping journey? Based on a variety of interrelated factors (quality of racing, size of wagering pools, level of competition, etc.), these seven tracks are well worth your betting attention this winter.

Aqueduct

Start date: Nov. 6

Racing on the prestigious New York circuit shifts to Aqueduct during the cold season, and while the caliber of competition isn’t as strong as at Belmont Park and Saratoga, it’s usually a good challenge for handicappers.

Since the Aqueduct turf courses aren’t used during the peak of winter, racing takes place exclusively on dirt, which makes it easier to calculate speed figures and identify track biases.

Fair Grounds

Start date: Nov. 26

Large fields are par for the course at the competitive Fair Grounds meet in Louisiana, which features a mixture of dirt and turf racing.

The 1,346-foot homestretch (one of the longest in the country) makes for exciting finishes, and the track annually hosts a trio of Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races, led by the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2).

Gulfstream Park

Start date: Dec. 2

Every winter, dozens of the best horses in the country head south to compete at Gulfstream Park in Florida, which offers a lucrative slate of stakes races on both dirt and turf.

Three Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races and the Pegasus World Cup (G1) are among the highlights of the track’s Championships Meet.

Oaklawn Park

Start date: Jan. 22

With purse money expected to reach $700,000 per racing day, Oaklawn Park in Arkansas offers some of the richest winter racing in the country, including a pair of $1 million Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races.

Since Oaklawn doesn’t have a turf course, the races take place exclusively on dirt.

Santa Anita

Start date: Dec. 26

Some of the best racehorses in the country are based in California, and the best horses in California compete over the dirt and turf at Santa Anita each winter.

A quartet of Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races highlight the prestigious stakes schedule, a big reason why five of the last nine Kentucky Derby winners have used Santa Anita as a springboard to success on the first Saturday in May.

Tampa Bay Downs

Start date: Nov. 25

Gulfstream Park attracts most of the attention, but Tampa Bay Downs also hosts competitive racing during the Florida winter.

Three Kentucky Derby winners have raced over the sandy main track at Tampa over the last 15 years, while the turf course has been a proving ground for champions like Dreaming of Anna, Zagora, and Tepin.

Turfway Park

Start date: Dec. 2

If you ever grow tired of dirt and turf racing, Turfway Park offers an appealing alternative — Tapeta, a synthetic surface freshly installed for the 2019-2020 meet.

All racing at the Kentucky track will be conducted over the synthetic footing, a challenging twist for handicappers accustomed to analyzing more traditional surfaces. Anyone who can accurately decipher the Tapeta form will be poised for big paydays.

Enjoy the racing!