It’s a brand new year of horse racing, and as always the Daily Racing Blog is here to help. Whether you make a living playing the horses or do it as a side-hustle you need to be mentally strong.

So what sets apart the Winning horseplayer from the perpetual ticket tearing loser?

#1 They Move On Winning horseplayers don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves after a tough beat. They don’t dwell on the shoulda, coulda, and wouldas. Each race is a new race and new opportunity to Win and they don’t let the last race cloud their judgement on the next solid betting opportunity that they find.

#2 They Embrace Change Horse racing is an ever-changing game. As an example; Thoroughbreds run less frequently than they used to. Which tends to render the recency factor a moot point. Mentally strong horseplayers welcome change and adapt their handicapping accordingly. There is no hard and fast rule that will be profitable forever.

#3 They Stay Happy There is no accounting for a bad break from the gate or a rough trip. Your handicapping was done in accordance with the information you were using. You cannot anticipate your horse being out of contention the moment the gate opens. Winning horseplayers don’t waste energy on things they can’t control. Some days you benefit from some traffic in the stretch and other days you get slammed coming out of the gate. You have no control over that so you can’t let it bother you.

#4 They Are Willing to Take Calculated Risks We all know (or should know) that there is no such thing as a sure thing in racing. Every wager that you make is a calculated risk. A Winning horseplayer isn’t heading up to the windows to place a bet without a plan. A Winning horseplayer isn’t going to add horses to their exotic wagers while placing the bet without evaluating the horses and cost of the wager first. A Winning horseplayer isn’t going to place a wager that loses money if it Wins.

#5 They Celebrate Other People’s Success. Mentally strong horseplayers are not bothered by the short term or long term success of others. In fact they are happy that someone had a good day and they will be back to the track soon to dump money back into the pari-mutuel pools and keep the sport of racing alive. Mentally strong horseplayers know this game is a daily grind to churn out a profit and that there will be both good and bad days.

It’s not always easy to change your mindset. But by putting into practice these simple methods you can become a mentally strong horseplayer. Not only will your attitude change, but your bankroll will grow along with your mental strength.

Let’s have a great year !