posted by admin on Aug 29
Greyhound Handicapping – Keying a Dog
Although I usually handicap dog races by eliminating dogs who aren’t contenders for one reason or the other, once in awhile I do it differently. I pick a key dog who I think has a very good chance of being in the trifecta and I wheel it or key it.
I only do this when I’m way ahead on winnings and I only do it when the dog is a solid, very impressive contender. For instance, when I see a dog that has a high winning and quiniela percentage, in a post position it loves, where it will be able to run on the part of the track that it loves, I think of keying it.
But before I do, I look at the other dogs. If none of them are even close to this dog in class, speed and determination, I continue to think about playing the key dog. But, once again, before I do that, I look at where the other dogs run, how fast they get out of the box and whether they’ll be liable to cause trouble for the key dog as the race unfolds.
To do this, I have to imagine in my mind how the dogs will break and how they’ll gain speed as they head for the first turn. In the first turn, I’ll have to try to figure out how each dog’s probable behavior will impact the key dog and each other.
For instance, if there’s a dog that tends to go wide on turns, where will it be in relation to my key dog? Will my key dog be far enough ahead of the pack to avoid trouble? These and other questions all have to be answered, before I leave the first turn scenario behind and go on to the second turn, the backstretch, the final turn and the final stretch.
If there doesn’t seem to be any other dog that can impede or stop my key dog’s run, I bet the key dog to in a trifecta wheel over four other dogs that I think have a chance of being right behind it. Rarely, when I’m very sure of my pick, do I bet a key dog to win and place over all the other dogs in the race.
It’s not something I recommend doing, unless you have very deep pockets. Better, I think, to try to find 3 or 4 other dogs to put with the key. This will often result in a very nice payoff for the smart bettor who holds the key to the race.
Leave a Reply