Here are a few tips for deciding whether to bet on horses coming back from a layoff. When they have been rested and come back to racing some animals respond quickly, while others need some time and conditioning to reach peak form.

Handicapping those runners that are returning to racing after more than 30 days requires some research. The first thing that you should do is to look through its past performances and establish two things if possible.

First, can you see a reason why the horse stopped racing? Sometimes a sudden decline in form is a clue that the racer injured itself or had a physical problem. If it was doing fine then threw in a clunker or two, maybe there was a problem that needed rest and attention. If you see an equipment change, like the addition of lasix or front wraps, it could mean that there was bleeding or lameness that needed treating.

The addition of new equipment or drugs in today's race, preceded by a good workout in the last week, may signal that the trainer has successfully treated the problem and his or her entry is ready to race. Even if you see no equipment changes, it may be something as simple as the horse being tired or temporarily sick. It does happen and a good workout may signal that all is once again okay.

The second situation to look for in the past performances is if the runner ever had a significant layoff in the past and how it did when it returned. For instance, if it has been 60 days since it raced and a look through the past performances indicates that it happened before and it returned to win, then it may be a good bet. But on the other hand, if it needed a few races to get back in condition, perhaps you should pass it and bet on another horse, depending upon the odds and its chances of winning.

If you are not sure how the horse will do or why it needed a layoff, perhaps it is a race to pass. The number one reason gamblers lose on racing is because they fail to get a good answer to a question that needs to be answered in order to make wise decisions. If you don't have an opinion about each runner in a race then you probably shouldn't be risking money on it.