There are many harness racing systems on the market and many more that people have created for their own use. This is not a critique of each system, but a set of guidelines for choosing a system of picking winners at the harness races. First of all, there is the question of whether or not a system is needed.

The old adage, "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail," comes to mind. Think of all the things you do in life and how each one, no matter how simple or complicated, has a set of steps that you usually follow to achieve the best results. There is a system or at least a systematic method, for almost anything that we do. When you are wagering real money on the races, it is important to have some method that will insure consistency and a way to track results.

That being said, the first factor we should look for in a harness racing system is a method to chart our bets or to keep track of where the money goes. With a record of each bet and why it was placed, it is soon easy to find weak spots in our reasoning and also to build on our strengths. Consider it a form of feedback and without feedback, we are doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

The next factor is a method to compare the speed of each horse and to adjust it for such things as post position and pace. A consistent method is very important here and will have to make adjustments based on the track variants for each track and each day at the track. These complicated adjustments are best left to a service that specializes in these tricky calculations. You will have to rely on their calculations and the system will have to be able to use them interchangeably.

Finally, there is the human factor. A good harness racing system must take into account the driver UDR (universal driver rating) and the trainer UTR (universal trainer rating). These ratings are readily available and usually found in the track programs. They are set by the U.S. Trotting Association. It makes sense to use the success or failure rating of the men and women who condition and pilot the horses, after all, the horse can only be as good or bad as the people who prepare and guide it.

The last factor that a system should have is credibility and a guarantee. A 100% money back, no questions asked, guarantee is absolutely essential. Any one selling a racing system that won't stand behind their product is sending a clear message of what he or she really thinks it is worth. Finding a good system isn't all that hard if you keep these factors in mind and using a good system will shorten the amount of time it takes you to become a first class handicapper capable of making a profit betting on harness races.