The speed of a horse if fairly self explanatory. The speed that a horse can run is obviously one of the most important aspects when deciding which horse is going to win a race. No matter how good a jockey is, if the horse does not have basic speed it is unlikely to win a race.
In the US speed is of more importance when deciding which horse is going to win a race as finding out the speed of a horse is simpler as the statistics are more readily available than in the UK. Also US tracks are much more uniform in design so a horse that can run fast on one track is likely to run fast on another. In the UK where tracks differ considerably this is often not the case.
In the US, the Daily Racing Form publishes past performances for the horses running in the races that day. It will show how fast they ran a mile in all their previous races as well as split times for each quarter of a mile. There is also a number written called the Beyer Speed Figure, which rates the horses speed performance in each race. So there is plenty of information available to compare the previous performances of the horses in each race. Combine these figures with your assessment of the horses form and you are on your way to improving your horse picking prowess considerably.
In the UK if you want to find out the speed of each horse the information is not so readily available. The most comprehensive records of a horses speed performance are collated by a company called Timeform. If you are really serious about being successful at picking winners then obtaining this information is invaluable.
There is an obvious flaw in using speed data alone, some horses can only run fast over a certain distance i.e. they don't have much stamina. Also some are unable to run fast when carrying heavy weight or when the ground is soft. Make sure you read the relevant sections of the website as there are other factors which dictate how fast a horse will run. Therefore make sure you don't base your selections on speed alone. If, however two horses in the same race have recently run in the same conditions, the horse who won last time is likely to beat that same horse again.
So in summary, knowing the speed of a horse is a very powerful tool when picking winners, but if you want to compare horses on speed alone then make sure the speed data you use relates to when the horses you are comparing have run in the same or similar conditions.
