Today's Hawthorne Horse Racing Picks

Blinkers

A hood worn on a horse’s head to limit side vision, which can improve concentration. Blinkers are added or removed to relax a horse or give it more focus.

Handicap

A race where a handicapper has assigned weights to be carried by all runners on the basis of their past racing efforts.

Main Track Only

A horse entered for main track only (MTO) is one hoping the weather forecast or track conditions will move the race off the turf course and onto the main track. They are scratched the morning of the race if the conditions stay dry.