If you are reading this story, chances are you are either planning to bet or attend the 2025 Far Hills Race Meeting. Analyzing races and betting on them can be both complex and a little daunting for newcomers. Never fear, we’ve got you covered. If you are trying to figure out how, who, and what to bet at the races, America’s Best Racing is here to help!

The first section below features key betting terms to know for a day at the races. The section after that features selections for the six races Oct. 18 at Far Hills from America’s Best Racing’s Noel Michaels. Far Hills has partnered with 4NJBets as the betting app for the Oct. 18 racecard.

Noel's selections have been featured just about everywhere horse racing picks can be found, including in print in the Daily Racing Form, The HorsePlayer Magazine and American Turf Monthly, online at DRF.com, Twinspires.com and USRacing.com, from the paddock on-track at Arlington International Racecourse, and on dozens of radio and television shows.

The final two sections include some additional racing terms that might come up during the day at Far Hills so you are up to speed on the unique language of horse racing.

Betting Basics

Win bet – A bet on a horse to finish first.

Place bet – A bet on a horse to finish first or second.

Show bet – A bet on a horse to finish in the money; third or better.

Across the board – A bet on a horse to win, place, and show. If the horse wins, the bettor collects three ways; if second, two ways (place, show); and if third, one way, losing the win and place bets. It's actually three bets.

Exacta – A wager in which the first two finishers in a race, in exact order of finish, must be picked.

Trifecta – A bet in which the first three finishers must be selected in exact order.

Daily Double (or Double) – Type of bet calling for the selection of winners of two consecutive races.

Morning line – The odds that the track handicapper predicts a horse will be to win the race when it starts.

Did you know? When placing a bet, state the name of the track (Far Hills), the race number you want to place a wager on, the amount of the bet, the type of bet, and the horse you would like to be on in that order. For example, Far Hills, Race 2, $5 to win on #3. 

Be ready to place your bets in advance. Download the 4NJBets and MonmouthBets apps ahead of time so you’re ready to wager.

Far Hills Race Analysis From Noel Michaels

Far Hills, Race 1, $75,000 Harry E. Harris Hurdle, post time 12:50 p.m. ET

The six-race 2025 Far Hills meet begins with this 2 1/8-mile hurdle race that has drawn an eight-horse field, including a pair of foreign invaders and even one first-time starter. That debut runner, #1 Iconic Walk, is an interesting contender because he goes out for the same jockey-trainer combination that won this race last year with jockey Jamie Bargary riding for trainer Leslie Young. Go ahead and include him in your wagers along with #6 Attrayant, the top pick in the race who exits an 11-length win in his first career hurdle race after rallying from last-to-first in a nine-horse field. If he can match that effort again in this spot, he could be difficult to deny. If you are looking for a more experienced runner with more established credentials, you also have to include #8 St James the Great on your exacta and trifecta tickets and in the multi-race bets that start in this race. He has been solid in his three most recent outings that included a runner-up finish at Saratoga, a fourth-place finish in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap, and a runner-up finish last time at Shawan Downs where his final time was more than five seconds faster than #2 Max’d Out, who won on the same day at the same distance.

The Play: The pick is #6 Attrayant (8-1) to win. Also bet Attrayant in exacta and trifecta boxes along with #1 Iconic Walk (6-1) and #8 St James the Great (4-1).

Far Hills, Race 2, $70,000 McDynamo Maiden Hurdle Stakes, post time 1:35 p.m. ET

Learn more about the Far Hills Race Meet

A full field of 10 maiden jumpers plus one also-eligible entrant has been assembled for this race at a distance of 2 1/8 miles. The aforementioned jockey-trainer combo of Bargary and Young send out #5 Grey Pharoh, who is the most obvious pick in this race after knocking on the door with second-place finishes in both of his career outings so far, including one race in Ireland and one race at Percy Warner Park in Nashville this spring. Far Hills fans and fans of comedy films might remember #7 McLovin from his victory on this course two years ago in the John Forbes Memorial Stakes going a flat two miles. The 7-year-old is a proven long-distance competitor and a lifetime winner of four races who will attempt a steeplechase race for the first time in his career. He adds Lasix, removes blinkers, and has been gelded since his last outing, and he’s definitely a good enough racehorse to compete with these runners if, indeed, he is able the navigate the jumps. One horse that may slip through the cracks on the tote board but whom it would be a mistake to overlook is #8 Serifos from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher with jockey Graham Watters aboard (the same duo who teamed up to win this race last year with a horse called Minella Juke). Serifos was well-beaten last time in his jumping debut after a three-win career on the flat, but he will benefit from that outing which came after a 21-month layoff and it’s still too early to give up on his chances for these dangerous connections.

The Play: The pick to win is #5 Grey Pharoh (3-1), and you can bet three-horse exacta and trifecta boxes along with #7 McLovin (4-1) and #8 Serifos (15-1).

Far Hills, Race 3, $100,000 Peapack Hurdle Stakes Presented by Subourbon Life, post time 2:16 p.m. ET

Timetoshine wins Life's Illusion Stakes (Coady Media)

The Peapack Hurdle Stakes has drawn a field of five mares set to go 2 1/8 miles. #3 Timetoshine looks like a legitimate morning-line favorite after arriving stateside for the first time and demolishing the field by eight lengths in the Life’s Illusion Stakes Sept. 11 at Colonial Downs over three of these same rivals. Clearly, she’s the horse to beat against mostly the same crew. If there’s a case to be made for any of the horses that Timetoshine trounced last time it would be for #1 Anador, who established a solid lead in the Life’s Illusion before fading to second at the longer 2 ¼-mile distance. The shorter 2 1/8-mile trip in this race could help. The wild card in the field is #5 Emily Love, a four-time winner in England and Ireland that seems to fit well vs. this local competition.

The Play: The pick is #3 Timetoshine (8-5). Key Timetoshine on top of #1 Anador (4-1) and #5 Emily Love (9-5) in the exactas and box the trio in the trifecta.

Far Hills, Race 4, $150,000 Foxbrook Champion Hurdle Stakes Presented by FanDuel, post time 3:04 p.m. ET

The Foxbrook Champion Hurdle Stakes has drawn a nine-horse field set to race 2 ½ miles. #6 China Beach, who has had an excellent year over the jumps with two big stakes victories to go along with a second-place finish in a stakes at Saratoga. Note that the loss last time out was a flat race at Fair Hill, but with this return to the jumps on Saturday, China Beach looms the horse to beat. #4 Smart Uncle is another contender in this race that has shown very good form over the jumps dating back to last fall during which time he won three of four races until losing to China Beach at Percy Warner Park this spring. Since then, Smart Uncle has maintained good form in a pair of flat races for trainer Fisher, including one win at Delaware Park and a solid third-place finish at Kentucky Downs. Fisher also has another contender in this race with #2 Cyber Ninja, whom Fisher has not yet fully committed to jump racing but nevertheless so far has a 2-for-2 record over hurdles, including wins at Shawan Downs and Colonial Downs. Cyber Ninja is a competitive horse in flat races but appears to be even better in jump races like this.

The Play: The pick is #6 China Beach (6-1) and bet exacta and trifecta boxes along with #2 Cyber Ninja (3-1) and #4 Smart Uncle (8-1).

Far Hills, Race 5, $250,000 American Grand National Hurdle Stakes, post time 3:50 p.m. ET

Snap Decision wins 2024 American Grand National (Skip Dickstein)

Saturday’s featured race at Far Hills is the Grade 1 American Grand National Hurdle Stakes with a field of eight set to run 2 5/8 miles for a quarter-million-dollar purse. The big name in the field and horse to beat is defending champion #2 Snap Decision from the potent Fisher-Watters trainer-jockey combo. Since winning the 2024 edition of this race, Snap Decision remained in good form through the spring of this year including a solid second-place finish in the in the prestigious Grade 1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Stakes going three miles at Percy Warner Park. He got a prep race under his belt off a layoff last time out and now should be ramped up and ready to roll to another win at Far Hills, even if he is not quite as good this year as he was last season. That said, there are some challengers entered in this race in excellent form, and those horses could pose upset possibilities or at least round out your exactas and trifectas. #1 Swore has been very good in back-to-back wins in his last two races, including a victory in the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Stakes at Saratoga last time out. He should be respected despite his 10-1 odds on the morning line. Also, #3 Vae Patron has raced just twice since coming over from France last year and both times he was nipping at Snap Decision’s heels just a neck behind him at the finish in both the 2024 and 2025 runnings of the Iroquois Stakes.

The Play: Bet #2 Snap Decision (8-5) to win and play exacta and trifecta boxes along with #1 Swore (10-1) and #3 Vae Patron (3-1).

Far Hills, Race 6, $150,000 John Forbes Memorial Stakes Presented by Monmouth Park (flat), post time 4:40 p.m. ET

The flat two-mile John Forbes Memorial Stakes at Far Hills has almost achieved co-featured status on the Far Hills program the last couple of years as the final race on the card, and this year’s Forbes stacks up as a very good betting race with a field of 11 hopefuls. Trainer Graham Motion won this race last year with The Grey Wizard and he has a solid chance to make it two wins in a row with his contender this year, #4 Hardspun Reason, who exits a runner-up finish in Monmouth’s 1 ½-mile Presious Passion Stakes last time out for a barn you know can train the horse to get this marathon distance. After Hardspun Reason, you are looking for horses that are proven in flat turf races at a distance of ground, and you almost wouldn’t believe how much just that simple straightforward criteria basically narrows this field down to just three top contenders. #1 Summer Cause for trainer Miguel Clement comes out of a third-place finish, just a half a length behind Hardspun Reason, in the Presious Passion Stakes and could be a threat to turn the tables at two miles. Finally, foreign invader #8 Fleetfoot also appears to be a legitimate contender after finishing second in a Group 3 race going 1 ½ miles at Leopardstown in Ireland last time out.

The Play: Bet #4 Hardspun Reason (3-1) to win and box him in the exactas and trifectas along with #1 Summer Cause (4-1) and #8 Fleetfoot (6-1).

Visit farhillsrace.org to learn more about the Far Hills Race Meeting and to get tickets.

Visit the National Steeplechase Association website.

Additional Horse Racing Terms to Know

Stakes – A race for which the owner usually must pay a fee to run a horse. The fees can be for nominating, maintaining eligibility, entering and starting, to which the track adds more money to make up the total purse. Some stakes races are by invitation and require no payment or fee.

The 2023 American Grand National (Far Hills/Skip Dickstein)

Steeplechase – A race in which horses are required to jump a series of obstacles on the course. Steeplechase races in the United States are run over National Fences (artificial brush fences), natural brush fences, and timber fences. In England and Ireland, jump races are over hurdles and steeplechase fences.

Jumper – Steeplechase or hurdle horse.

Past performances – A horse’s racing record, earnings, bloodlines, and other data, presented in composite form in places like the track program or Daily Racing Form.

Dam – The mother of a horse.

Sire – Father of a horse.

Furlong – An eighth of a mile. Thus, a 12-furlong race is 1 1/2 miles.

Length – A measurement approximating the length of a horse, used to denote distance between horses in a race.

Simple Guide to Racehorse Running Styles

Front-runner – A horse whose running style is to attempt to get on or near the lead at the start of the race and to continue there as long as possible. Also known as a pacesetter.

Stalker – A horse that is capable of relaxing early in races behind the pacesetter but with enough speed to stay closer to the front so he/she has less ground to make up late in a race.

Closer – A horse that runs best in the latter part of the race, coming from off the pace.