How to Learn Harness Racing and Wagering Through ASHA

Updated

The Alberta Standardbred Horse Association (ASHA) website, asha.ab.ca, provides beginner-oriented learning resources for harness racing and wagering. You can start with the "Harness Racing 101" guide for the sport itself, move to "Learn to Wager" and "Wagering Terms" for betting basics, then use "Find a Track" and "Off Track Betting Locations" to put that knowledge into practice. The site also links to live racing, replays, entries, and programs at Century Downs, The Track on 2, and Century Mile.

Start With the Sport: Harness Racing 101

Before betting on a race, it helps to understand what you are watching. ASHA's "Harness Racing 101" section is the entry point for that.

A practical way to use it:

  1. Open the "Harness Racing 101" link from the site's quick links or "Your Guide to Harness Racing" area.
  2. Read it alongside a live or replay race from one of the Alberta tracks so the terms match something you can actually see.
  3. Note the difference between the horse's gait, the driver's role, and how a race is structured — these come up repeatedly in race programs.

Expected result: you can follow a race program and understand what the entries, drivers, and race conditions mean before you place any money.

Learn to Wager and the Terms Behind It

ASHA separates two related pieces:

  • Learn to Wager — the how-to side of placing bets.
  • Wagering Terms — the vocabulary you need to read a program and a betting menu.

Use them together. Read a term, then find where that term appears in a real race program or entries page. For example, if you are looking at a race card, check the entries and program links for that track and match the bet types listed there against the "Wagering Terms" definitions.

Expected result: you can identify the bet types available on a given race and explain what each one requires you to predict.

Find Where to Watch and Bet

ASHA lists three Alberta racing locations, each with schedule, live racing, replays, entries, and programs:

Track What the ASHA site links to
Century Downs Schedule / Live Racing / Replays / Entries / Programs
The Track on 2 Schedule / Live Racing / Replays / Entries / Programs
Century Mile Schedule / Live Racing / Replays / Entries / Programs

For betting away from the track, the site also lists Off Track Betting Locations and a Wager Online entry. If you prefer to watch first, use the replays and programs for a track before attending or betting.

Expected result: you know which track is racing, when, and where you can watch or wager — at the track, off track, or online.

Follow the Season and Stakes

If your interest goes beyond a single race day, ASHA publishes a Racing Calendar, a Stakes Calendar, and a Stakes Guide, plus Stakes Eligibility and ABSS Super Finals pages. These are useful if you want to follow specific horses or stake races across the season rather than bet casually.

Practical Notes Before You Start

  • The site is organized around quick links (Racing Calendar, Stake Guide, Yearling Sale, Off Track Betting Locations) and a "Your Guide to Harness Racing" block — start there rather than hunting through menus.
  • Payment-related material on the site is labeled e-TRANSFER PAYMENT INFORMATION; it is listed as a payment information page, not a general sign-up requirement.
  • ASHA also has a membership section and a newsletter sign-up if you want updates rather than one-off visits.
  • Contact details listed on the site: #202, 191 Edwards Way SW, Airdrie, AB T4B 3E2, [email protected].

A Sensible Learning Order

  1. Harness Racing 101 — understand the sport.
  2. Learn to Wager + Wagering Terms — understand the bets.
  3. Entries and Programs for a specific track — see it applied.
  4. Find a Track / Off Track Betting Locations / Wager Online — act on it.
  5. Racing Calendar and Stakes Guide — follow it over a season.

This order keeps you from betting on races you cannot yet read, and it uses only the resources ASHA itself points to.