Definition of Morning Line

What does the term "morning line" mean in the world of horse racing? What is meant by the term "morning line"?

Let's say that it is Saturday morning and you are heading to your local horse racing track.

Before the doors open and the bettors start streaming in, the track will issue their "morning line" for each race.

These are essentially the opening odds for each of the races that will be taking place that day.

The track will do their best to set the odds in the morning.

As bettors place their bets over the course of the day, the odds will usually change.

For instance, if a horse starts the morning at 5/1 and gets a bunch of sharp action (knowledgeable bettors placing money on the horse to win), the odds will almost certainly change.

For instance, after a few hours of betting, that horse might go from 5/1 to 3/1 to win the race.

-

Ante-post betting is when you are betting on the results of a horse race before the final list of participants is confirmed.

Many people would rather wait until the day of the race to place their bets, as there will be much more information available about the horses that are actually participating, the weather, etc.