Is class important in horse racing?

How can you use the speed figures and Class ratings together?

How can you use the speed figures and class ratings together? Speed figures and class ratings are designed to be on the same scale and become extremely powerful when used together while handicapping, particularly when horses are moving in class or shipping to different tracks and it is not clear if the horse will be competitive in the race.

What is the meaning of horse racing?

dictionary thesaurus. noun. : a horse race in which the prize offered is made up at least in part of money (such as entry fees) put up by the owners of the horses entered.

What does class Pars mean in horse racing?

Speed Rating Class Pars. Speed Rating Class Pars are the average winning rating achieved for each type of race and age group, so any horse that has not achieved the ‘par’ for the race in question can often be ignored.

What is the difference between a speed rating and a class?

Just as Speed Ratings are different at most tracks, so are Class ratings. In other words, a $10,000 Claimer at Hollywood Park is a classier horse that a $10,000 Claimer at Golden Gate. Neither is a Non-Winner 1 Allowance race as classy as a Classified Allowance at the same track.

Do speed figures help horses in horse racing?

Finally, speed figures are of no help with first time starters, or horses that are racing today for the first time. Because they have yet to race, these horses have not earned a speed figure. It is not uncommon to see two or three races on each race card that contains a full field of first time starters.

How can I see the speed rating class pars for each class?

If you click the ‘Average Class Ratings’ link underneath each card, a box will appear on the screen, as below, showing the speed rating class pars for the race types and age groups.

What is a par rating in horse racing?

Every race on the Inform Racing race cards, has a par figure or average winning speed rating and this is the rating required to win a race of that type, class and age group and finding those not up to the par figure will help to narrow down the field and find those selections with the best chance of winning the race.

Why do some horses have par figures in horse racing?

Not every race will have horses that have achieved the par figure, but this will normally be due to the fact that the runners are all unexposed, lightly raced and/or open to improvement, able to achieve par or near par in future races.

What is the difference between class and race rating?

A RACE RATING measures the overall quality of horses which actually competed in a race – the higher the number, the tougher the competition. A CLASS RATING measures a horse’s actual performance in a race – the higher the number, the better the performance.

What do the speed figures mean in horse racing?

Pars for Beyer Speed Figures represent the approximate average winning figure for a given class at a given track. These numbers reflect the relative strength of different racing circuits. At Belmont Park, maiden special weight races for older horses have a par of 87. The par for the same class at Thistledown is 59.

Will my horse’s speed figure ever improve?

If the lifetime best speed figure of a horse came in its two-year-old year and it is now three, there is every reason to believe it could improve once again. This is because horses develop well into their fifth year and continue to improve with age in most cases. One thing you will need to learn is that speed figures are meaningless on the turf.

Why are there speed figures in horse racing?

Also, races are ran at different distances. Speed figures allow you to compare the speed of a horse racing at five furlongs with the speed of a horse racing at a mile. If a handicapper were to attempt to determine which horse ran faster in his last race without the benefit of speed figures, he would need to concern himself with a lot of variables.

How many times can you improve a horse’s speed?

In this case, the speed figure becomes your base but the other factors complement the selection. One of horse racing’s most proven maxims is known as three and out. This maxim says that a horse cannot improve its speed figure more than three times in a row.

Are speed figures reliable for turf horse racing?

Speed figures for races held on the turf, or grass, are not always as reliable as speed figures for races on the dirt. The reason for this is that the style of turf racing tends to be very different from the style of dirt racing. In dirt races, horses typically go fast early and slow down as the race progresses.

What determines the winner of a horse race?

The data shows that in about 60% of all races, the winner is going to be among the top 3 speed horses based on averaging the best 2 out of the last 3 speed figures. Compared to average earnings, speed seems to be a stronger factor in determining the eventual winner.

How many times can a horse improve its speed figure?

One of horse racing’s most proven maxims is known as three and out. This maxim says that a horse cannot improve its speed figure more than three times in a row. To use this angle you find horses that have improved their speed figure in their last three races and eliminate them from competition.

How did the final race compare to the par ratings?

The final race again had no stand out ratings compared to the par ratings for the race, with three horses having a Master rating better than the par but no Lto or Average ratings at this level.

What does par 77 mean in horse racing?

This means that the average winning speed rating (Par 77), for this race type/age group/class is 77 and H 84 means the highest ever speed rating for this race type/age group/class is 84. In most races, any horse with a Master rating of less than the par of 77 here, can be ignored.

What is a ‘par’ rating?

Speed Rating Class Pars are the average winning rating achieved for each type of race and age group, so any horse that has not achieved the ‘par’ for the race in question can often be ignored.

What is the race level of a horse?

This is the number that relates to today’s conditions and should be compared with the other class based ratings in the race sheets to determine a horse’s ability to compete in today’s race class level. In the example on the left, the Race Level is 125.

What is the literal result of a horse race?

The literal result of a race tells you only how things stood as the horses crossed the line.

How do the speed figures work in horse racing?

Going back to speed figures, the horses’ times today will be adjusted for today’s variant, compared to the average for the default category of claiming races and put on a similar scale for every horse at every track for every race. This way the bettor can look at a single figure without needing to make further adjustments.

What is a par figure or winning speed rating?

Every race has a par figure or average winning speed rating which is the rating required to win a race of that type, class and age group and finding those not up to the par figure will help to narrow down the field and find those selections with the best chance of winning the race.

Are Beyer Speed Figures determinative of race outcomes?

Second, Beyer Speed Figures are not determinative of race outcomes because most horses do not run consistently or in the same way, race after race. Another famous student of horses, Len Ragozin, invented the term “bounce” to describe the cyclical race behavior of horses.

Do Beyer Speed Figures help first time starter horses?

Finally, Beyer speed figures are of no help with first time starters, or horses that are racing today for the first time. Because they have yet to race, these horses have not earned a speed figure. It is not uncommon to see two or three races on each race card that contains a full field of first time starters.