How To Read A Thoroughbred
Horse Racing Program

Program Number is the number assigned for each horse which the bettor can use for wagering. When placing a bet, the bettor will choose each horse based on its assigned program number. Sometimes the program number is the same with the post position of the horse but not necessarily the same. Post positions can change but program numbers do not. 

Post Position is the actual physical position of the horse in the racetrack. It refers to the specific starting gate or stall assigned to each horse at the beginning of a race. Horses line up in numbered gates at the starting barrier, with each gate corresponding to a different post position. These positions are drawn randomly before the race that is why post positions are sometimes called draw numbers. Learn more about post positions and how it can create a Draw Bias.

Owner/s of the horse.

Silks are the colorful jackets worn by the jockeys during the race. It is to easily identify the owner or stable that owns the horse during the race.

Name of the Horse participating in the race.

Horse's Color:
bay (b)
black (bl)
brown (br)
chestnut (ch)
grey (gr)
roan (ro)
white (wh)

Horse's Gender:
Gelding (g) is a male horse that has been castrated (had its testicles removed) reducing its aggressive or unruly behavior that can come with hormones, making them more focused in races. A male horse that cannot breed but often have long racing careers because their temperament is more manageable.
colt (c)
filly (f)
mare (m)
rig (r)

Age of the Horse

Sire or the horse's father and Dam or the horse's mother.

Morning Line Odds or ML odds are not based on actual bets but rather on the handicapper's assessment of each horse's chances and how they expect the public to bet. It usually gets posted the night before the race or early in the morning before the race.

Weight Carried is the total weight carried by a horse including the jockey, saddle, and any added weights required to meet the assigned handicap.

Trainer is responsible for the horse's health, training, conditioning, and race preparations of the horse.

Jockey of the horse or the rider who controls the horse during the race.

Racing Records shows the number of Starts (all competed races), Win (won races, 1st place), Second, Third placed races, and the total earnings for each specific years and condition. 

Starts - 1st - 2nd - 3rd - $Earnings

Speed Rating measures how fast a horse runs in a particular race compared to a standard or par time for that distance and surface at the specific track. It factors in the horse's final time, the track conditions, and the class of the race. A higher speed rating the better.

Class Rating is a number that reflects the quality or "class" of the competition the horse has been racing against. It assesses how well the horse has performed relative to the quality of its opponents.

Form Rating assesses a horse's recent performances and overall fitness level based on its recent form. It's a measure of how well a horse is currently performing. Useful for bettors to evaluate whether a horse is in peak racing form. A high form rating indicates consistent, strong recent races, while a low form rating may suggest poor or inconsistent performance.

Overall Rating is the combined rating of the horse's speed, class and form.

Date for each of the horse's past performance.

Racetrack's Acronym for each past races where the horse competed. To familiarize the existing racetracks, visit our List of Racetracks page. 

Race Restrictions

Age Condition or Age limit is part of a race condition which pertains up to which age a horse should be to be able to participate in this race. 

Course Symbols

• - main turf
• - inner turf
• - inner dirt
• - downhill turf
• - timber course
• - steeplechase
• - hurdle
• - training track
• - equitrack
• - off turf
• - hunt

Race Distance (A) for each past races competed by the horse.

Fractional Times refer to the times recorded at specific points or "fractions" of the race. These times give bettors and race analysts insight into the pace of the race and how fast the horses were running at different stages.

Final/Finish Time is the time the horse finished the race in each past races.

Post Position (2) of the horse on each past race.

Calls or Points of Calls are specific points during a race where a horse’s position is recorded. These calls help provide a snapshot of how a horse performed at various stages of the race. These calls are essential for analyzing a horse’s racing style, whether it starts fast, maintains pace, or finishes strong.

Final Position of the race during each past race.

Jockey who rode the horse during each past race.

Weight Carried (8) by the horse during each past race.

Medication or Equipment

Equivalent Odds

First Three Finishers are the top three horses who won and placed during each past race. First-Second -Third
Beside each name of the horse is the weight they carried and the margin (length ahead after the next horse).

Number or runners or field size is the total number of participants (horses) in each past race.