Reading a Program
Not A Lesson In Confusion
Reading a program for the first time can be intimidating
but it need not be a lesson in confusion. The race day program provides
you with all you need to pick a winner: past performance record, the
track where they raced, their performance times, the jockey or driver
and how they finished. Once you become familiar with the numbers and
symbols of a program, you will be able to handicap with the best.
How To Read A Thoroughbred Program
Click
Here for a flash tutorial on how to read the Daily Racing FormClick
Here for a flash tutorial on placing a bet (Bet the Net, NTRA)
How To Read The Program - Standardbred Racing
A
Claiming Price (if applicable), Horse number
in race
B
Morning line odds
C
Horse name
D
Horse colour, sex age and pedigree
E
Owner(s) and address
F
Breeder(s) and address
G
Driver name, weight and colour
H
Driver (global) statistics (starts,
wins, 2nds, 3rds, U.R.S.)
I
Trainer name
J
Trainer (global) U.R.S. statistics
K
Fastest winning time in current year, track recorded
on and track condition (next, same for prior year)
L
Money earned in last 6 starts (displayed for
Alberta Venues only)
M
Currnet year number of starts, wins, 2nds, 3rds
and money earned
N
Prior year number of starts, etc.
O
Current lifetime record to date: fastest winning
time, track size, age when recorded, total lifetime wins and
money earned
1
Date race contested
2
Race number
3
Track ID and size of racing oval (if other than
1/2 mile outside Alberta)
4
Track condition and variant
5
Class of race and distance raced (if not one
mile standard)
6
Purse raced for
7
Leader's time at 1/4 mile
8
Leader's time at 1/2 mile
9
Leader's time at 3/4 mile
10
Winning time of race
11
Post position
12
Horse's position at 1/4 mile
13
Horse's position at 1/2 mile
14
Horse's position at 3/4 mile
15
Horse's position at end of mile stretch
16
Horse's finishing position
17
Horse's final 1/4 time
18
Horse's time to finish race
19
Final betting odds
20
Driver
21
Tempurature in Celsius
22
Number of Starters
23
Name of winning horse
24
Name of 2nd place finisher
25
Name of 3rd place finisher
Symbols and Abreviations
Track Conditions
Horses's Sex
Horses's Colour
f
fast
f
filly
B
bay
gd
good
c
colt
Blk
black
sl
slow
g
gelding
Br
brown
sy
sloppy
h
horse
Ch
chestnut
hy
heavy
m
mare
Gr
grey
my
muddy
rig
ridgling
Ro
roan
Race Class Examples
Cnd
Conditions unavailable at printing
time
3000clm
$3000 claiming
Nw2000L6
non-winners of @2000 in last 6 starts
NW12000L
NON-WINNERS OF $12000 lifetime
Nw2pm
non-winners of 2 pair-mutua races
W5001
winners over $5000
Hc
handicap race
Op4000clm
optional claiming $4000
Qualifier
qualifying race
Qualifier-t&p
qualifying race for trotters and
pacers
Qualifier-h&d
qualifying race for horse and driver
ec
early closing
lc
late closing
Ffa
Free for All
Racing Information Symbols
raced on outside for
at least 1/4 mile
double parked out
X
horse broke stride at
this point
iX
break caused by interference
races without hopples
X
races with trotting
hopples
i
suffered interference
be
finished with broken
equipment
horse was claimed
acc
accident
*NR
record taken at non-extended
meet
T
time trial
Tdis
time disallowed
(C)
after driver's name
denotes Conditional Licence for limited experience, subject
to approval of judges
(P)
after driver's name
denotes Probational status under regulation
Finish Information Symbols
Wagering Information Symbols
ns
nose
*
favourite
hd
head
f
field
nk
neck
e
entry
dis
distanced over 35 lengths behind
winner
NB
no betting
dq
disqualified after race was declared
official
NR
not reported
dh
dead heat
bar
barred
(dnf)
did not finish
p
placed
