CLASS

The attributes of Thoroughbred class are these.
Speed
Stamina
Determination

At racetracks large, medium, and small class and speed are strongly correlated; that is, better horses run faster. So speed figures do represent class differences much of the time, but not always, not by a wide margin.

Class is never unimportant, but class is frequently more decisive in route races (stamina) and in better races (determinations). It's most decisive in stakes races and on the grass.

Class analysts want to know first of all whether horses are suited to today's level of competition.

What kind of horses should be preferred at today's class level?
What kind of horses can be eliminated as outclassed at today's class level?

A perfectly legitimate way to answer each question is to become familiar with the kinds of horses that most frequently win in the regular-run races. In the "Handicapping Methods" section under "Class Evaluation" we describe the kinds of horses handicappers prefer in every type of race.

In claiming races, the claiming price is an indicator of relative class, but matters are more complicated than that. Handicappers must grapple effectively with rises in class and drops in class.

One of the tricky aspects of class evaluation concerns horses that move from claiming races to allowance races, and vice versa. Studies of par times at the various class levels indicate which rises and drops might be successful, and which should not.

Evaluating shippers on class is partly a function of track class, partly a function of comparing speed figures, and partly a function of knowing the quality of opposition horses have beaten.

Three-year-olds must be evaluated on class radically differently from horses 4up.

Juveniles, the Two-year-olds, are best evaluated on speed, not class. Two-year-olds usually run as fast as they can for as long as they can. The fastest Two-year-olds figure to win.