SPEED
HANDICAPPING GLOSSARY
ADJUSTMENTS
Changes made to par times, running times, and speed figures based upon
various factors of handicapping
BEYER SPEED
FIGURES
The official speed figures of the Daily Racing Form; a scale of speed
figures based upon the value of one-fifth of a second, or one length,
in races at various distances and completed in relatively fast or slow
final times; developed and popularized by speed handicapper Andrew Beyer,
also the racing columnist for The Washington Post
DAILY TRACK
VARIANTS
The measure of how fast or slow a track surface has been on a particular
day in relation to what is normal; calculated as the average deviation
between par times and actual times for sprints and routes, respectively
EARLY PACE
The position and beaten lengths of a horse at the second call
EARLY SPEED
The position and beaten lengths of a horse at the first call
FINAL TIMES
The official running times of races measured at the finish line, either
in fifths of seconds or hundredths of seconds
FRACTIONAL
TIMES
The running times of the lead horse at the various points of call
PAR TIMES
The average times a specific class of horses runs a particular distance
at a particular race track, such as $20,000 claiming horses running
six furlongs at Church Downs
POINTS OF
CALL
The position and beaten lengths of horses at various Intervals In the
race; in sprints the first call occurs after horses have run two furlongs
and the second call occurs after the horses have run four furlongs;
in routes the first call occurs after the horses have run four furlongs
and second call varies according to the distance of the race; in all
races the stretch call occurs at the eighth pole, one furlong from the
finish line
SPEED FIGURES
A numerical representation of how fast a horse has run in a race; an
estimate of actual speed based upon final times that have been adjusted
by the daily track variant and maybe other factors, such as trips and
weight; the numbers facilitate comparisons among horses that have run
on different race days, at different distances, and even at different
race tracks
STANDARD
ADJUSTMENTS
Regardless of race track or time of the year, adjustments to par times
and speed figures based upon sex and age
