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How Our Ratings Work

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Our proprietary rating system is the engine behind the E-Z Win® Form. It analyzes recent race history, class, and surface aptitude to produce a numerical rating for every horse, then groups them into color-coded tiers so you can quickly identify contenders. This page explains how those numbers work and how to get the most out of them.

Rating Basics

Every rated horse receives a numerical rating displayed in the stats area of their entry card, colored to match their tier. Ratings are length-based: each point equals one length, which is roughly one-fifth of a second. If Horse A rates a 55 and Horse B rates a 52, our analysis says Horse A is 3 lengths better, all else being equal.

E-Z Win Ratings Example

This scale makes ratings intuitive: you can quickly gauge how close or far apart horses are. A one-point gap is a neck; a five-point gap is a serious advantage.

Recent & Composite Ratings

On every surface, each horse receives two ratings that are averaged together to produce the final ranking value:

Recent Rating

Our evaluation of the horse based on their most recent applicable race on the surface being rated. It reflects current form: what the horse actually did last time out on this surface.

You may see + symbols next to this rating:

  • One plus (+) means the horse has a reason to improve off that race (equivalent to the Should Improve icon on the form)
  • Two pluses (++) means there are multiple reasons to expect improvement, such as a class drop combined with a favorable surface switch, or a first-race-back effort plus the addition of Lasix

Composite Rating

A broader evaluation where we analyze up to 4 recent applicable races and take the median. The Composite smooths out single-race anomalies: a bad trip, a troubled start, or an unusually fast or slow pace that inflated or deflated one result. It gives you a truer picture of the horse's baseline ability.

The Final Number

The average of the Recent and Composite ratings is the value used to rank horses and assign tiers. This balances recency (what did the horse just do?) with consistency (what does the horse typically do?).

For example, a horse showing 61/63 has a Recent Rating of 61 and a Composite of 63, giving it a ranking value of 62.

A horse without applicable races on the surface, such as a first-time starter or a horse trying turf for the first time, shows a single estimated rating instead of two. It ranks and tiers alongside everyone else.

How Turf Ratings Work

Turf racing adds a critical dimension: class matters more on grass. Dirt races often come down to raw speed, but turf races reward tactical ability, pedigree, and experience at the right level. Our turf ratings reflect this.

Turf ratings are class-adjusted. They use the same Recent and Composite ratings as every other surface, but each horse's turf class is built directly into both numbers. Class reflects:

  • The types of turf races the horse has competed in (stakes, allowance, claiming, maiden)
  • How successful the horse has been in those races

A horse that has competed and succeeded at a higher level rates higher, and one that has only faced weaker company rates lower. Horses are then tiered on these ratings the same way as on any other surface.

Older Results

Before the upgrade on October 9, 2026, turf class was a separate rating shown in parentheses in front of the figures, for example (12.6) 61/63. You may still see that format on older results. Today the class is part of the two figures themselves, so there is no separate number.

What the Numbers Are Telling You

The ratings aren't just for ranking horses. The relationships between them tell a story.

Discrepancies Between Recent and Composite

Pay attention when the Recent and Composite ratings diverge significantly. The gap itself is a handicapping signal:

  • High Recent, Low Composite: The horse ran much better last time than it typically does. This could mean the horse has genuinely improved (look for a reason: new trainer, equipment change, class drop, surface switch). Or it could mean the last race was a fluke: a speed-favoring track bias, a weak field, or a perfect trip it's unlikely to repeat. Check the trip comment and field quality before trusting the jump.
  • Low Recent, High Composite: The horse ran worse last time than its history suggests. This is often a horse worth a second look. A bad trip, a poor post position, an unsuitable surface, or a race off a layoff can all produce a dud. If the Composite says this horse is typically much better and you can identify a reason for the bad last race, you may be catching a good horse at inflated odds.
  • Close together: The horse is running consistently. What you see is what you get, with fewer surprises, but also fewer opportunities to find value.

Expand any horse's past performances and you'll see a rating column on the far left, showing our rating for each past race. This is one of the most useful ways to verify the story the numbers are telling:

  • Improving ratings race over race confirm a horse on the upswing: that high Recent Rating is the real deal, not a fluke
  • Declining ratings may indicate a horse that is tailing off: that high Composite may be propped up by older, better races
  • A single outlier in a string of consistent ratings often points to a troubled trip or an unusual pace scenario, so check the trip comment for that race

Color Coding

The past performance ratings are color-coded to show which races feed into today's numbers:

  • Blue: The race used for the Recent Rating
  • Purple: The races used for the Composite Rating
  • Muted: Older or less relevant races that aren't part of today's calculation

This lets you see exactly which races are driving the horse's current rating and judge for yourself whether those races are representative.

How Surface Changes Affect Ratings

Ratings respond to the surface a race is run on.

Surface Matters

A horse's dirt rating is calculated from its dirt races. Its turf rating is calculated from its turf races. Switch a turf race to Dirt on the form, and you may see a completely different set of contenders. A horse that dominates on dirt may have limited or weak turf form, while a turf specialist buried in the dirt rankings could jump to the top tier on grass.

This is especially important when a turf race comes off the grass, a common occurrence after rain. The form automatically switches to ratings based on dirt history, and the rankings can shift dramatically. Horses that were afterthoughts on turf can suddenly become contenders on dirt, and vice versa.

Track Condition

Each horse has one rating per surface, whatever the condition of the track, so a track going from Fast to Muddy does not change the ratings. The form shows the current condition for every race, and each past performance shows the condition the horse ran on, so you can weigh a horse's wet-track form yourself.

Real-Time Updates

On live race days, the form automatically picks up surface changes from the track, such as a race coming off the turf, and switches the ratings to the new surface. No action is needed on your part. On turf races you can also use the Surface buttons to preview how the field rates on another surface before a change is official.

Unrated Horses

Some horses appear as Unrated (Grey) on the form. This typically means there is insufficient data to generate a reliable rating, such as a foreign shipper with no domestic form or a first-time starter with no race history at all.

Warning

Unrated does NOT mean the horse is bad. It means we don't have enough data to rate them. Examine these horses manually: check workouts, pedigree, trainer stats, and connections before dismissing them.

Tips for Using Ratings

  • Don't fixate on a single number. The tier is often more useful than the exact rating. Horses within the same tier are typically close in ability, and separating them is where your own handicapping comes in.
  • Watch for the + indicators. A horse rated 48+ may outrun a horse rated 50 if those improvement factors are real. Multiple pluses (++) are an even stronger signal.
  • Preview off-the-turf scenarios. If rain is in the forecast, check turf races on the Dirt surface to see how the field reshapes if the race comes off the grass.
  • Check the past performance trend. A horse rated 52 today who has been steadily climbing from 45 → 48 → 50 → 52 is more dangerous than one who has been flat or declining.
  • Respect the Unrated. Don't automatically toss grey horses. Some of the biggest payoffs come from unrated horses that the public ignores.