Q&A for How to Read a Racing Form

The eighth pole is the green pole on a racetrack that is 1⁄8 of a mile from the finish.

The symbol you see for the February 16 race at Aqueduct indicates that the race was run on their winter track which has a component that makes it less likely to freeze. More commonly you will see a T symbol to indicate races run on turf, a diamond symbol to indicate races run on a synthetic surface or an X symbol to indicate a race that was scheduled to be run on the grass but was moved to the dirt because the grass course was unusable.

Yes, there are more features in the online version, DRF Formulator, than you find in the newspaper. Online can have access to the Formulator Closer Look, sire ratings, dam reports, moss pace figures, and so much more. Formulator costs $4.95.

The F means filly (female horse age 4 or younger). It is part of the following lettering: A= official age; S = sex; M = mare (female horse age 5 or older); F = filly (female horse age 4 or younger); H = horse (intact male age 5 or older); C = colt (intact male age 4 or younger); and G = gelding (castrated male, any age).

The stars by a jockey's name usually means how good they are. You know five-star ratings? The meaning is almost like that. If they are good or great, or just a really good, then the jockey will have 4-5 stars. If they are okay, then 2-3 or a half stars. If not good, no stars or just one, half, or 2.

A horse is entered in a claiming race with a waiver and can't be claimed for a couple of reasons. One is that it has been off for a lot of days and it is its first race back after being laid off. Or, if a certain track has a ruling based on restricted races, it relates to that.

The height is referring to 4,025 mm. The normal regular trains have a height of 4,025 mm and width of 3,240 mm.

The number shows her odds of winning and how many she has won.

Typically, it will say in the description or biography of the horse. Based on these stats, you can place bets.

Win means first place. Place means second place. Show means third place. These are the only placements you can bet on in horse racing.

In horse racing, the "first call" and "second call" refer to specific points in the race when horses' positions are recorded. The time at these calls is for all horses at those positions. Typically, the first call is at a marker like the quarter-mile, and the second call might be at the half-mile. The times are recorded as each horse passes these points, not just the leader.

In a Daily Racing Form (DRF), these abbreviations represent different aspects of a horse's performance or race type: "CL" is for Claiming, indicating a claiming race; "PR" stands for Purse, the total prize money; "SP" denotes Speed, the horse's speed rating; and "PW" is Post Workout, providing insights into a horse's recent workout performance.

In horse racing, the letter "C" indicates that the race was run on a counter-clockwise track. This is especially relevant where races may be run either clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on local customs or regulations. The "C" helps clarify that the times or distances refer to a race run in the counter-clockwise direction, which is important when comparing races at different tracks or conditions. Note that not all racing jurisdictions use this notation, so its usage may depend on the specific track or region.

The numbers next to the names of horses that finished a race typically represent their finishing positions. "1" means the horse finished first, "2" for second, and so on. In some cases, they might indicate betting odds or lengths behind the winner. The context will determine the exact meaning.