Speed Points- Bill Quirin Style

The definitive guide on assigning Speed Points to race horses. Use this method to easily calculate speed points from 0-8 for each horse to determine the pace scenario. 

For Sprint Races (less than 7.5 furlongs): 

1. Use the horse's three most recent races
2. Route race (7.5f or more):  give a bye to any horse who competed in a route and led or was within 1 length of leader at 1C.  Proceed to the next ratable sprint or issue another bye.  2 byes maximum.
3. Assign 1 pt for any sprint in which the horse was 1,2, or 3 at 1C
4. Assign 1 pt for a sprint in which the horse was w/in 2L at 1C (w/in 3L if race was 1f shorter than today’s)
5. Award 1 bonus point to horse who led or was w/in 1L of the leader at 1C in ALL 3 rated races
6. Each horse starts with one point, but take it away if it fails to beat half the field by 1C in any of the 3 races

Example of Speed Points in a Sprint race:  

The following race is a standard 5.5 furlong dirt sprint.  This is how the points would be assigned. Letter designations are explained at the bottom of the page. 

#4 Jets A Ginnin, whatever that means, is incorrectly assigned E7 by Brisnet.  As you can see, it qualifies for all 8 points having been 1, 2, or 3, and within 1 length at 1st call in all of the last 3 races. Thus it is an E8. 

#5 Down and Dirty is correctly assigned with 3 points, getting 2 points for the last race out, and 1 for beating half the field. I would give it an EP3 designation for actually leading at 1C in one of the races. See letter designations at the bottom of this page.

#6 French Legacy is correctly given the EP4 designation for leading at 1C in the 3rd race back, a point for being within 2L in the last race out, and the one bonus point for beating half the field in at least 1 race. 

Exceptions: 

1.      Horses with < 3 ratable races, extrapolate their amount of points that they got in the 1 or 2 races

2.      Suggest using the most recent wet track or turf race for race #3 if today’s race is on turf or wet track as a substitute if the other recent races were not.

For route races, it's a little different but the same principles: 

1. Use the 3 most recent races
2. Assign 1 point for any route or sprint in which the horse was 1, 2, or 3 at 1C
3. Assign 1 point for any route in which the horse ran w/in 3L of lead at 1C
   1. If route was ¼  or more mile longer than today’s route, give point only if they led at 1C
4. Sprints:  assign 1 pt for sprint in which horse was w/in 3L at 1C
   1. Also assign point if horse was within 6L at 1C.
5. Award 1 bonus point to horse who led or was w/in 1L of the leader at 1C in ALL 3 rated races
6. Each horse starts with one point, but take it away if it fails to beat half the field by 1C in any of the 3 races. 

Example of route race speed points assignment: 

In this 8f turf race, here's how you would assign points for the 1st 3 horses:

#1 Ego Trip is correctly assigned the S0 designation. He was not 1, 2, or 3, or within 3L at 1st call, and failed to beat half the field by 1st call in any of the races.  He simply earned no speed points in any previous race. 

#2 would be correctly assigned as a P3.  He gets 1 point each for the 1st and 3rd race back, and the default point for beating half the field. 

#3 would be correctly assigned as an EP3, getting 2 for the sprint in which he led at 1C, and the default point.  No points can be given for the last 2 races out, so Brisnet is apparently using some 4 race formula for this.  That may be valid, but the fact that this race is also on turf like the last 2, his turf form is probably more resemblant of the last 2 races, which in fact would give him a P0 designation.