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Reading the Racing Program
Each track may present this information in slightly different formats but the information is generally the same thus can be applied to any program
| Key Code | Description |
| 1 | Race Number |
| 2 | Race Grade |
| 3 | Race Length - Generally presented in miles but some tracks will present this in yards or feet |
| 4 | Course Name |
| 5 | The Runner's Registered Name - An "*" after the runners name indicates the dog was imported from another country. Sometimes a (M) or (BL) will follow the name. The (M) indicates that the dog never won a maiden race by the age of 24 months and was moved into Grade D, these dogs are sometimes referred to as over aged maidens. The (BL) indicates that the dog is racing with blinders on in an effort to try to stop them from fighting or very aggressive (bumping, interfering, etc.) racing. Following the runners name is a number in ( ) which indicates the runners registered racing weight. |
| 6 | Runners Data - Color, Sex, Whelp Date, Sire and Dam |
| 7 | Kennel Info - Name of the Kennel and Name of the Trainer |
| 8 | Registered Owner of the Runner |
| 9 | Current Track Statistics - Number of Starts, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th |
| 10 | Previous Year or Track Statistics - Track Abbreviation, Number of Starts, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. If the track abbreviation is the same as the current racing track then the statistics are from the previous racing season. If the track abbreviation is different from the current track then the statistics are based on the runners performance at that track. |
| 11 | PP - Pole Position in this race |
| 12 | Past performance designation - X or A for matinee races, S for schooling races and Blank or E for evening races |
| 13 | Dates of the previous races |
| 14 | Race number of the previous races |
| 15 | Distances of the past races, typically these are listed in fractions of a mile but occasionally different tracks will report by a course abbreviation (i.e.: RP which is the Royal Palms Course in Palm Beach and its 545yds) or in yards. |
| 16 | Race Time - this time represents the winning time for the race |
| 17 | TC - Track Condition - F, (fast) M, (Muddy) S, (Slow) |
| 18 | Wt - Runners Weight at Post Time for past performances |
| 19 | PP - Runners Post Position in past performances |
| 20 | Off - Runners Position as they leave the starting box |
| 21 | 1/8 - Position of the runner at the 1/8 mark which is where the dogs enter the backstretch. This number is sometimes followed by superscript numbers or a dash and numbers which indicates the number of lengths behind the leader or ahead. This is a good indicator of the runners early speed. |
| 22 | Str - Position of the runner at the Stretch mark which is where the dogs come around the final turn. This number is sometimes followed by superscript numbers or a dash and numbers which indicates the number of lengths behind the leader or ahead. This is a good indicator of the runners speed in the backstretch. |
| 23 | Fin - Position of the runner at the Finish. This number is sometimes followed by superscript numbers or a dash and numbers which indicates the number of lengths behind the leader or ahead. Additionally the following abbreviations may be seen NS (Nose), NK (Neck), HD (Head) OOP (Out of the Picture) or DNF (Did Not Finish) |
| 24 | ART - Actual Racing Time of the runner in the race |
| 25 | Race Favorite, this can also be represented be an asterisk or some other character |
| 26 | Odds - Odds are based on the number of bets placed on the dog to win the race |
| 27 | Comments about the runners performance during the race, typical abbreviations are wd (wide), md (middle of the pack), Ins (Inside), Tn (Turn) |
| 28 | Grade - The letters A, B, C, D, E, M, T and S indicate the grade of the race: M = Maiden; S = Special or Stakes Race; T = mixed grades. In a S or T race the actual grade of the dog is listed following the S or T (i.e.: SB or TA). All races made up by the Racing Secretary shall be designated by the letters RS following the grade. |
| 29 | Order of Finish - Depending on the track this is the order of finish for the first three dogs in the race excluding the runner if it happens to be one of the first three. Some tracks report the first four runners to finish irregardless of the runners finishing position. |
| 30 | Number of dogs in the race if less than eight |
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