Continued . . .
Equibase has spearheaded the Equibase Rating for North America, a new horse-rating system recently made public. A horse’s entire career performance is rated using a single number determined by a multifactor algorithm.
The FAQ explains why and how the system was created, stakeholder involvement, the impact on racing participants, which horses are eligible for the rating, technical and governance considerations, and a breakdown of the algorithm itself.
Equibase claims the system will “improve race competitiveness and align with industry best practices” . . . ensure “fairer competition and better classification of horses, ultimately benefiting all stakeholders, including horsemen, racetracks, and bettors.” Racetracks’ use of the rating is voluntary.
The editor discovered this rating system when she visited the horse form of a fatally injured horse:
The “59” is his new rating, a single number or symbol of his lifework, which would have been monitored and updated continually if only he had survived.
