| The subject of horse racing works is a complicated | | | | significant because it tells you the horse is in good |
| one and this horse racing article about works will just | | | | shape. |
| scratch the surface, but it should get you headed in the | | | | As a general rule of thumb, a horse that is in racing |
| right direction. Works are extremely important because | | | | condition should be able to cover a furlong (each |
| they are usually the most recent record of the horse's | | | | furlong is an eighth of a mile) in 12 seconds or less. So |
| condition and also they are usually an expert opinion on | | | | a 3 furlong work (3f) of 36 seconds would be a good |
| the horse. | | | | sign. Any work of less than 12 seconds for each |
| Clockers are professional horse men and women who | | | | furlong would be a very good sign particularly if it is for |
| time the horses when they exercise in the morning on | | | | 4 furlongs or more. An example would be a four |
| the race track or on a training track. It is a specialized | | | | furlong work at:46.3. |
| job that requires a person who can identify a horse | | | | While works are important for all horses, particularly if |
| and then use a stop watch to accurately time that | | | | they are returning to the races after a layoff of a few |
| runner while it races over the track with an exercise | | | | months or more, they are very important when |
| rider on board. | | | | assessing the chances of a maiden or young horse. |
| Imagine that you are at a race track in the morning | | | | Maidens are horses who have not won a race, yet, so |
| and there are hundreds of horses at the race track | | | | it is hard to tell just how good they really are. If you |
| and maybe a dozen on the track. Do you think you | | | | see a maiden who has had a series of works spaced |
| could tell one horse from another? Most people see a | | | | a week or so apart and some of those workouts are |
| brown horse, a gray horse, or a black horse. But | | | | five furlongs or more, that is a very good sign. |
| clockers have the uncanny ability to actually identify | | | | The last consideration is bullet works and comparing |
| each horse by name, even if they have only seen it | | | | one horse to another. A bullet, a big black dot, before a |
| once. | | | | horses workout means that it was the fastest one at |
| When you look at the past performance s of a horse | | | | that track and distance for that day. Now if only two |
| you will see the works at the bottom of that ones | | | | horses exercised that day, it doesn't mean much, on |
| lines. It may say something like, 23 Aug HOL 5f ft 1:00. | | | | the other hand, if many worked out, it is significant. |
| That means that on the 23rd of August that horse | | | | Some past performances tell you how many horses |
| worked 5 furlongs (5f) over a fast track (ft) at | | | | exercised that day and how that particular runner |
| Hollywood Race Track (HOL) and it covered the | | | | fared among them. It will say something like 1/30. That |
| distance in 1 minute flat (1:00). That is significant if the | | | | means that horse's time was the fastest of all 30 |
| horse hasn't raced in the last 30 days because works | | | | horses who worked out at the track and distance that |
| are how horses stay in shape between races. It is also | | | | day and that is a very good indicator of a fast horse. |