DRF past performances to note first-time geldings

Daily Racing Form has added a citation in past-performance information indicating when a horse is running for the first time as a gelding.
The notation indicating that the horse is starting for the first time since being gelded will appear as a “G” in reverse type on the line next to the Lasix indicator (if applicable) and the weight to be carried in the race. The date when reported gelded will appear in the line immediately above the horse’s pedigree, the line that includes color, sex, age, and foaling month. The notation will appear in all of DRF’s past-performance products, including online and Formulator past performances.

Handicappers should note that the date when reported gelded is being disclosed to DRF by The Jockey Club and Equibase and that the date may not necessarily be when the horse was actually gelded. The report date may be when the horse was entered to race as a gelding for the first time, rather than the actual geld date. Trainers must report a change in sex when entering a horse for the first time after the horse has been gelded. As more emphasis is placed on this information being used in past performances, the reporting dates information, as well as timeliness and accuracy, should improve.

Some handicappers consider the first-time-gelding date as significant since some horses benefit greatly from the surgery. In the past, first-time-gelding announcements were usually made the day of the race or at entry time, though publication or dissemination of the data was sporadic.

Earlier this year, Equibase, which collects past-performance information for the racing industry, added a notation to its entry data indicating that a report had been filed on a horse being gelded. The Jockey Club maintains the sex information in its database and helps Equibase manage the information on the racing side. Equibase supplies the data to DRF.

In addition to the notation in the sex line, DRF will add statistics tracking a trainer’s success rate with first-time geldings. The statistic, which will be labeled “1stGeld,” will appear in the standard format, with the trainer’s starts, win percentage, and the return on a $2 investment on each of the starters (ROI).