Equibase has changed its formula for assigning ratings to horses in a way that will significantly boost the rating for a horse that breaks its maiden within its first two starts, the company said on Wednesday. Under the new formula, a horse that wins in its first or second start will receive “an upward adjustment to their rating that reflects the significance of that win,” Equibase said in a release. The previous formula was producing ratings that were “frequently lower relative to what the win actually demonstrated,” according to Equibase. Equibase launched the ratings system in October to create opportunities for racing offices to write races for horses within a certain band of ratings. To date, 30 races have been run under ratings conditions, according to Equibase. The ratings are generated by an algorithm that uses dozens of data points to come up with a ratings number that is intended to reflect the horse’s overall quality. They differ from speed figures because they are supposed to represent the class of the horse, rather than a measurement of a specific race performance. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Ratings systems are in use in many other foreign racing jurisdictions. Unlike the Equibase system, the ratings in other countries are typically generated by a panel of handicapping experts, rather than an algorithm. The Equibase ratings formula has also been tweaked to create a “par anchor” for classes of horses that will represent a kind of mean for races in certain conditions, such as graded stakes, allowance races, and tiers of claiming races, Equibase said. “It was our expectation that the ratings would evolve, and while we don’t anticipate making changes frequently, we are committed to continued improvement in partnership with the racing offices and horsemen who use these ratings every day,” said Kyle McDoniel, the president of Equibase, in a release. “These changes are a direct result of that continued collaboration.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.