The Track Equalization Chart - published annually by AMERICAN TURF MAGAZINE - is used to adjust actual running times of races on dirt and all-weather surfaces when comparing final times run at tracks other than the one the bettor may be handicapping. Each point on the chart represents 1/5 of a second. Accordingly, Belmont, with its 102 sprint rating, is judged to be 4/5 of a second faster than Aqueduct (inner), with its 98 rating. Therefore, a horse that ran six furlongs in 1:11:4 at Aqueduct compares favorably with a horse that ran the same distance in 1:11 at Belmont. When your out-of-town horse ships in from a track with a lower track equalization (not class) rating than the track you’re handicapping, subtract the shipper’s rating from that of the home track, then subtract that number of fifths of a second from the shipper’s final time. If the shipper’s track rating is greater than the home track, subtract the home track’s rating from the shipper’s track rating and add that difference in appropriate fifths to the shipper’s time. Remember: Use this point comparison to adjust actual running times only. Further refinements in applying the figures developed in the Track Equalization Chart can be made by incorporating a daily track variant. We recommend the AMER-VAR method for developing an accurate track variant. AMERVARn appears on the reverse side of Ray Taulbot’s Pace Calculator, and complete instructions on its use are found in the Pace Calculator’s user’s manual. To order the Pace Calculator, click here.

Note: Some tracks closed for Thoroughbred racing are included because these lines may still be present in some horses’ PPs. Please Note: The tracks with # sign have a one turn mile.