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