By Jarrod Horak
A Practical Tutorial with Real Race Examples
In this horse racing video recorded on 9-28-25, handicapper Jared Horack explains how to use the Race Header to make money at the racetrack, using Today’s Racing Digest past performance data as live examples.
The Race Header pulls together Speed and Pace Forecasts, Class Ratings, Final Time Ratings, running styles, track profiles, and handicapping factors into a single snapshot. In the video and in this article, Jared uses three major races to show exactly how that information translates into real results:
- Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship (Santa Anita)
- Finish: 1st Gold Phoenix, 2nd Stay Hot, 3rd Spycatcher, 4th Mondego, 5th Balladeer, 6th Dicey Mo Chara, 7th Rastaman Vibe
- Grade 2 Eddie D (downhill turf)
- Finish: 1st Reef Runner, 2nd Yellow Card, 3rd Sorrento Sky, 4th Mucho Del Oro, 5th Nesso’s Lasthurrah, 6th Beyond Brilliant, 7th First Peace, 8th Kale’s Angel
- Grade 1 Goodwood (main track)
- Finish: 1st Nevada Beach, 2nd Full Serrano, 3rd Privman, 4th First Mission, 5th Ultimate Gamble, 6th Express Train
This write-up expands on that tutorial so you can read a Race Header and actually use it in your own handicapping, not just watch Jared do it.
1. The Top Line: Track, Race, Distance, Class Level
At the very top of the Race Header you see:
- Track & Race – e.g., Santa Anita, Race 6
- Race Name – e.g., John Henry Turf Championship
- Distance & Surface – e.g., 1¼ miles, Turf
- Race Level (Base ###) – the class level for the race
In the John Henry example, the header shows:
Base 200 – a Grade 2 turf race.
(Five points = one class level, so 200 is a high-class event.)
From this you already know:
- What kind of race it is
- How tough the field is
- Which horses have actually been living in this class neighborhood once you look lower in the header
2. AFTL Fractions — “Average for the Level”
Next you’ll see AFTL (Average For The Level) with fractions like:
23.7 – 48.0 – 1:12.2 – 2:00.5
These are par fractions for that distance and class:
- What a normal pace looks like at this level
- Whether today’s race might be run faster/slower
- How much early speed is likely to matter
If your horse only runs well when the pace melts down or when it’s slow early, AFTL gives you a baseline to compare against.
3. Favorite Stats & Track Profile
Still in the top section, the header shows:
- Favorites: win % and in-the-money % in races of this type
- Track Profile: how often front-runners, pressers, mid-pack, and closers win at this distance/surface
Example for the 1¼-mile turf profile at Santa Anita:
- Favorites: 39.2% wins, 75.9% ITM
- Track Profile:
- Front Runners — 37.5%
- Pressers — 27.5%
- Mid-pack — 30%
- Rear — 5%
Takeaway: deep closers basically die here. You want fronts/pressers/mid-pack grinders, not last-to-first miracle types.
4. Horse Rows & the 18 Columns
Under the header, each horse has its own row with 18 columns of data.
Columns 1–2: Age & Equipment
- 1 – Age (4yo, 5yo, etc.)
- 2 – Equipment – blinkers on/off, etc.
Blinker moves matter: they can explain a shift in style or a projected upgrade/downgrade.
5. Columns 3–7: Speed & Pace Forecasts
This is the money section. These are projected numbers for today’s race, not just past figures.
Highlighted cells (usually in yellow) = projected best in the field.
3 – Fire Number
Speed throughout the race — not just the final time. Higher Fire = stronger sustained effort.
4 – CPR (Comprehensive Performance Rating)
A blended figure using pace, final time, and closing fraction. It’s the “overall effort” metric.
5 – Fast Fig
Today’s Racing Digest’s class + performance composite. It bakes together how well a horse ran and who it ran against.
6 – Final Rating
Digest’s version of a final time speed figure (your Beyer-type number).
7 – PER (Performance Early in Race)
This is your running style tag:
- F = Front
- P = Presser
- M = Mid-pack
- R = Rear/Closer
Tie this back to the Track Profile. If rear runners only win 5% and your main play is an “R”, you’re pushing uphill.
6. Column 8: RRL — Recent Race Level
RRL (Recent Race Level) tells you the class of the horse’s last start.
- A recent 200 means the horse just ran in a Grade-2-type heat
- A 155 means the horse is jumping way up in company today
This is your quick “is this horse in over its head?” filter.
7. Columns 9–13: Race Competition Level (RCL) & Class Breakdown
These columns are all about class reality, not hype:
- Overall Race Competition Level
- Best class at surface
- Best class at distance
- Past class high
- Average class level
In the John Henry Turf:
- Gold Phoenix showed:
- Best surface class: 210
- Best distance class: 210
- Past class: 210
- Average class: 197
Translation: he was clearly the class of the race, even compared to Stay Hot.
8. Columns 14–17: Best Final Time Ratings
These are the horse’s best Final Time Ratings (FTRs), highlighted in light blue:
- Last race FTR
- Best lifetime
- Best on today’s surface
- Best at today’s distance
In Jared’s examples:
- Stay Hot had the best overall Final Time Rating (150) in the John Henry
- Reef Runner had a standout 144 going into the Eddie D
- Full Serrano, Nevada Beach, and First Mission all had strong 140-range numbers in the Goodwood
This tells you instantly who’s actually fast enough for the race they’re in.
9. Column 18: Handicapping Factors (The Codes)
The far-right column holds handicapping factor codes like 13B, 10C, 21C, 31, etc. There are 32 different factors, each pointing to an angle.
A few important ones Jared calls out:
- 5 – Troubled trip horse
- 9 – Pace-related warning (doesn’t fit likely pace scenario)
- 10C / 10D – Higher or lower class sign
- 14 – Workout angle
- 15 / 15A – Has multiple elements pointing to a big effort under today’s conditions
- 19 – Improving horse
- 20 – Longshot with live upside
- 23 – Work-ready; pattern suggests a sharp effort coming
- 26A/B/C – Exiting a key race (1, 2, or 3+ next-out winners)
- 28 – Trouble last out
- 31 – Strong finish
Once you use these a bit, your eye starts going straight to the 19s, 20s, 23s, and 26s — that’s where a lot of prices live.
10. How the Race Header Called the Results
John Henry Turf Championship (G2)
- Race Header showed Gold Phoenix as the class horse, with strong projected Final Rating and class levels.
- Stay Hot had the best raw Final Time Ratings but slightly less class.
- Track profile favored tactical runners.
Result: Gold Phoenix won, Stay Hot ran second. Exactly the way the header framed the race.
Eddie D Stakes (G2)
For the downhill Eddie D:
- Race Header had Reef Runner projected top in:
- Fire Number
- CPR
- Fast Fig
- Final Rating
He still had to prove he could handle 6½f down the hill from the rail, but on paper he owned the race.
Result: Reef Runner overcame the inside, rallied, and won at around 5-1, with Yellow Card and Sorrento Sky filling out the exotics.
Goodwood (G1)
In the Goodwood:
- First Mission – projected best Final Rating, strong CPR
- Full Serrano – top class and distance/surface numbers
- Nevada Beach – just a tick behind them on Fire, CPR, and Final Rating but much better odds
Jared sided with Full Serrano; he ran well but got worn down.
Result:
- Nevada Beach worked out the perfect stalking trip and won at 8.5-1
- Full Serrano finished second
- Privman was third; First Mission faded to fourth
The header basically said: “Nevada Beach is close to the big two on numbers and way better price.” That’s the kind of horse you want to be alive to.
11. How to Use the Race Header in Your Own Handicapping
Here’s the exact process you can steal from Jared:
- Scan the top bar
Distance, surface, Base class level, AFTL fractions, favorite stats, and track profile. - Match running styles to the profile
Favor PER types that the track profile likes (F/P/M) and downgrade styles that almost never win there. - Use the Speed & Pace Forecasts (Cols 3–7)
Circle the top 2–3 projected horses based on Fire, CPR, Fast Fig, and Final Rating. - Check class reality (RRL + RCL)
Toss or downgrade horses jumping way up from lower levels. Upgrade those who’ve already proven they fit today’s Base level or higher. - Confirm with Final Time Ratings (Cols 14–17)
Make sure your contenders have actually run fast enough at this distance/surface. - Scan the handicapping factors (Col 18)
Look for improving horses (19), key-race exits (26A/B/C), live longshots (20), and big workout flags (23). - Build your bets out of overlaps
Horses that rate highly on class + projected speed + track fit + factors become win keys and exacta/trifecta anchors.
12. Get the Race Header in the Complete Digest
You’ll find Race Headers in the Complete Digest, alongside:
- Full past performances
- Fire Numbers
- CPR ratings
- Pace & Final Time Ratings
- Fast Figs
- Wagering strategy suggestions and more