Kentucky Derby 2024 Performance Ratings

By Jarrod Horak

My latest Kentucky Derby 2024 video features Today's Racing Digest Performance Ratings, including the FIRE Number, CPR, and Pace and Final Time Ratings.

FIRE Number - The FIRE Number (Final Race Equation) is the Digest’s exclusive comprehensive speed figure that is created using every tool available to the Digest. Like other speed figures, this is an easy-to-read numerical rating for a horse's performance. However, unlike other speed figures which only take into account a horse's final speed rating, the Fire Number is based on a horse's speed throughout the race, taking into account each and every time recorded by the horse during the running of the race.

CPR - Comprehensive Performance Rating. Today's Racing Digest does the work for you by singling out one of the horse's past performances that is most similar to today's race distance, surface and class level and provides you with this easy to use speed rating the horse earned in that race. The higher the number the better the performance. This rating takes both early pace and final times into considerations. It is then modified by the track variant and can be adjusted for an ‘unusual’ pace. Another Digest speed figure, this one is the oldest of the Digest’s speed numbers. Once again, the higher the number, the faster the horse.

Pace Ratings - A number which takes into account the speed the horse displayed through the first two calls.

Final Time Ratings - A speed figure that takes into account only the final time of the horse. This measures a horse’s final time against our track pars, with the daily track variant factored in. A horse equaling the track par for the distance would earn a 150 Final Time Rating. Three points are deduced for each length slower than par.