Quick Tips:
Calculate normal points x 4!
Graded Stakes Bonus:
GI - 1st,2nd,3rd: +6
GII - 1st,2nd,3rd: +4
GIII - 1st,2nd,3rd: +2
Field Bonus:
10 to 14 - top ten: +2
15+ - top twelve: +5
|
Racer Points Program
Real life race horses do NOTHING but racing, and require a great deal of rest, therefore earn fewer points than most other HFSHC horses. So, we've developed a new HFSHC racing system - new rules, but more points! You may choose to use the old point system if you insist on showing your racers in other types of events.
|
Rules
1. Horses may NOT show in halter! Any horse actively racing may not be shown in anything, period, including halter. Young horses bred for racing, for example yearlings, may be shown at halter UNTIL their first race. In other words, I can show my yearling in halter (for normal points) up until the day she sets hoof on a race track. After that, she may not enter any other halter classes until she retires. The day she does enter another halter or other type class, she may no longer use this point system. Likewise, if you have been showing your racehorse in halter, you may enter them in the Racer Point Program, but ONLY if you stop halter showing them. If you are in the Racer Point program and show them in halter again, then they cannot be a part of the program any more.
2. Horses may ONLY race - no under saddle, etc. Racehorses in the Racer Poing Program may ONLY race - no halter, no under saddle classes, etc. This rule counts for their past careers, too - they must not have ever shown under saddle. If they have entered an under saddle class, then the may enter the Racer Point Program ONLY if they DO NOT ENTER ANY MORE UNDER SADDLE CLASSES for one full year. This is what we consider the "one year retraining program". For more information on this, read the paragraph at the bottom of the TRA Graded Stakes page.
3. Horses may ONLY race in one race a day, and must have AT LEAST 6 full days rest afterwards. In real-life, racers would only run once every three or four weeks (maybe less if the races are ungraded), so we strongly encourage you do the same. If you do run a racehorse two weeks in a row (in other words, with 6 days rest), give him/her several weeks off afterwards.
4. Mares may not have any registered foals while racing - in RL, a mare is not bred until she is retired from racing. Endurance mares may have foals registered, but Thoroughbred and other traditional flat racing mares/steeplechase mares must not have any registered foals.
This racing point program is open to either traditional racers OR endurance racers, but a horse cannot do both! A traditional racing Thoroughbred would NOT enter an endurance race. If you retired an Arabian or Thoroughbred or Quarter Horse from traditional races (races that are from about 1/4 mile up to about 1 1/2 miles) and then start racing them in endurance, that is OK, but they can not go back to traditional races, or they will not be eligible for the Racer Point Program.
If your horse retires from racing, or switches to endurance racing, or breaks any of the special rules above, your FUTURE points will be on the normal HFSHC Points system. However, any points earned while enrolled in the Racer Points Program, while obeying these special rules, will STAY at this program's increased value. So, my racers can earn points based on this system, and if I retire them and retrain them for jumping, they start to earn points on the OLD system.
Pre-2000 Year Racers
You may use this new point system for any horse who has raced in the past (2000 or earlier), so long as they have not entered any under saddle classes. Halter classes are fine, but if they were ridden in any other type classes, they must use the old point system. If you decied to use this new point system for horses who have already been racing, you may NOT enter any more halter shows after 6/20/2000, unless you are retiring your horse from racing. I know this is quite confusing, so feel free to email me - if you want, send a sample of your horse's point records, and I will help you figure out their new points, and explain what you need to do in the future.
Points
| Place |
Points |
| First |
40 |
| Second |
36 |
| Third |
32 |
| Fourth |
28 |
| Fifth |
24 |
| Sixth |
20 |
| Seventh |
16 |
| Eighth |
12 |
| Ninth |
8 |
| Tenth |
4 |
| Eleventh |
2 |
| Twelfth |
2 |
Bonus Points
Graded Stakes Bonus
Grade One Stakes Race - add 6 points if your horse places first, second or third
Grade Two Stakes Race - add 4 points if your horse places first, second or third
Grade Three Stakes Race - add 2 points if your horses places first, second or third
Field Bonus
Add 2 points if there were 10 to 14 horses in the race, and you placed in the top 10.
Add 5 points if there were 15 or more horses in the race and you placed in the top 12.
Enroll In The Racer Points Program
In order to make sure we are all following these rather specific rules, we'll be setting our racers points aside from our show horses, and having them approved by a different Point Approval person. To enroll your racehorse in the new point system, all you have to do is send your points to farrider83@yahoo.com for title approval when you have enough points. See below for more information on points.
How To Keep Track of Points
Here is an example of how to keep track of your horses points. You can keep them in a word document, or just type them out in an email, or however you like. You must always list the horse's name, age, HFSHC #, and breed. For each race, list the date, race name, graded or ungraded status, distance (if you can), racemeet and race holder, place, points, and any other info.
Dragon Heart, 1996 Thoroughbred Stallion, HFSHC #12345
1/15 Millennium Mile Handicap, ungraded, 1 mile, for TB 4 and up
TRA Silver Season Racemeet, jsteffes
8th place of 8 horses
3 x 4 = 12 points
1/30 TRA Turf Challenge, GRADE 2, 1 1/8 mile TURF, for 4+ TB
held by jsteffes
3rd of 11 horses ($12,000)
8 x 4 = 32 points
GRADED STAKES BONUS (+4) = 36 points
2/26 Stone Arch Cup, G1, 6 furlongs for 4 and up
TRA February Racemeet, jsteffes
3rd of 9 horses ($20,000)
8 x 4 = 32 points
GRADED STAKES BONUS (+6) = 38 points
TOTAL - 86 points
In the example above, I have the date, race name, graded status, distance and race details. Then I have the racemeet name, and the race host. Then I have my horses place, for example 8th place in a field of 8 horses. On the next line I have the normal points - 8th place earns 3 points, times the racer's point system of 4 (racers earn 4x more points than the normal point system). On the next line, I have any bonus points he earned, and the final total points for that race.
When you have earned enough points for a title, send your horses records to hftitles@yahoo.com for title approval with the subject Racer Point Approval!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to 'register' my horse with any special program to use the Racer Point Program?
Nope, just read and understand the rules, and send in your horse for approval when he or she reaches a title level (150 points, 300, 450, etc).
Can Harness Racers, Steeplechasers, Etc use the program?
You bet, traditional flat racers, harness racers, endurance horses, steeplchasers, etc of any breed can use the program. Things like "barrel racing" and competitive trail rides, however, do not count as races, they are classes and other events.
What happens if my horse doesn't meet the "rules" for the Racer Point Program but is still a racer?
If you have a horse that does racing but doesn't meet the rules listed above, such as an endurance racer who also does competitive trail rides, or a horse who just recently switched from show jumping to steeplechasing, they can use the REGULAR point system for all their non-racing competitions, and use a 3x point system for any races. So, if they get 1st place in a race but aren't part of the Racer Point system, they would get 10pnts x 3 = 30 points, instead of the 40 points a RPP (Racer Points Program) horse would get. Horses racing but not using the RPP also do not get the field bonuses.
Who can approve my horse's points and titles?
If you are using the Racer Point Program (RPP), send your horse's records to hftitles@yahoo.com with the subject Racer Point Approval. Be sure and sort them by date and include ALL points, including any past halter or under-saddle showing if they did any, etc. All the points for their career.
What happens when I retire my RPP Racehorse and start showing them in other things?
A horse can of course retire from racing and start competing in other events (be sure and give them some rest and retraining time!). If your horse was once a racer but is now competing in non-racing events (ie, was retired and retrained), you may send your COMPLETE race records to hftitles@yahoo.com with the subject Racer Point Approval
Any other questions? Feel free to contact JillianVP@hfshc.com. Thanks!