Reading the F H F...

Further Reading:

What IS the "Fast Horse Format"?

Slew's "Fast Horse Format" (or FHF) is a way to identify horses that ran in superior races prior to today's start. These are horses that were competitive in fast heats, whether they won or not. Some of these horses may have been coming off of layoffs, or simply rounding into form. They may have won the race, or only hit the board. But they have in common a good run in a race that was superior for the track and distance. What does that mean for today's race? Well, that could mean the horse is ready to win, or ready to run big and be a part of a winning exacta or trifecta. It also could mean that the horse is simply a faster, better athelete and has found weaker competition. Conversely, when many fast horses get together, the results are sometimes difficult to predict. We know what happens when too many fast but unseasoned horses go head to head. As far as horses that make it to the top of the list for a single race, be on the lookout, because  that's where good handicapping enters the picture. Many of Slew's top horses win, but certainly not all. But always be cautious and don't throw out a longshot without careful consideration, or just a modest play. A powerful performance last time out merits your attention today. Especially if in a superior heat.

        
      NAME                           Trk     Race   Last Race    Fin*FHF    ITM Avg|      Today     ML
========================================================================================================
3-Sunnybrook                         Bel    1     06Aug11  4SAR   3 * 4     32,090 |      9K / 4    (2-1)
1A-Juliann's Approval                Bel    1     14Aug11 10SAR   1 * 3     27,714 |     14K / 7   (15-1)
    

In this race, there are two horses that are singled out as horses that competed in fast races. What are fast races? They are races where the split times (quarter, half mile, etc.) are superior to the usual times run for a given distance and track. Of course, not all horses qualify, nor do all races were some splits are fast. They have to be FHF fast. Most horses will not qualify. But the ones that do are listed on Slew's daily sheet as having competed successfully in those races, even if they did not win.

When we consult the past performances for race one, we see that Sunnybrook raced in a qualifying FHF race on 08/06/2011 in race number 4 at Saratoga, and finished third in a race that is ranked a "4". You will only see 3 ranks for horses listed on Slew's sheet: 3,4 and 5.For the most part, a rank of 4 or 5 holds pretty much the same weight. They are superior races indeed. A rank of 3 is a notch below both, but still is a rather significant heat and merits serious attention, especially if the horse stands alone. So in our example, Sunnybrook ran in a fast race (06Aug11  4SAR), and finished third. Note that there is no plus sign after the rank, so it was not her LAST race. Consulting the past performances you will find that Sunnybrook's last race was an off the turf affair in open company at Saratoga on August 22. She won that race.The significance here is that her FHF listing would have shown up on that day with a PLUS (+) sign after the rank, because the fast race was, at that time, her last race. As such, a third place finish in such a high ranked race would have merited serious consideration. In fact, this did not escape the notice of sharp handicappers, as she won that open affair as the favorite, even though Sunnybrook is a NY bred.

        
      NAME                           Trk     Race   Last Race    Fin*FHF    ITM Avg|      Today     ML
========================================================================================================
1-Sunnybrook                         Sar    2     06Aug11  4SAR   3 * 4+    32,916 |     -3K / 5    (5-1)
    

A lone 4 rank that finished second or third is almost a sure bet. However, if the horse had finished first, then form, distance, pace and footing considerations along with sound handicapping principles should guide your selections. If the FHF listed race was not the horse's last race, then handicap the race knowing that the horse may have the potential to put away the field. But if it was his last race and he WON that race, be mindful that most horses cannot repeat a winning effort, especially when moving through allowance ranks or stepping up into stakes company. However, a really good horse may run well enough to merit a position in the exotics, often at a nice price. That is one of the strongest angles of Slew's Fast Horses.

On this day, we see that Sunnybrook has run 2 strong races, and while her last one doesn't qualify as one of Slew's "FAST" races, that off the turf affair in open company bodes well for today's "drop" into state bred competition, as her 2-1 morning line odds would suggest.

The Second horse, Juliann's Approval, ran in a fast race on Aug. 14th at Saratoga and won the race. But then why are her ML odds so high and why do we not consider her the same way we consider Sunnybrook? A quick peek at the PP's for this race tell us that Juliann's Approval won that MAIDEN race on Aug. 14th after 19 tries as a maiden. Her next race was an awful attempt at the allowance level - [S]N1x -, finishing the 10th of 12,. So even though she shows up on our list, she is a no play. Had she shown she could compete at her new level in her last race, she may be eligible for consideration for a lesser prize, and used in exotics. But she is a perfect example of why a horse on the list is not necessarily in contention for today's top prize. It may be another 10 races before she finds a field she can handle. Or, it may never happen.

The second part of the listing shows horses that come from races where there was at least one next out winner AND the FHF rating was at least a 3.

Next Out Winners number. This number is usually as recent as the last racing day for each venue covered by Slew's Fast Horses.