Decoding race pedigrees: A member of the ApHC's Executive Race Committee unravels the mysteries of racehorse pedigrees and 'black type'

摘要

Understanding how to read a catalog-style race pedigree is tantamount to selecting the best race prospects that are for sale. Racehorses earn black type on their pedigrees by winning or placing—finishing second or third in a stakes race. If a horse has won a stakes race, it's indicated on the horse's pedigree by the horse's name being printed in bold, all-capital letters. Should a runner only have a stakes placing in its race career, its name appears in the pedigree in bold, with only the first letter of each word in its name in capital type.