Summary Results File Format

Comma-Delimited Summary Results File Format (revision 1)

Value Tech, Inc. is pleased to announce its first comma-delimited result file format. Value Tech, Inc. believes that this file in best used, in conjunction with, the Value Tech, Inc. comma-delimited past performance file. This file will allow researchers to analyze a myriad of racing angles and systems. Best of all it’s priced at only 50 cents per racing card.

The Value Tech, Inc. Result File Format #1 is a comma delimited format and consists of one (1) comma-delimited file for each race card at a particular track. The file contains the result information for all the live thoroughbred races run at a particular track on a particular day. The naming convention for these result files is as follows:

RMMDDYYE.TTT

where R always appears, MM is the month code (01-12), DD is the day code (01-31), YY is the year code (96-xx), E is an optional evening code*, and TTT is a two or three character code track code. Taken together, these codes uniquely identify which racing card a particular file contains data for.

*Note: The E code is an optional code and will only apply for those tracks that run two thoroughbred race cards on a single day. Tracks that run only one evening card and no day card will not have the E code designation. Only tracks like FG, or CBY that occasionally run split day and evening cards on the same day for thoroughbred racing will have this code.

For those of you using relational databases, this file is not particularly relational as it conceptually consists of a joining (flattening) of a race information file and a horse information file for each race. For purposes of simplicity we have made this a single file format.

All fields are separated by comma, and strings (dates are also strings) are enclosed in quotation marks. The max size field indicates the maximum width of a paticular value. For floating point numbers (real, double, single and so forth) the width will be indicated as x.y where x is the maximum number of digits (including the decimal point) and y is the maximum number of digits after a decimal point. In each case, these are maximums and not a guaranteed size.

All times will be expressed in seconds and fractions of a second in tenths.

Field Type Description
1 string(3) Version string (always "1")
2 date Race date (format: "MM/dd/yy")
3 string(3) Track ID
4 number Race number
5 string(1) 'E' if an evening card as described above; otherwise blank.
6 number Race distance (in feet)
7 string(3) Track condition
8 number Inner track indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
9 number Turf indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
10 number Off-the-turf indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
11 number Chute start indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
12 number About distance indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
13 number Steeplechase indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
14 number Hurdle indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
15 number Hunt indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
16 number Race class:
0 = MCLM
1 = MSW
2 = CLM
3 = ALW
4 = STKS
5 = HDCP
-1 = Unavailable

Note: Many races which are actually Handicap races will sometimes fall into category 4. This is currently unavoidable.
17 string(14) Race class description. Examples:
Alw 42000 N1x
Alw 47500N$my
LasFlorsBCH-G3
Md Sp Wt Clm 25000
18 number Grade
-1 if not any of the others
0 if a non-graded stakes or handicap
1, 2, 3 for a grade 1, grade 2 or grade 3 race.
4, 5, 6 for a grade 1, grade 2 or grade 3 race in Canada
19 number Statebreds indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
20 number Restricted indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
21 number Purse
22 number Claiming price
23 string(3) Age restrictions
2, 2UP, 23, 3, 3UP, 34, 345, 4, 4UP, 45, 5, 5UP, 6UP, 7UP, 8, 8UP, 89, 9UP, 10UP, OPEN
Combinations like 345 indicate race is for 3, 4 and 5 year olds only
24 number Sex restrictions: 0 = MALE 1 = FEMALE 2 = MIXED
25 number Race final time
26 string(22) Runner name
27 number Post position
28 string(3) Saddlecloth number
29 number Original finish position
30 number Final beaten lengths. A value of 99.99 indicates the runner did not finish (DNF).
31 number Deadheat indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
32 number Disqualified indicator: 0 = No, 1 = Yes
33 number Official finish position, taking into account possible DQs
34 number Final odds
35 string(22) Jockey
36 string(22) Trainer