1st Annual HANA Track Ratings Preview

*Highlights*

65 tracks were rated

Ranks 20 through 11 will be released day by day starting tomorrow

10 through 1 will be released with full text, including comments from the tracks themselves

1 through 65 with all accompanying data will be released on HANAweb. It will encapsulate all factors and data points so players can use this as a player resource

It is important to note that these tracks are rated by the algorithm below - this is not subjective. If a track has eight grade 1 races with full fields, but has 31% takeouts it will not make our top ten (quality of field is not considered); conversely a low takeout track with 5 horse fields and no wager variety will not make it either. I guess a good way of putting it is this: Which tracks give you the most bang for your buck, where you can bet a low cost superfecta, with a big field, at a low takeout. Then you just have to sit back and enjoy the race, knowing the track you are patronizing is giving you some value

Comments are welcome; and please enjoy our first annual HANA Track Ratings

Introduction

The Horseplayers Association of North America is proud to introduce the official HANA Track Rating System in a continuing effort to provide valuable assistance to our members in their handicapping endeavors. Knowledge is power and the purpose of this rating system is to allow members to make more informed decisions regarding the value of their wagering dollar at different tracks. This initial release of the track rating system is set up to be comprised of quantitative factors: takeout, field size and low base cost wager availability.

It is important to note that tracks may be unable to exert complete control over some of the factors incorporated in rating, consequently it is possible for a track to receive a poor rating even though it has many well intentioned, player friendly individuals on its staff. The primary purpose of the ratings is to provide information which will help horseplayers make decisions which will improve their bottom line and should be viewed accordingly.

Rebate availability has not been used in our calculations due to rebating ADW's not being available to our members in all states, and we are not at liberty to disclose the specifics of rebate levels available from those ADW's that offer them. It should be noted however, that tracks that are rebate friendly (make their signal available to rebating ADW's) experience a marked improvement in their ratings with for example, a nominal rebate of 5% being offered. The benefit derived from specific rebate levels is left for the horseplayer to determine.

Algorithm

The rating in each category is calculated by breaking the range of the data into 5 equal segments and assigning a 4 through to 0 (A through F) grade to each. The low cost wager variety category earns a point for each wager available. The final takeout grade is the average of the takeout of all wagers for a given track. The composite rating is derived using a 5x3x1 weighting scheme with composite takeout being assigned a weighting of 5, field size a 3 and low cost wager variety a 1.

Takeout

Each wager category will be rated from “A” through “F” with each letter grade representing an approximate 20 percent range of the total population of all north American tracks. An “A” rating, for instance will represent a standing in the upper quintile of all NA tracks while an “F” rating will represent the lowest. All available wager categories available for each track will be rated. Note that ratings are based on what is available today, not necessarily what is considered optimum.

WPS takeout ranges from 15% to 20%. The following grades will be assigned:

15% - A

16% - B

17% - C

18% - D

19% - F

20% - F

Exacta takeout ranges from 18% to 26%. The following grades will be assigned:

18% - A

19%, %20 – B

21%, 22% - C

23%, 24% - D

25%, 26% - F

Quinella ranges will be as above.

Trifecta takeout ranges from 19% through 31%. The following grades will be assigned:

19% - 20% - A

21% - 23% - B

24% - 26% - C

27% - 29% - D

30% - 31% - F

Superfecta ranges will be as above.

Daily Double takeouts range from 12% through 26%. The following grades will be assigned:

12% - 15% - A

16% - 18% - B

19% - 21% - C

22% - 24% - D

25%, 26% - F

Pick 3/4 takeouts range from 12% through 29%. The following grades will be assigned:

12% - 15% - A

16% - 19% - B

20% - 22% - C

23% - 25% - D

26% - 29% - F

Pick 6 takeouts range from 15% through 28%. The following grades will be assigned:

15% - 17% - A

18% - 20% - B

21% - 23% - C

24% - 26% - D

27% - 28% - F

Takeout Composite

The takeout composite grade will be computed by averaging and rounding the equivalent numeric value of the letter grade in each category.

Grades will be assigned as follows:

3.85 - 4 = A

3.51 - 3.84 = A-

3.16 - 3.50 = B+

2.85 - 3.15 = B

2.51 - 2.84 = B-

2.16 - 2.50 = C+

1.85 - 2.15 = C

1.51 - 1.84 = C-

1.16 - 1.50 = D+

0.85 - 1.15 = D

0.51 - 0.84 = D-

< 0.51 = F

Wager Variety

A player friendly track will offer the largest variety of wagers to the customer. This includes 50 cent trifectas and pick-3 and pick-4's as well as 10 cent supers etc. Availability of these player friendly wagers will be considered in the rating of each track. The baseline for each track will be $2 WPS, $1 exacta, $1 trifecta, $1 superfecta, $1 pick bets and early/late daily doubles. This will earn the track an “F”. Any wager availability beyond this will earn an increasingly higher rating. A point will be awarded for each of: $0.50 trifecta, $0.10 superfecta, $0.50 pick-3, and a $0.50 pick-4.

Field Size

Field size is another “customer friendly” element that should figure into a track rating. Does the racing office truly fill the fields for competitive racing or do they just write races for the horsemen to win purses? Field size (based on the last calendar year of racing - 2008 calendar year for the initial release ) will be sorted into quintiles and rated accordingly as follows:

9.5 and up - A

8.8 – 9.4 – B

8.1 – 8.7 – C

7.4 – 8.0 – D

Below 7.4 - F

Composite Rating

The composite rating will be comprised of a weighted sum of each of the individual ratings. Initial grading will be comprised of the takeout being weighted 5x, the field size 3x and the wager variety 1x. The range of numeric value possible under this rating system is 0 through 4.

Grades will be assigned as follows:

3.85 - 4 = A

3.51 - 3.84 = A-

3.16 - 3.50 = B+

2.85 - 3.15 = B

2.51 - 2.84 = B-

2.16 - 2.50 = C+

1.85 - 2.15 = C

1.51 - 1.84 = C-

1.16 - 1.50 = D+

0.85 - 1.15 = D

0.51 - 0.84 = D-

< 0.51 = F