What are Brisnet Speed and Pace ratings?

Once upon a time, a long time ago, judging raw pace fractions and final times was the only way to gauge the speed of a race. Comparing races over different dates and tracks was like comparing apples to oranges, and good luck comparing races over different distances.

But then speed figures burst on to the scene and changed everything. Speed figures use mathematical formulas and historical data to compare times from different dates, tracks, and distances, allowing handicappers to determine—with reasonable but not infallible accuracy—whether six furlongs in 1:11.40 over a slow track is a stronger time than six furlongs in 1:10.80 over a fast track.

Many services create and provide speed figures for handicappers, including Brisnet. Actually, Brisnet offers four different types of speed ratings so handicappers can analyze races in more granular detail.

The four types of Brisnet speed ratings are labeled E1, E2, Late Pace (LP), and Speed (SPD), as illustrated in the excerpt from Brisnet Ultimate Past Performances shown below.

Let’s explore and define each type of Brisnet speed rating:

E1

The E1 rating is a pace figure analyzing how fast a horse ran during the early portion of a race. In sprints, the E1 rating measures speed over the opening two furlongs; in route races, the E1 measures speed over the first four furlongs.

E2

The E2 rating also measures early speed, but over a longer distance than the E1. The E2 rating covers the first four furlongs in sprints and the first six furlongs in routes.

Late Pace

If you want to know how strongly a horse finished in a race, check out the Late Pace rating, which measures the ending portion of a race. In sprints, the Late Pace rating covers everything after the opening four furlongs; in routes, it covers the distance after the first six furlongs.

Speed

Often the most important number is the overall Speed rating, which evaluates the final time and thus encompasses the entirety of a performance.

How to use Brisnet Speed and Pace figures

On the Brisnet scale, higher numbers equate to faster performances. As a broad rule, a triple-digit rating in any category is the mark of a fast effort.

If you find a horse who consistently posts higher Speed ratings than his or her rivals, you’re looking at a likely winner. If several contenders have posted similar Speed ratings, perhaps the Pace ratings can help separate them. If you’re handicapping a six-furlong sprint and one horse consistently posts higher E1 and E2 Pace ratings than all the other entrants, that horse has a strong chance to secure an uncontested lead and produce a maximum performance.

On the other end of the spectrum, a strong Late Pace rating can point toward a horse who finished with something left at the end of a race. This can occur if the early pace is very slow, leaving the horses with more energy for the finish. If a horse with strong Late Pace ratings enters a race with lots of early speed, there’s a chance the horse will dole out his or her own speed more effectively and earn a faster Speed rating. After all, energy left over at the end of a race is energy that could have been put to use running faster earlier in the race.

Speed figures are among the most important tools a handicapper can utilize, so understanding Brisnet Speed and Pace ratings is a step toward making profitable plays. Good luck!