CANTER

TRACING YOUR HORSE’S PAST

Racing Records and Pedigrees

The Equine Line of the Jockey Club Information Systems can provide you a variety of pedigree options for your horse and/or a variety of race record options. Samples are available to help you choose. These are the official records of your horse. By using a charge card, you can order on-line and receive your product printed out to you immediately. Go to: www.equineline.com.

Please note: You must have your horse’s racing name to order. Records are NOT filed by tattoo number. If you only have your horse’s tattoo number, please, read the section on Tattoo Research.

Tattoo Research

If you do not have your horse’s Jockey Club papers and do not know your horse’s racing name, you can still learn about your horse’s history through his tattoo. The tattoo is on the inside of the upper lip. It will begin with a letter of the alphabet followed by 5 numerical digits. There is a code to this alphabet with each letter of the alphabet standing for the year of birth. For example, a horse foaled in 1991 will have a tattoo that begins with the letter U followed by 5 numerical digits. A horse foaled in 1992 will have a tattoo that begins with the letter V followed by 5 numerical digits and so on. The numerical digits are the last 5 digits of your horse’s Jockey Club registration papers. Please note: If your horse does not have a tattoo, then your horse did not race at a parimutuel track. This does not mean that your horse was not on the track and did not have race training including official timed works. Any number of circumstances (illness, injury, lack of funds to continue training, death of owner, etc.) might have prevented your horse in full race training from ever being entered in their first race, therefore, causing them to leave the track without being tattooed.

Using a flashlight and perhaps the help of your veterinarian, write down the alphabet letter and the 5 digits of the tattoo to the best of your ability. The Jockey Club Information Systems offers a tattoo research for a reasonable fee. Once you have your horse’s racing name, you can obtain his race record and/or pedigree. For more information on obtaining tattoo research visit their website or call them on the phone. They are most helpful and cordial! Go to: www.tjcis.com or call: 800-333-1778.

Win Pictures and Racing Win Videos

Whether you desire a win picture or a video of your horse’s winning race, you must have the following information first: Horse’s racing name, track where the win took place, date of win and preferably which race number of that date. Win pictures and videos are not kept indefinitely. The more recent the win, the more likely it is still available.

The front page of your horse’s Jockey Club registration papers will show a listing of any WINS during your horse’s racing career. Only WINS are listed on the Jockey Club papers. Horses earn purse money for placement through fourth place so even with limited or no wins, your horse could still have earned money while racing.

If you do not have the Jockey Club papers but have done a tattoo research and have a copy of your horse’s official race record, you can obtain this information from that document provided it is the detailed race record which includes dates, track abbreviations, etc.

Horses sold through CANTER generally have won races at Great Lakes Downs abbreviated GLD.

If you know a track abbreviation but still do not know which track applies, you can go to www.ntraracing.com/tracks for an explanation of the abbreviations.

To obtain a copy of your horse’s win picture, you must call the track where the win took place and ask for the track photographer. Provide them with the date, your horse’s name, and if possible, the number of the race for that particular day. Discuss payment options at that time. For win pictures at Great Lakes Downs in Muskegon, Michigan call 231-799-2400, extension 174 and ask for Mr. Cody.

To obtain a copy of your horse’s win video, you must also call the track where the win took place and ask to speak to the video company. Provide them with the date, your horse’s name, and if possible, the number of the race for that particular day. Discuss payment options at that time. For Great Lakes Downs call 231-799-2400, extension 109.

My Horse Didn't Win, Can I...

If your horse never won a race but his racing record indicates that he came in first or second or even third by a very close margin (a nose, a neck, even a length), you might still get a photograph of him in action by buying the win picture of the horse that DID win! How well you will see your horse is a gamble!!! Sometimes, depending on whether your horse was on the outside or the inside, you might be able to see your horse even better than the winner!!! (For example, if the winner is at the rail and your horse running a close second was on the outside, your horse will be more visible to the camera than the winner). If you do this, be sure and ask the track photographer to NOT GIVE YOU A SPLIT SCREEN PHOTOGRAPH. YOU WANT THE ENTIRE 8 X 10 PHOTOGRAPH TO BE OF THE HORSES CROSSING THE FINISH LINE ONLY. Why have half of your photo taken up with the winner’s circle shot of a strange horse???

Second or even third place "win" pictures of your horse are still quite thrilling to own but remember, this will only work in a close race and hopefully with your horse in the outside position.

Toobtain a copy of such a picture, see instructions under Win Pictures and Racing Win Videos.

If your horse never won a race and never even placed in a race, you can still buy a full video of his entire race. You will need the name of the track, the date of the race, your horse’s name and preferably what race it was that day. Maybe he didn’t win, but it sure is exciting to hear the announcer calling out your horse’s position as they break from the gate and cross the finish line!

To obtain a copy of a racing video, see instructions under Win Pictures and Racing Win Videos.