This Tip is subject to the following LEGAL PROVISIONS - Please Read Carefully
Stewards' Tip: Equibase Charts
At least one steward should read the Equibase charts every day after a race day. There are several good reasons.
- The Equibase chart is the official record of the race.
- Attorneys often use the Equibase chart as evidence in a stewards’ hearing or an appeal to the commission.
- On occasion, the chart callers may make an inadvertent error such as missing an inquiry, objection, claim, a horse that was vanned off, wrong reason for scratch, misplaced order of finish that the stewards can help them correct.
- It is good to know how an interference incident is described in the footnotes.
- There is a lot of very good information in the charts – final odds, pay-offs, pool size, points of call, fractional times, beaten lengths and the comments & footnotes.
The stewards need to have a good working relationship with the chart callers for the benefit of both parties. Since the chart callers are normally not licensees and are members of the press, the stewards do not have any authority over the chart callers. Which is even more reason to have a good working relationship and daily communication.
Equibase is a great resource for the stewards in that besides that race charts, the horsemen’s statistics are a good indicator of professionalism. A trainer that shows up with a ten horse stable that has had less than 10 starts per year over the last several years might be a program trainer. A jockey that has few starts and rarely lights the board could need a little extra attention. The Virtual Stable is a good way to track horses that might have been claimed and are running in another jurisdiction before the end of the meet. Equibase horsemen and horse records can help stewards find owners, trainers and jockeys that have out-standing fines. Finally, ROAP has a user name and password that will allow working accredited stewards to access the video replay link attached to each chart at no charge.