Using Brisnet dam stats for pedigree handicapping

Handicapping horses by analyzing their pedigrees can be a helpful way to identify which runners are suited to particular race conditions. And while sire statistics typically receive the most attention, dam stats can be just as useful.

A stallion is only half the genetic equation, and broodmare produce records can steer you toward informative betting angles. Dam stats are available from many sources, and one of the most convenient are Brisnet Ultimate Past Performances, which come packed with a variety of stats to aid your pedigree handicapping.

Depending on the conditions of the race you’re analyzing, Brisnet Ultimate Past Performances may include the following dam stats.

Dam’sStats: [highest racing achievement]

At the beginning of the Dam’sStats row, you’ll find a word or abbreviation indicating the highest level of racing success achieved by the dam in question.

Six options can be listed — Unraced (never contested a race), Unplaced (raced, but never finished in the top three), Placed (finished third or better in a non-stakes race), Winner (won a non-stakes race), Stksplaced (finished third or better in a stakes race), and Stakewnr (won a stakes).

%2yo

In juvenile races, it’s useful to know if a dam has produced precocious runners in the past. This is where the %2yo stat comes into play.

If a dam has produced four horses who raced at age two, but only one visited the winner’s circle as a juvenile, her %2yo rating will be 25%, listed as 25%2yo. In other words, 25% of her two-year-old starters visited the winner’s circle as a juvenile.

Xstr, Xw, and Xsw

The racing accomplishments of a dam’s foals are outlined by three interconnected abbreviations, where “X” stands for a number.

For example, if a dam’s produce record is listed as “4str, 4w, and 1sw,” this means the mare has produced four starters (str) and four winners (w), and one of those winners was a stakes winner (sw).

XtrfW

For turf races, a fourth abbreviation is listed among the racing accomplishments of a dam’s foals — XturfW, with “X” representing the number of turf winners (trfW) the mare has produced.

If a dam has produced five turf winners (5trfW) from six starters, you’re looking at a mare who passes on an affinity for grass.

dpi

This abbreviation stands for “Dams Production Index,” a rating used to compare the average earnings of a dam’s foals with the average earnings of the foals of all other North American broodmares.

That’s quite a mouthful, but it’s actually simple. The average earnings for the foals of all North America broodmares is marked by 1.00, so the foals produced by a dam with a 1.50spi earn 50% more than average.

Armed with expanded knowledge of Brisnet dam stats, you can make more informed pedigree handicapping decisions when betting horse races.

Good luck!