If you're an avid Thoroughbred horse racing fan, you know the value of paid and free past performances. Past performances list every horse scheduled to run in a given race, along with data collected from each horse's last five to 12 starts.

Most past performances for Thoroughbred racing you'll find online cost money because the data is extensive and takes a lot of time to compile. However, if you don't need past performances for multiple races on a certain day, you can also find some decent free past performances.

Past Performance for Horses

Past performance records usually include a speed figure for each horse running in a race, which may be calculated in Beyer Speed Figures or Equibase Speed Figures, two common ways to gauge a horse's racing prowess.

A horse's past performance record will also give you the date it last ran, the track where the race took place, the race the horse ran in, and the class of the race. It also should tell you the condition of the track and what kind of surface the race was run on, such as dirt or turf. The record should also list the distance of the race and it will give fractions that represent how long it took the horses to complete different segments of the track. This, as well as the winner's final time, gives you an idea of the pace of the race.

Past performance records also typically tell you the horse's trainer and whether there's been a change at any point in the horse's recent past. They also list the name of the jockey who was riding in each race, how much weight the horse was carrying, and any special equipment the horse was wearing or medications it might have been given. You'll also see information regarding the horse's recent workouts. Just as with a human athlete, all of these factors can affect a Thoroughbred's performance.

Racing Records

All of this data can take time to digest, but if you're serious about racing and making wise wagers, past performance records can be very useful. There are a few good sources of paid past performance records.

Some leading trainers, farms, and racetracks offer past performance records for free, but you may have to hunt for them. Daily racing forms also provide information about past performance records, and some daily news websites contain this data or links to the data in sports news updates. Some websites specialize in past performance records for Thoroughbred racing and other types of horse racing.