Condition Book
 

Here is the 1st condition book for the current Oaktree meet. This is what the trainer looks at in planning a race for his horse. Keep in mind that not all the races will fill and that's why they have substitute races.

Although the trainer may not know who his horse will be running against when he enters a race, there's always talk about who's thinking of entering his horse where, esp. at the higher class levels.

Condition books only the starting point
 

You would really really be surprised at how much the conditions are CHANGED in order to fill a race, the "deals" that are made (RACING SECRETARY: "Bill run your filly in this state bred 10K and I will write a condition corollary for next weeks restricted allowance for your BIG horse as I know the last two races you entered did not fill, so help me out here and I will help you."). Often, we you see a horse scratch out on a Thursday only to run back in two days, it is usually the result of one of these deals. There is nothing illegal about them as they are simply a motive for keeping the races balanced.

Usually the book has about 14 proposed contests for any one day. As the entries are taken, the racing secretary (OVER a loud speaker at our track) informs the trainers where he needs help, what races are overflows that he may have to split (this happens a lot), and how he is changing the race conditions to open up more entries in races that are "just about there." Commonly, a state bred that is almost full will change to an open, a 4 y/o and up will open to be 3y/o up etc. You can often see a race written JUST FOR ONE HORSE with limiting conditions as ridiculous as "nonwinners of $11,566" (and only one returning stakes horse is anywhere close to that number).

Often there are truly creative conditions, the best of which rewards the horsemen who keep their animals in the every day grind at a local venue and barring too many shippers with stakes races often having a limiting phrase, i.e. "for horses that have started at Santa Anita at least twice during the 2008 season." This limits shippers from taking all the purse money. Another is that Grey ghost race run on Halloween every year.