Guidelines for Quarter Horse Race Types

QUARTER HORSE RACE TYPE GUIDELINES

Stakes Races

A stakes race is a race in which stakes of $50 or more posted by the owners of the participating horses and is still a stakes when money or other prize is added.

Nominations must close more than 48 hours before time for the first race of the day on which such stakes are to be run.

A stakes may not be restricted to exclude entries in any way other than age or sex. (**See Exceptions Below)

No race with a purse of less than $15,000 will be considered a stakes.

Match races shall not be eligible for stakes recognition. However, an invitational stakes race or an invitational handicap race for which owners do not contribute to the purse, but which is advertised in the regular stakes program, shall also be considered a stakes race, provided it carries a minimum purse of $15,000 or more.

The minimum purse for American Quarter Horse stakes races conducted internationally, excluding Canada, shall be $5,000 U.S. Funds, based on the conversion rate on each race day.

** Restricted Stakes Races - AQHA will consider the following types of races for stakes and restricted stakes classifications:

Races restricted to state of breeding, foaling and/or ownership.
Races restricted to those horses sold in a certain sale or sales with at least 100 yearlings consigned representing at least 15 stallions.
Races restricted to the progeny of a restricted group of stallions, provided

The stallions involved stand at and are the property of a minimum of 5 distinct breeding farms, and
The foals eligible for the race represent a minimum of 15 stallions on the original nomination list.

STAKES	RACE TYPE	DESCRIPTION
Championship	CHM	Championship must be indicated in race name and meet guidelines for a stakes race. Purse must be $15,000 or more.
Derby	DBY	Restricted to three-year-olds. Derby must be indicated in race name and meet guidelines for a stakes race. Purse must be $15,000 or more.
Futurity	FUT	Restricted to two-year-olds. Futurity must be indicated in race name and meet guidelines for a stakes race. Purse must be $15,000 or more.
Handicap Stakes	HDS	Race must meet guidelines for a stakes race. Weights are assigned. Generally high-weights are preferred. Purse must be $15,000 or more.
Invitational Stakes	INS	Horses must be invited to participate. Race must meet guidelines for a stakes race. Weights are set. Purse must be $15,000 or more.
Invitational Handicap	IHS	Horses must be invited to participate. Race must meet guidelines for a stakes race. Weights are assigned. Generally high-weights are preferred. Purse must be $15,000 or more.

STAKES	RACE TYPE	DESCRIPTION
Maturity	MAT	Generally restricted to four-year-olds and up. However, some tracks allow three-year-olds and up due to a shortage of horses. Maturity must be indicated in race name and must meet guidelines for a stakes race. Purse must be $15,000 or more.
Stakes	STK	Must meet guidelines for a stakes race. Purse must be $15,000 or more.
Championship or Stakes Trails	STR	Trial for a championship race or a stakes race. The purse for the trial may be less than $15,000. The championship or stakes race that the trials are being run for must have a purse of $15,000 or more.
Derby Trials	DTR	Trial for a derby. The purse for the trial may be less than $15,000. The derby that the trials are being run for must have a purse of $15,000 or more.
Futurity Trials	FTR	Trial for a futurity. The purse for the trial may be less than $15,000. The futurity that the trials are being run for must have a purse of $15,000 or more.
Maturity Trials	MTR	Trial for a maturity. The purse for the trial may be less than $15,000. The maturity that the trials are being run for must have a purse of $15,000 or more.
Championship or Stakes Consolation	SCN	Consolation for a championship or stakes Race. The purse for the championship or stakes must be $15,000 or more.
Futurity Consolation	FCN	Consolation for a futurity. The purse for the futurity must be $15,000 or more.
Derby Consolation	DCN	Consolation for a derby. The purse for the derby must be $15,000 or more.
Maturity Consolation	MCN	Consolation for a maturity. The purse for the maturity must be $15,000 or more.

Other Race Types

RACE

RACE TYPE

DESCRIPTION

Allowance

ALW

Weight allowances are given based on winnings and/or number or type of wins in a given time. This race may have a purse greater than $15,000 but due to the conditions is not qualified as a stakes race.

Allowance /
Optional Claiming

OCL

Allowance or Optional Claiming Race.

Allowance Trial

AWT

Trials for races with conditions restricting entries, such as non-winners or non-earners of a certain amount of money.

Claiming

CLM

Claiming race.

Claiming / Speed Index

SPI

Claiming race with speed index conditions.

Claiming Stakes

CLS

Not qualified as a stakes race. Starters must have previously run for a particular claiming price and cannot be claimed.

Claiming Stakes/Trial

CST

Not qualified as a stakes race. Starters are entered for a claiming price and can be claimed.

Claiming Stakes Trial

CLT

Trial for a claiming stakes final. Horses cannot be claimed in claiming stakes trial.

Consolation /

Maiden Consolation

CON

Consolation for a stakes in which the final's purse is less than $15,000 or Consolation for a maiden stakes race in which the final's purse must be less than $15,000.

Finals /
Maiden Finals

FNL

Final for stakes in which the purse is less than $15,000 or Final for races restricted to non-winners. Purse can be less or greater than $15,000. .

Handicap

HCP

Handicap race in which the purse is less than $15,000.

Invitational

INV

Race by invitation only. Purse must be less than $15,000. Weights are set.

Invitational Handicap

INH

Race by invitation only. Purse must be less than $15,000. Weights are assigned.

Maiden

MDN

Race for non-winners.

Maiden Claiming

MCL

Race for non-winners that are entered for a claiming price.

Maiden Trials

MDT

Trial for races restricted to non-winners. Purse for final can be greater or less than $15,000.

Match Races

MCH

Match races are used for any race where less than 5 horses are on the original card. If 5 or more horses are on the original card but less than 5 actually run, the original race type is used. Races with less than 5 horses cannot qualify as a stakes, even if the purse is more than $15,000.

Speed Index

SPI

Race where speed index represents maximum ever achieved or the average of the last three.

Speed Index Consolation

SPC

Consolation race for speed index final

Speed Index Trial

SPT

Trial restricted to the maximum speed index or less.

Speed Index Final

SPF

Final speed index race.

Starter Allowance

STA

Starters race for a set claiming price or less that is stipulated in the conditions.

Starter Handicap

SHP

Starters race for a set claiming price or less that is stipulated in the conditions. Race is a handicap, weights are assigned.

Trials

TRL

Trial for a stakes, derby, futurity, championship or maturity in which the purse for the final race does not exceed $15,000.

RACE	RACE TYPE		DESCRIPTION
Allowance	ALW		Weight allowances are given based on winnings and/or number or type of wins in a given time. This race may have a purse greater than $15,000 but due to the conditions is not qualified as a stakes race.
Allowance / Optional Claiming	OCL		Allowance or Optional Claiming Race.
Allowance Trial	AWT		Trials for races with conditions restricting entries, such as non-winners or non-earners of a certain amount of money.
Claiming	CLM		Claiming race.
Claiming / Speed Index	SPI		Claiming race with speed index conditions.
Claiming Stakes	CLS	Not qualified as a stakes race. Starters must have previously run for a particular claiming price and cannot be claimed.
Claiming Stakes/Trial	CST	Not qualified as a stakes race. Starters are entered for a claiming price and can be claimed.
Claiming Stakes Trial	CLT	Trial for a claiming stakes final. Horses cannot be claimed in claiming stakes trial.
Consolation / Maiden Consolation	CON	Consolation for a stakes in which the final's purse is less than $15,000 or Consolation for a maiden stakes race in which the final's purse must be less than $15,000.
Finals / Maiden Finals	FNL	Final for stakes in which the purse is less than $15,000 or Final for races restricted to non-winners. Purse can be less or greater than $15,000. .
Handicap	HCP	Handicap race in which the purse is less than $15,000.
Invitational	INV	Race by invitation only. Purse must be less than $15,000. Weights are set.
Invitational Handicap	INH	Race by invitation only. Purse must be less than $15,000. Weights are assigned.
Maiden	MDN	Race for non-winners.
Maiden Claiming	MCL	Race for non-winners that are entered for a claiming price.
Maiden Trials	MDT	Trial for races restricted to non-winners. Purse for final can be greater or less than $15,000.
Match Races	MCH	Match races are used for any race where less than 5 horses are on the original card. If 5 or more horses are on the original card but less than 5 actually run, the original race type is used. Races with less than 5 horses cannot qualify as a stakes, even if the purse is more than $15,000.
Speed Index	SPI	Race where speed index represents maximum ever achieved or the average of the last three.
Speed Index Consolation	SPC	Consolation race for speed index final
Speed Index Trial	SPT	Trial restricted to the maximum speed index or less.
Speed Index Final	SPF	Final speed index race.
Starter Allowance	STA	Starters race for a set claiming price or less that is stipulated in the conditions.
Starter Handicap	SHP	Starters race for a set claiming price or less that is stipulated in the conditions. Race is a handicap, weights are assigned.
Trials	TRL	Trial for a stakes, derby, futurity, championship or maturity in which the purse for the final race does not exceed $15,000.