April 27, 2024

Handicapper’s Library: Glossary of indices & ratings used in pedigree reports

Lecomte Pedigree
Lecomte Pedigree

Find common abbreviated notations for pedigree reports by Brisnet in this useful digital glossary of indices and ratings.

SSI (Standard Starts Index) – A numerical index based on average earnings per start of a runner in North America. It allows a comparison of racing performances of horses, regardless of their year of birth or sex, and takes into account inflation and the lower earning potential of fillies. The SSI is computed by taking all the foals born in a given year, calculating colts and fillies separately, and determining that crop’s average earnings per start. Once the average has been determined, it is assigned an index of 1.00; therefore, if a runner has an SSI of 2.00, it would mean that he or she has earned twice the national average. An SSI of 0.50 would indicate that he or she has earned half the national average. A Superior Runner is considered to have an SSI of 3.64 or higher which places him or her in the top 3% of all runners. A minimum of three starts is required for a runner to be given an SSI.

SPI (Sire Production Index) – The SPI indicates the average racing class of a stallion’s foals by averaging the SSI of all of his runners. As with the SSI, the national average is 1.00.

DPI (Dam Production Index) – The DPI indicates the average racing class of a mare’s foals by averaging the SSI of all of her runners. As with the SSI, the national average is 1.00.

BMSPI (Broodmare Sire Production Index) – The BMSPI indicates the average class of producers by a particular stallion. This is accomplished by averaging the SSI of all foals out of the daughters of the broodmare sire.

Average Producing Mares Index – This index is used to evaluate the racing quality of the broodmares by a stallion and is determined by averaging the SSI of all daughters of a broodmare sire.

DEI (Dam’s Expectancy Index) – The DEI correlates a mare’s racing class with her potential as a producer. It is the average expected SSI of the foals out of a mare based on her own SSI. For example, mares which retired from racing with SSIs between 2.50 and 2.99 all have a DEI of 1.62. This is because, historically, all mares within this SSI range have, on average, produced foals that achieved an SSI of 1.62.

AMI (Average Mare’s Index) – The AMI makes it possible to determine the racing class of mares to which a stallion has been bred by averaging the SSIs of all mares bred to a particular stallion.

ADJ.SPI (Adjusted Sire Production Index) – The ADJ.SPI serves as an indicator as to whether or not a stallion is improving the mares to whom he is bred. The index indicates how many times better or worse the foals by that stallion are compared to what the mares were expected to produce based on their racing performance. The ADJ.SPI is computed by comparing the SPI of a sire to the average DEI of all the mares to whom he was bred.

ADJ.BMSPI (Adjusted Broodmare Sire Production Index) – The ADJ.BMSPI correlates the racing ability of a sire’s daughters with their performance as producers. The index indicates how many times better or worse the foals out of the mares by a stallion are compared to what those mares were expected to produce based on their DEI.

FFI (Female Family Index) – The FFI indicates the racing class of the female family of a horse. In our catalog-style pedigrees, each of the horse’s first three dams has her own FFI which is calculated by averaging the SSI of all of her first generation foals. Foals out of her daughters are not included, and the FFI of the first dam does not include the SSI of the subject horse.

FAMILY FFI – The FAMILY FFI is the average FFI of the first three dams and does include the SSI of the subject horse.