In thoroughbred horse racing, a “clocker” is a person who times and evaluates horses during their morning workouts. Official clockers are racetrack employees stationed in a booth above the “gap” (the opening in track fencing where horses enter and leave for morning workouts). They are responsible for taking official timings of the distances worked by scheduled horses, working alongside a Horse Identifier to relay times and distances to stewards and veterinarians. These official workout figures are supplied to publications like the Daily Racing Form and Equibase for use by handicappers and the racing public.
Private clockers provide a more comprehensive service beyond basic timing. While official clockers focus primarily on recording workout times, private clockers evaluate “how the horse did it” – analyzing factors such as whether the horse worked easily, switched leads smoothly, had more to give, or appeared spent after the workout. This additional context and interpretation provides valuable insights that raw timing data alone cannot convey.
The information provided by clockers is used by horse racing partnerships, trainers, and gamblers to gain a competitive edge in evaluating horses’ fitness and potential performance. Their work is essential for creating the workout data that appears in past performance charts and helps handicappers assess horses’ current form and condition.