MULTICAPS structure

[ranchwest]

Attached are 3 files that can be combined (forum doesn't allow the whole file to be uploaded) to form my structure for TSN, ProCaps and MultiCaps files.

Not all fields are included with all file types, but I believe that with this file structure you should be able to import any of the three file types.

If anyone can provide more information, I'd appreciate it and I'm sure others would, too.

My file is a Clipper file, but this structure should pretty much be universal.

[CBedo]

Thanks for posting this Ranch I just quickly looked at one record in a procaps file and the corresponding multicaps file. Overall, the differences are minimal, but there were some. Here's a rundown of what I found:

1) The obvious differences are in the numbers such as the pace, speed and class ratings.

2) There are differences in formatting, spacing, and punctuation between the two files. Examples would be Clm4000 might be Clm 4000, and also, John Q Smith would be John Q. Smith.

3) There seems to be a difference (at least in this one specific record) in the value of a nose, head, and neck, as in a few of the beaten lengths columns, I saw .13 in one file and .15 in the other or .05 and .06.

4) Race Shape numbers are different, which would make sense if tsn uses their speed numbers to calculate them. The issue is that in the description, it says "BRIS race shape." I'm assuming (hopefully), that it is just a bad description and should be TSN race shape.

5) Columns that are included in the multicaps that aren't in the Procaps version include:
40) Owners Silks,
41) Main Track Only Indicator,
856-865) DRF speed rating,
866-875) DRF variant,
1182-1191) Bar Shoe Flag,
1192-1201) Company line codes,
1264-1267) Pedigree ratings,
1268-1277) Some undefined date column that is not in the description (Ranch calls it DateUK),
1278-1327) Some undefined numbers that aren't in the description (Ranch calls it someNum).

6) The last difference I found were differences in the trainer and jockey stats. It appears that the two files were generated at different times and some times one has one more or one less race in the trainer/jockey database.

Hope this helps.

[ranchwest]

Thanks for posting this Ranch I just quickly looked at one record in a procaps file and the corresponding multicaps file. Overall, the differences are minimal, but there were some. Here's a rundown of what I found:

1) The obvious differences are in the numbers such as the pace, speed and class ratings.

2) There are differences in formatting, spacing, and punctuation between the two files. Examples would be Clm4000 might be Clm 4000, and also, John Q Smith would be John Q. Smith.

3) There seems to be a difference (at least in this one specific record) in the value of a nose, head, and neck, as in a few of the beaten lengths columns, I saw .13 in one file and .15 in the other or .05 and .06.

4) Race Shape numbers are different, which would make sense if tsn uses their speed numbers to calculate them. The issue is that in the description, it says "BRIS race shape." I'm assuming (hopefully), that it is just a bad description and should be TSN race shape.

5) Columns that are included in the multicaps that aren't in the Procaps version include:
40) Owners Silks,
41) Main Track Only Indicator,
856-865) DRF speed rating,
866-875) DRF variant,
1182-1191) Bar Shoe Flag,
1192-1201) Company line codes,
1264-1267) Pedigree ratings,
1268-1277) Some undefined date column that is not in the description (Ranch calls it DateUK),
1278-1327) Some undefined numbers that aren't in the description (Ranch calls it someNum).

6) The last difference I found were differences in the trainer and jockey stats. It appears that the two files were generated at different times and some times one has one more or one less race in the trainer/jockey database.

Hope this helps.

Thanks.

The MTO designator is in the Procaps file, but is not documented.

Do you understand the Company Line Codes? I don't.

I'm struggling with the fact that the Multicaps sample file is not populated with all of the documented data elements. Can someone email a more useful file to me using my handle at yahoo.com?

Also, the structure doc for Multicaps shows some codes that go pretty much through the alphabet. In which data elements are those codes applied?

[raybo]

Thanks.

The MTO designator is in the Procaps file, but is not documented.

Do you understand the Company Line Codes? I don't.

I'm struggling with the fact that the Multicaps sample file is not populated with all of the documented data elements. Can someone email a more useful file to me using my handle at yahoo.com?

Also, the structure doc for Multicaps shows some codes that go pretty much through the alphabet. In which data elements are those codes applied?

ranchwest,

Click on my link to "AllData Excel spreadsheet website and blog", down in my signature. Then click on the "Infotran" tab, at the top of the page. Then go down to the last download link for "alldata.brs". Download it and open in any text editor (Notepad will work fine). This file is my "Infotran" control file for Bris' MultiCaps file. It contains every field in the MultiCaps data file, albeit not in field number order, but they're all there.

Really there are only a couple of fields that MultiCaps has that the $1 DRF PP file doesn't, the only 2 that are of much importance are fields 826-835 which is the Bris Race Ratings (RR), and 836-845, which is the Bris Class Ratings (CR), for the last 10 past races.

So, except for those 2 field ranges, the 2 file formats are the same and you could look at the $1 DRF file format on the Bris site and you will be looking at all the fields in the MultiCaps files except for those mentioned above.

Hope that helps.

If you could list some of the codes you are wondering about I can probably tell you which fields they apply to.

[raybo]

The following is the definition of "company line", which the codes refer to, but, I haven't any idea what the codes are actually telling you. I don't use them, however, I do list the money horses for past races in my spreadsheet, not using the codes.

American Horse racing dictionary

company line

The company line shows the horses which finished first, second, and third in the race, the weight each carried, and the margins separating each one from the next horse. If any of these horses was disqualified finished in a dead heat, the symbol D for disqualified or DH for dead-heat would precede the horse's name. Note: In many cases, the top 3 horses names must be abbreviated to fit into the past performance.

[ranchwest]

The following is the definition of "company line", which the codes refer to, but, I haven't any idea what the codes are actually telling you. I don't use them, however, I do list the money horses for past races in my spreadsheet, not using the codes.

American Horse racing dictionary

company line

The company line shows the horses which finished first, second, and third in the race, the weight each carried, and the margins separating each one from the next horse. If any of these horses was disqualified finished in a dead heat, the symbol D for disqualified or DH for dead-heat would precede the horse's name. Note: In many cases, the top 3 horses names must be abbreviated to fit into the past performance.

Thanks.

The company line code data in Multicaps is 4 characters. As far as I can tell, the first is always a space. The next 3 characters are an "I" or a "Y" or a space. I don't understand what those designations represent.

[ranchwest]

ranchwest,

Click on my link to "AllData Excel spreadsheet website and blog", down in my signature. Then click on the "Infotran" tab, at the top of the page. Then go down to the last download link for "alldata.brs". Download it and open in any text editor (Notepad will work fine). This file is my "Infotran" control file for Bris' MultiCaps file. It contains every field in the MultiCaps data file, albeit not in field number order, but they're all there.

Really there are only a couple of fields that MultiCaps has that the $1 DRF PP file doesn't, the only 2 that are of much importance are fields 826-835 which is the Bris Race Ratings (RR), and 836-845, which is the Bris Class Ratings (CR), for the last 10 past races.

So, except for those 2 field ranges, the 2 file formats are the same and you could look at the $1 DRF file format on the Bris site and you will be looking at all the fields in the MultiCaps files except for those mentioned above.

Hope that helps.

If you could list some of the codes you are wondering about I can probably tell you which fields they apply to.

Right now, I think the area of interest is Procaps vs Multicaps because of the data transition that a lot of people will be making.

[CBedo]

I have no clue what the company line codes are. Do they possibly italicize or bold horses in the company line who the horse has run against or who have come back and won?

Does anyone know what the date fields are in 1268-1277 and the multiple number categories from 1278-1327?

[raybo]

I have no clue what the company line codes are. Do they possibly italicize or bold horses in the company line who the horse has run against or who have come back and won?

Does anyone know what the date fields are in 1268-1277 and the multiple number categories from 1278-1327?

This is what shows in the $1 PPs structure:

1268-1277 Claimed from and trainer switches. CHARACTER 10 eg. "12/30/2000"
1278-1287 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1288-1297 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1298-1307 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1308-1317 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1318-1327 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4

Here is the email address I always contact concerning anything about the data files. It takes a while, sometime, to get a response but one always comes, in time.

bristech@Brisnet.com (Technical Support)

[ranchwest]

I have no clue what the company line codes are. Do they possibly italicize or bold horses in the company line who the horse has run against or who have come back and won?

Does anyone know what the date fields are in 1268-1277 and the multiple number categories from 1278-1327?

Good catch. "Y" in the company line means the horse ran against that horse. I haven't figured out the "I" yet.

[ranchwest]

This is what shows in the $1 PPs structure:

1268-1277 Claimed from and trainer switches. CHARACTER 10 eg. "12/30/2000"
1278-1287 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1288-1297 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1298-1307 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1308-1317 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1318-1327 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4

Here is the email address I always contact concerning anything about the data files. It takes a while, sometime, to get a response but one always comes, in time.

bristech@Brisnet.com (Technical Support)

Thanks. These are pretty much redundant, but at least we now know what they are. I don't understand why there are so many sets of "Claimed from and trainer switches", though. Why would you need more than one?

[ranchwest]

This is what shows in the $1 PPs structure:

1268-1277 Claimed from and trainer switches. CHARACTER 10 eg. "12/30/2000"
1278-1287 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1288-1297 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1298-1307 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1308-1317 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4
1318-1327 Claimed from and trainer switches. NUMERIC 4

Here is the email address I always contact concerning anything about the data files. It takes a while, sometime, to get a response but one always comes, in time.

bristech@Brisnet.com (Technical Support)

1318-1327 is formatted differently from 1278-1317. The earlier ones are integers. The 1318-1327 fields have two decimal places.

[ranchwest]

I have no clue what the company line codes are. Do they possibly italicize or bold horses in the company line who the horse has run against or who have come back and won?

Does anyone know what the date fields are in 1268-1277 and the multiple number categories from 1278-1327?
I can now confirm that you are correct. The "I" indicates horses that came back to win next out.

In Multicaps, what indicates all-weather? There's all-weather fields in Procaps.

[raybo]

I can now confirm that you are correct. The "I" indicates horses that came back to win next out.

In Multicaps, what indicates all-weather? There's all-weather fields in Procaps.

In the $1 .drf file it's this:

25 Today's All-Weather Surface flag 1 A- All Weather Surface flag

1403-1412 Prev. All-Weather Surface flag 1 A - All Weather Surface flag

I assume .mcp files have the same fields available but Bris has only updated the DRF file structure as of this time.

[ranchwest]

For the company line codes, there is also a "C" code. It seems to indicate a horse that is in today's race, too, just like the "Y" code. Does anyone know the difference between "C" and "Y"?

[ranchwest]

I think "C" means "I" and "Y".

[ranchwest]

I've noted a few differences from my previous file structure posts.

For the names of previous races (1-10), fields 376-385, I previously suggested 30 characters. I have now seen at least 50 characters in those fields. So, if you want to use the entire race name you might consider allowing for at least 50 characters.

For the margin lengths and beaten lengths fields, I've noticed that some QH races use the figure 100, so instead of the xx.xx size I previously suggested, you might consider xxx.xx.

[ranchwest]

I've noted a few differences from my previous file structure posts.

For the names of previous races (1-10), fields 376-385, I previously suggested 30 characters. I have now seen at least 50 characters in those fields. So, if you want to use the entire race name you might consider allowing for at least 50 characters.

For the margin lengths and beaten lengths fields, I've noticed that some QH races use the figure 100, so instead of the xx.xx size I previously suggested, you might consider xxx.xx.

In 376-385, I've found some over 50 characters, so I'm now using 60 characters as the size.