If the animal passes the vets, then approximately 25 minutes before post time the groom takes it over to the paddock where it is saddled and the jockey is legged up for the race. In standardbred racing, entries are taken four days out. Also, these animals require a longer warm up period so they are harnessed and on the track a couple of races prior to their own. For more important races and stakes, nominations are often involved. These nominations are required approximately 2 weeks before the race, then when the horse is entered two days prior, a fee is usually required.
Some larger races require yearly nominations starting when the mare is in foal.
A purse is the sum of money that is distributed to the top finishers in a race. The jockey on the fastest horse would then reach up and grab the purse to get the money. In Canadian thoroughbred racing, the purse money is divided among the top five finishers. If there is a dead heat, the two horses split the combined purses of the positions they finished in. If there are fewer than five horse in the race, the winning horse gets the left over purse money.