Many factors contribute to the success of a high quality racehorse. Environmental factors such as training, diet and development are critically important, as are other individual characteristics such as as temperament, soundness, and conformation. Genetics is another significant component of performance, contributing around 40% of measurable variability. Simple pedigree analysis provides some insight to genetic capabilities, but does not provide information about an individual horse’s specific DNA sequence variation.

By analyzing specific genes associated with performance, it is possible to identify genetic variations that may indicate a horse's potential to perform at a high level.

Recently, specific genetic markers which contribute to performance have been identified. The analysis of these markers at the DNA level provides a greater level of detail than pedigree analysis, and can be used to help identify those individual horses which have a greater probability of performing successfully at a higher level.

When used in conjunction with other selection criteria, genetic testing can increase your chances of finding elite racehorses.