PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: VECTOR LITE

At Monmouth Park, Matt Bertram uses duct tape to securely attach a Vector Lite tag to the back of a jockey vest during testing.

Refining the race: SMT advances horse racing tracking with Vector Lite

Thanks to BDM Elizabeth Hall and Matt Bertram, Vice President, Active Tracking Technology, for contributing to this report and providing photos.

Over the past year, SMT has been steadily bringing our industry-leading tracking technology to the sport of horse racing. Building on our successes in motorsports, cycling and other racing competitions, our team is now developing Vector Lite—a miniaturized version of the Vector4 system used in NASCAR and IndyCar—specifically for thoroughbred racing.

The cornerstone of this effort lies in our custom-designed miniature tracking tags, developed to be worn discreetly by jockeys—tested on saddle cloths, vests, and helmets. With impressive real-time GPS tracking accuracy up to 2 centimeters, these tags offer unprecedented positional data, opening the door to more immersive and data-rich storytelling around the sport.

According to Matt Bertram, VP, Active Tracking Technology, “Our hardware engineering group is always tinkering on different variations on our existing hardware. The jockey tag is a great example of this and came out of initial discussions from '22. Believe it or not, the first prototypes were made and tested in my driveway in Phoenix!”

This year, the project took a major leap forward with live testing at Gulfstream Park during Pegasus week, where SMT tags were worn by jockeys in all races from Wednesday to Friday. Testing continued through the end of March, aligning with Gulfstream’s racing schedule. Additional test sites included Tampa Bay Downs, Monmouth Park, and Emerald Downs.

Tim Driedger and Nick Villados spend a late night setting up and testing at Gulfstream Park.

That presentation proved pivotal. The Jockeys' Guild, a non-profit organization focused on jockey health and safety, signed on.

“Now, all the jockeys are wearing the tags for testing,” Elizabeth shared. “Before, we could only tag jockeys who agreed to it—and many said no. With full participation, we're gathering far more data, making comparisons to the current system more meaningful.”

Determining the ideal tag placement was another early hurdle. While some jockeys initially preferred options like the saddle cloth or armbands, testing showed that the back of the vest provided the most consistent, accurate data and didn’t interfere with safety.

The partnership with Equibase has also played a key role in the project’s evolution. Formed in 1991, Equibase provides North America’s thoroughbred racing industry with a uniform database of statistics and became the sole data provider to the Daily Racing Form in 1998. Equibase has expressed interest in moving forward with SMT to bring this technology to broader use.

Fan-focused visualizations: Beyond tracking, SMT’s development team is also working on SilkTrack, a real-time 2D race visualization tool that shows SPRITE-based race progress, a dynamic leaderboard, and live speed data for each horse. Though still in its early stages, SilkTrack hints at the rich fan-facing potential of this data.

Looking ahead, the goal is not only to improve the accuracy and safety of jockey tracking but also to enhance the overall horse racing experience for fans, bettors, owners, trainers, and jockeys alike.

Expect to see improvements in Level 2 graphics for broadcasts and video boards, and behind the scenes, SMT is developing a Team Analytics-style application for owners, trainers, and jockeys.

“We hope this tool will let them compare races and watch replays from any camera angle,” said Elizabeth. “And handicappers and bettors will love the kind of data we can offer.”

SMT’s horse racing efforts are still in development, but the momentum is building, from the driveway in Phoenix to the racetracks of Florida.

At Gulfstream, SMT's team gathered to watch the tags in action. From left to right: Kyle McDoniel (President and COO of Equibase), Terry Meyocks (President/CEO at Jockey’s Guild), Gerard Hall, Nick Villados, Matt Bertram, Tim Driedger, Elizabeth Hall.

BROADCAST SPOTLIGHT: KENTUCKY THREE-DAY EVENT

SMT rides the storm out at 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Equestrian Event

Thanks to Lead Operator Peter Frank for contributing to this report and to Video Editor Shaun Bales for the highlight reel.

SMT once again saddled up to deliver virtual signage for the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Equestrian Event, continuing a successful partnership with Carr-Hughes Productions that dates back to 2017. Known as one of the premier equestrian events in the world, the Defender Kentucky Three-Day tests the limits of both horse and rider across three challenging disciplines: Dressage, Cross-Country and Show Jumping.

Over the course of the event, SMT’s technology brought visibility and polish to a production watched by fans and sponsors alike, with virtual ads featured for Defender (Dressage and Cross-Country), and Mars, Buckeye, and Ethel Chocolates (Dressage and Show Jumping). Both Carr-Hughes Productions and Defender, the title sponsor, expressed high praise for SMT’s contributions, highlighting the impact of the virtual signage in enhancing the viewer experience.

Despite delivering a seamless on-air product, the weekend was far from smooth behind the scenes. Mother Nature had her own schedule, shifting between summer-like heat, sudden cold snaps, heavy rain and booming thunderstorms. SMT’s on-site crew endured the full spectrum of weather while keeping operations running without a hitch.

A lighter moment (though not for everyone) came during a Cross-Country course survey, when two curious dogs decided the Total Station—a precision instrument critical for accurate surveying—looked like a good spot for playtime. SMT Lead Operator Peter Frank stood guard, knowing that even the slightest nudge could throw off the entire alignment process. Thanks to Peter’s quick dog-deflection skills, the Total Station remained untouched and the survey proceeded as planned, though perhaps with a slightly elevated heart rate.

Joining Peter on-site was Utility Operator Tyler Meyer, whose support helped ensure SMT’s tech stayed online and on-target despite the ever-changing conditions.

Kudos to Peter and Tyler for representing SMT with professionalism, poise, and perhaps a newfound appreciation for leashed pets.

SMT GAMES SPOTLIGHT: SUPER TINY FOOTBALL UPDATE

Greg Winstead, aka I'm Grego, a top content creator on YouTube with 26K subscribers, last week released "How to MASTER Scouting & Drafting in Super Tiny Football" to coincide with the NFL Draft.

🏈 Super Tiny Football Update: Mastering the draft and a new release!

To celebrate the excitement of the NFL Draft, SMT Games again teamed up with content creator I'm Grego to drop a timely and in-depth video guide breaking down one of Super Tiny Football’s most beloved features: its immersive scouting and draft system. Released to coincide with the real-world draft on April 24, the video walks players through how to build a winning team—from evaluating prospects all season long to executing smart draft-day trades.

To maximize the hype, SMT Social Media Manager Nicole Walker launched a giveaway on social in which the first eight participants won Franchise Credits or Gems. Thanks to everyone who helped boost the signal! 

🧵 13 Tweets

👀 15K Views

❤️ 280 Likes

➕ 3 New Followers

💎 1,600 Distributed

New Release Coming Next Week!  SMT Games has been hard at work making sure Super Tiny Football feels great right from the start. A smoother First Time User Experience (FTUE) is rolling out, designed to guide players through the game’s mechanics—like throwing and running—broken down into digestible steps. Think of it as training wheels for your first game… and before you know it, you’re scoring touchdowns on your own. We’re also rolling out key gameplay upgrades to:

• Player movement

• Route-running

• Line of scrimmage play

• Catch mechanics

• Defensive AI

Version 0.7.3 of Super Tiny Football launches next week on the App Store and Google Play. Highlights include:

• Trades now have a second slot for improved team-building strategy

• New field color variations to freshen up the visual experience

• Stability fixes, including resolving the ‘white cloud’ issue seen on some older iOS devices

🎮 Want to be a playtester?
We’re looking for people across all skill levels to help test FTUE and gameplay enhancements. If you have about 40 minutes to spare, sign up here—and feel free to invite a friend! New players welcome. (There might even be a small thank-you gift!)

Download Super Tiny Football now on the Apple App Store or Google Play!

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Events and Remote Teams

We are staffing 42 events this week. Safe travels to all!

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