Definitions for terms and phrases unique to Thoroughbred racing. Enjoy!
Acey Deucy – A style of riding in which the stirrup on the left side of the horse is longer than that on the right side.
Action – A horse with an even stride is said to have ‘good action.’
Also-ran – Any horse that does not finish in the first three. From early written descriptions of races. The writer listed the first three in order, then grouped the remaining horses by name and ended with the comment “also ran.”
Apprentice – A jockey who has been riding professionally for less than one year or who has won fewer than forty races.
Asterisk (*) – Also called a “bug,” when used with a jockeys name it indicates that the jockey is an apprentice. Thus the term ‘bug boy.’ When an apprentice wins his fortieth race he ‘loses his bug’ and becomes a “Journeyman.” When found in a pedigree it means that the horse was imported to the U. S.
Backstretch – Not a morning exercise. It can be the barn area at a racetrack or it can be the long straight part of the oval that is parallel to the Homestretch but furthest from the patrons. Also called the ‘backside.’
Bandages – Cloth wrappings used on horses’ legs for protection.
Barrier – The starting gate is sometimes called the ‘barrier.’
Bay – One of the more common colors of Thoroughbreds.
Beyer – A system that measures & assigns comparative speed ratings to horses each time they race. These speed ratings appear in The Racing Form.
Big Horse – Racetrack parlance for a horse with a good racing record.
Black Type – On a pedigree page the names of horses that win or place in stakes appear in boldface type. Thus the descriptive phrase “Old So And So earned black type by finishing third in the Derby.”
Blanket Finish – When several horses are very close at the end of a race. “You coulda thrown a blanket over ‘em!”
Blaze – A broad white marking on a horse’s face.
Bleeding – When small capillaries in a horses’ lungs burst during exercise the horse is said to have ‘bled.’ Believed to be stress-induced.
Blinkers – A ‘hood’ that is placed over a horse’s head. It contains adjustable ‘cups’ behind each eye. Used to make the horse focus on running.
Blow Out – A workout of a short distance a day or two before a race.
Blue Hen – A mare who produces stakes-winning foals is called a ‘Blue Hen.’
Bookie – Oh, come on! You know what a Bookie is!
Bowed Tendon – An injury to a horses’ front leg when the tendon becomes separated from the ankle joint.
Boy – A jockey, whether male or female.
Break – To gentle a young horse or bring it to hand is called ‘breaking.’ “The horse is broken to saddle.”
Breaking Down – A horse that is injured in a race is said to have broken down.
Break(ing) Your Maiden - A horse that wins for the first time has ‘broken it’s maiden.’
Breeder – The owner of a mare at the time of her foaling is the registered breeder of the foal.
Breeding Right – When you own the right to breed one mare to a stallion but you do not have an ownership share in the stallion, you own a ‘breeding right.’
Breeding to Race – Mating horses with the intent of racing the foals.
Breeding to Sell – Mating horses with the intent of selling the foals.
Breeze(ing)– Encouraging a horse to run as fast as it can for a pre-selected distance. Nearly always done during training hours. Also called a ‘work.’
Bridle – The piece of tack that is placed on the horse’s head.
Broodmare – A female horse used for breeding purposes.
Bug or Bug Boy– See Apprentice (above).
Canter – A smooth ‘three beat’ gait. Slower than a gallop, faster that a trot.
Cast – When a horse is down and in close quarters (against a wall of a stall or legs under a fence) he is said to be ‘cast.’
Chalk – The betting favorite. From a time before mutuel machines, when Bookies used chalk and blackboards to show changing odds on horses.
Chute– On the race track, a straight extension leading into the backstretch or the homestretch. This was created to accommodate racing at distances that would have otherwise required the horses to start on a turn.
Chestnut – A common color of Thoroughbreds. Secretariat was a chestnut.
Chrome – In racing parlance, the white markings on a horse.
Cinch – The strap that goes around the horses’ midsection and over the saddle, holding the saddle in place. Also, in betting parlance, a horse that ‘can’t lose.’ “This hoss is a cinch today.” (This animal has proven to be fictional!)
Claiming Race– A race in which a horse is open to be ‘claimed’ (bought) for a pre-determined price.
Climbing – A horse with a high, awkward stride is said to be ‘climbing.’
Clocker – A person who times and records morning workouts.
Clocker’s Stand– An elevated structure on the backside on which the Clocker sits to watch and record morning breezes or works. Most often this is located near the Gap.
Clubhouse – The area of a racetrack once reserved for owners and their friends.
Clubhouse Turn – The turn that is immediately to the right of the Clubhouse. Also called the first turn.
Colors - The ‘shirt’ and cap worn by a jockey. No two sets are alike and all must be registered with The Jockey Club. Also called ‘silks.’ The practice of using individually registered colors was introduced at Newmarket, England in 1762.
Colt – A male horse four years of age or younger.
Condition Book – A small 4” x 6” book that is compiled by the Racing Secretary. Arranged on a by-day basis, it outlines qualifications for entry (’conditions’) for the races scheduled to be run at the track for the upcoming three weeks or so. The book is used by trainers and owners to determine the races for which their horses are eligible.
Conformation – The physical makeup and proportions of a horse.
Cooling Out – Restoring a horses body temperature to normal following physical exertion is called ‘cooling him out.’ Usually done by walking the horse.
Coupled – In any race, two or more horses belonging to or trained by the same person are said to be ‘coupled.’ They run as a single betting unit.
Cover – A single breeding of a stallion to a mare is called a ‘cover.’
Crop – All of the foals born in any given year. “The 2006 foal crop numbered 35,567.” All of the foals sired by a stallion in a given year. ”The first crop of Peace Rules raced in 2008.”
Cushion – The loose upper surface of a racetrack, usually 4” to 6” deep.
Dam – The mother of a horse is its dam.
Dead Heat – A race in which horses are unable to be separated by the camera at the finish is said to have been a ‘dead heat.’ In this case both horses are declared the winners of the race.
Dirt – The surface of most ‘main’ courses at racetracks are ‘dirt’ surfaces.
Distance of Ground – Any horse race that is run at a distance over one mile.
Dogs – Wooden barriers that are used during training hours to prevent horses from galloping on the inside part of a racetrack.
Driving – When a horse is being asked for his very best he is said to be ‘under a drive’ or ‘driving.’
Dwelt – A horse that breaks slowly from the starting gate is said to have ‘dwelt.’
Early Foot – A horse who comes away from the gate quickly is said to have ‘early foot.’
Eased – A horse that is pulled up during a race is said to have been ‘eased.’
Eclipse Award – Year-end honors given to top horses and top humans in various categories. Named after the 18th Century Champion sire and race horse ‘Eclipse,” who was undefeated in 18 starts
Eighth Pole – A wooden pole located inside the rail 1/8th of a mile from the wire.
Entry – See ‘Coupled’ (above).
Excused – To be withdrawn from a race after scratch time a horse must be ‘excused’ by the Stewards.
Exercise Boy – Any person who rides the horses during training hours.
Extended – A horse running at top speed and being urged by the rider is said to be ‘extended’ or ‘fully-extended.’
Farrier – A blacksmith specializing in the shoeing (or plating) of horses. In early days he was also a horse doctor.
Far Turn – The turn off the backstretch to the left of the Grandstand.
Fast or Fast Track – A dirt track in its best condition.
Fetlock – The joint between the knee and the hoof.
Field – All of the horses in a given race.
Filly – A female horse four years of age or younger.
Flat Race – A race without obstacles. Also, not a harness race.
Foal– (n) - A baby horse of either sex. (v) - To give birth.
Fractional Time – The running time at various points during a race.
Front Side – The area from which you watch the races and where races finish. Includes the Grandstand, the Clubhouse, the Homestretch and the Wire.
Furlong – One-eighth of a mile. Originally a “furrow long,” or the length of a plowed field.
Gait or Gaits – Footfall patterns of a horse. Includes walk, trot, canter and gallop.
Gap – The opening in the outside rail of the main track through which horses enter and exit.
Garrison Finish – A late rush that results in a narrow victory is called a “Garrison Finish.’ Named after jockey Edward “Snapper” Garrison who made this his specialty.
Gelding – A neutered male horse.
Girth – See ‘Cinch” (above).
Graded’ Stake – A reference to the relative importance of stakes races. Ex: The KY Derby is a Grade I stake (a G-I). ‘Less important’ stakes races are referred to as G-II, G-III, Listed, or Overnight Stakes.
Grand Dam – The grandmother of a horse is its grand dam.
Grand Sire – The grandfather of a horse is its grand sire.
Grass – The Turf Course at a race track.
Grey – A common color of Thoroughbreds.
Groom – (n) The person who cares for a horse. (v) Caring for a horse.
Half-Mile Pole – A wooden pole located inside the rail ½ mile from the wire.
Halter – (n) A piece of equipment placed on a horses head – similar to a bridle but without reins or a bit. (v) To claim a horse (see ‘claiming race’).
Handicapper – A person who assigns the weights that a horse will carry in a handicap race; A person who assigns the morning-line odds to each horse in a race; A person (you and me?) who tries to figure out how a race will be run and what horse will win, place and show, hopefully based on a thorough study of the past performance of each horse.
Handicap (Race) – A race in which horses with the best racing records must carry greater weight than the horses with poorer records. Weight differentials have sometimes been greater than thirty pounds.
Handily– A horse that is working or racing well, but with ease, is said to be going ‘handily.’
Hip Number – The ID number on the sticker that is placed on a horses hip at an auction.
Hock - The knee joint of a horses hind leg. Also, where you might find yourself after a very bad day at the windows!
Hole – A place in the starting gate. “We drew the three-hole today.”
Homestretch – The straightaway that leads to the finish of the race.
Hotwalker – A person who walks a horse around the barn after a workout or a gallop. This person is said to be ‘cooling him (the horse) out.’
Infield – The area inside the inner rail of a racetrack.
In Foal – A mare that is pregnant is said to be ‘in foal’ or ‘with foal.’
Inquiry – An action taken by the Stewards when they notice a possible infraction during the running of a race. This involves studying films of the race to determine if such an infraction did, indeed, occur.
In The Money – A horse that finishes first, second, or third is ‘in the money.’
Irons – The stirrups into which a jockey puts his feet are called ‘irons,’ but in racetrack parlance this term applies to the entire saddle, as in “Edgar Prado is in the irons.”
Juvenile – A two year-old horse.
Jock’s Room – The area where the jockeys gather during race day.
Lane – The final part of a horse race. Also called the homestretch or the stretch.
Lasix– A diuretic administered to horses to restrict bleeding. Now called Salix.
Lead Pad – A piece of equipment under the saddle. Used to bring a rider’s weight up to that weight assigned to that horse.
Length – A measurement roughly corresponding to the length of a horse and used to describe winning and losing distances.
Live Foal Stands and Nurses – A term that describes a condition that must occur before a stud fee is owed.
Loading – Putting the horses into the starting gate.
Maiden – Any horse of either sex that has never won a race. In racetrack parlance, winning that first race is called “breaking your maiden.”
Maiden Special Weight – A non-claiming race that is open to be entered by any horse that has never won a race.
Main (Track) – The dirt or artificially-surfaced course at any race track is called the “main” course or track.
Mare – A female horse five years of age or older.
Miler – A horse who competes best at a distance on one mile is called a ‘miler.’
Minus Pool – When not enough money is left in any pool to pay off the outstanding winning tickets, a ‘minus pool’ has been created. When this occurs the racetrack is required by law to make up the difference.
Morning Line– Pre-race program odds as predicted by the Track Handicapper.
Mud Caulks – Small cleats inserted in the horse’s shoe. Used on ‘off’ tracks.
Mudder – A horse that runs well on a dirt track that has taken a lot of moisture (the track is sloppy, heavy, or muddy, but not fast).
Muzzle – The nose and lips of a horse.
Off Side – The right side of a horse.
Off Track – A track whose surface is sloppy, heavy, or muddy, but not fast.
Overlay – A term describing a situation wherein the observer believes that the betting odds on a given horse are higher than they ‘ought’ to be, thus presenting a betting opportunity. Subjective!
Overnight – A race for which entries close 72 hours before post time of the first race on the day that the race is to be run. Also, the sheet of entries that is issued by the Racing Secretary shortly after entries are taken but
before the Racing Form is printed.
Overweight – A jockey whose actual weight requires that the horse carry more than its assigned weight.
Paddock – The area at a racetrack where the combatants are saddled and viewed by the public prior to each race.
Past Performances (PP’s) – Charts that show the results of a horse’s last several races. Published in The Racing Form.
Pedigree – The written record of a horse’s ancestors. Or yours and mine!
Pinhook(er)– (v) To buy a horse of one age with the expressed purpose of selling it at another age. (n) One who pinhooks.
Place – Second place in a horse race.
Plater – A horse that runs in cheap claiming races is called a ‘plater.’
Post – The starting point of a race.
Post Position– A horse’s position in the starting gate. Decided by random drawing.
Post Time – The time that the horses are supposed to be at the starting point.
Preferred List – A group of horses having staring priority of a race draws more entries than can be accommodated.
Purse – Total money distributed to all owners in any given race.
Quarter Crack – An injury to one section of a horses hoof.
Quarter Pole – A wooden pole located inside the rail ¼ mile from the wire.
Racing Secretary – The official who makes up the conditions for races and assigns weight for handicap races.
Rail – The inner boundary of the racetrack.
Ridgeling– A colt with one or both testicles undescended.
Route – A race of one and one-eight miles or more.
Sales – Any of the many horse auctions that are held across the country.
Sale Companies– Companies that are in the business of conducting the horse sales, such as Fasig-Tipton, Ocala Breeders Sales, and Keeneland.
Savage – (v) A horse that tries to bite another horse (or a man) is said to be ‘savaging’ that horse.
Scale of Weights– An arbitrary set of weights to be carried by horses of varying ages and sexes at varying times of the year.
Scratch – To withdraw a horse from a race.
Season – When you purchase the right to breed a mare to a stallion in any given year, you are said to have purchased a ‘season’ to that stallion.
Set Down – A jockey who has been suspended has been ‘set down.’ Also, when a rider asks his horse to pick up speed toward the end of a race – “He set the horse down for the drive to the wire.”
Sex Allowance – When matched in the same races, fillies and mares carry less weight than colts and geldings. This is called the ‘sex allowance.’ (Rodney Dangerfield’s definition was much different than this!)
Shadow Roll– A noseband of sheep’s wool used to prevent horses from seeing and then jumping over shadows that fall across the track during the running of a race.
Shed Row – The dirt area of a barn outside of the stall doors but under the roof. Horses are walked in this area.
Short Yearling – A horse in the first three months of its yearling year.
Show – Third place in a horse race.
Silks – The ‘shirt’ and cap worn by a jockey. Also called ‘colors.’
Sire – The father of a horse.
Sixteenth Pole – A wooden pole located inside the rail 1/16th mile from the wire.
Sophomore – A three year-old.
Soundness– The relative ability of a horse to stand up to the rigors of a training and racing regimen.
Sprint – A race at a distance of seven furlongs or shorter.
Stretch or Homestretch – The final part of a horse race (sometimes called the “lane.”)
Stake or Stakes Race – The highest level of racing is a Stakes Race. Called a ‘Stake’ because an ante or a ‘stake’ must be paid in order for the horse to be eligible to run. “The owner has a ‘stake’ in the outcome.”
Stallion – A male horse used for breeding purposes. Also a ‘stud.’
State-Bred – A foal is said to have been ‘bred’ in the state in which it was born. Ex: A horse is a Pennsylvania-bred if it was born in PA.
Stayer – A horse that can compete successfully over longer distances.
Stewards – Officials who enforce the rules of racing.
Stick – A jockey’s whip.
Stickers – A type of horseshoe with caulks.
Stud– A stallion used for breeding. Also a breeding farm (“Darley Stud”).
Stud Book – The book that lists nearly all of the stallions that are available to breeders. Published annually.
Stud Fee – The fee asked by the stallion owner in order for a breeder to breed his mare to the stallion.
Syndicate – (n) - A group of people who own a horse. (v) – The act of selling a horse into such a group, typically done with stallions.
Tack – All equipment that is used on a horse during exercise.
Three-Eighths Pole – A wooden pole inside the rail and 3/8ths mile from the wire.
Thoroughbred– A breed of horse used primarily for racing. All Thoroughbreds trace their ancestory back to three stallions: the Darley Arabian, the Byerly Turk, and the Godolphin Barb.
Tote Board – The large ‘screen’ in the infield that displays odds and other information about the races. Developed by American Totalisator Company, thus the nickname ‘Tote Board.’
Track Variant – A number found in the Past Performances that grades the condition of the race track for every race.
Trainer – The person who is in charge of preparing your horse to race. Sometimes referred to as a ‘conditioner.’
Triple Crown – The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, and the Belmont are the three races that comprise Thoroughbred racings’ Triple Crown. There have been eleven winners, none since 1978
Tout – A person who comes up to you and gives you a ‘tip’ on a horse. If the horse wins, the person will sometimes try to find you and determine whether or not you bet on his tip. If you did, he will expect some money.
Turn(ed) Out – A horse that is not in training, or just in a field, is ‘turned out.’
Turf/Turf Horse - The grass course at any race track/A horse that performs better on a Turf surface than on a dirt or ‘artificial’ surface.
Two-Minute Lick – Part of the conditioning regimen. Galloping a horse at a pace that would have the horse cover a mile in about two minutes.
Two-Turn Horse – A horse that has the ability to be competitive in longer races, races that typically are “around two turns.”
Under Wraps – A horse that is running under restraint is ‘under wraps.’
Unproven Mare – A mare with three foals or less to race, none of which has yet distinguished itself.
Valet– (pronounced val’-et). An employee who takes care of a jockey’s equipment.
Walkover – A race in which only one participant shows up to run. Rare.
Washy – A horse in a heavy sweat before a race is said to be ‘washy.’
Weanling – A foal less than one year of age that is no longer at its dams’ side.
Weight-For-Age – A type of race in which younger horses carry less weight than older horses. See ‘Scale Of Weights’ (above).
Windows - At the race track it’s where you go to place a bet. Short for ‘the mutuel windows.”
Wire – The finish line. The wire marks the end of a race.
Withers – The ‘bump’ at the base of a horse’s neck where the neck meets the back.
Work – See ‘Breeze’ (above).
Work Tab – A sheet of morning workouts listed by distance and time.
Yearling – A horse that is one year old. (‘Official’ birthday for all horses is Jan. 1).
