Acey-Duecy – Uneven stirrups, popularized by Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro, who rode with his left (inside) iron lower than his right.
Across The Board – A bet on a horse to win, place and show. If the horse wins, the player collects three ways; if second, two ways; and if third, one way, losing the win and place bets.
Action – A horse's manner of moving.
Added Money – Money added to the purse of a race by the racing association (or sometimes by a breeding or other fund) to the amount paid by owners in nomination, eligibility, entry and starting fees.
Agent – A person empowered to transact business of a stable owner or jockey. Also, a person empowered to sell or buy horses for an owner or breeder.
Airing – Not running at best speed in a race.
All-Age Race – A race for 2-year-olds and up.
All Out – When a horse extends himself to the utmost.
Allowance Race – A race other than claiming for which the racing secretary drafts certain conditions to determine weights.
Allowances – Weight permitted to be reduced because of the conditions of the race or because an apprentice is on a horse. Also, a weight females are entitled to when racing against males.
Also-Eligible – A horse officially entered, but not permitted to start unless the field is reduced by scratches below a specified number.
Also-Ran – A horse who finishes out of the money.
Apprentice – Rider, normally under contract to a stable, who has no ridden a certain number of winners within a specified period of time.
Apprentice Allowance – Weight concession to an apprentice rider: usually 10 pounds until the fifth winner, seven pounds until the 35th winner and five pounds for one calendar year from the fifth winner. Also, three pounds are sometimes permitted for an additional year when riding for original contract holder. This rule varies from state to state.
Baby Race – A race for 2-year-olds.
Backstretch – Straight of far side of track between the turns. Also stable area.
Backside – Stable area
Bad Actor – Fractious horse.
Bad Doer – Horse with poor appetite.
Badge Horse – Single horse in stable entitling owner to admission badge.
Bad Knees – Natural infirmity or due to injury.
Bald (or Bald Face) – White face of horse, including eyes, nostrils or part
of the latter.
Ball – Medicine administered to a horse orally; commonly a physic.
Bandage – Strips of cloth wound around the lower part of a horse's legs for support or protection against injury.
Bay – Color of horse varying from yellowish tan (light bay) to brown or dark, rich shade of mahogany (sometimes listed as dark bay or brown) with black points – black mane, tail and shadings of black low on the legs.
Bearing In (or Out) – Deviating from a straight course. May be due to weariness, infirmity, punishment by rider or rider's inability to control mount.
Bell – Signal sounded when starter opens the gates or, at some tracks, to mark the close of betting.
Bill Daly (On the) – Taking a horse to the front at the start and remaining there to the finish. Term stems from "Father Bill" Daly, famous old-time horseman who developed many great jockeys.
Bit – Metal bar in horse's mouth by which he is guided and controlled.
Black – Body, head muzzle, flanks and legs are covered with uniform black hair.
Black Type – Designation for a stakes winner or stakes-placed horse in sales catalogues.
Brace (or Bracer) – Rubdown liniment used on a horse after a race or a workout.
Blanket Finish – Horses finishing so closely together they could be covered by a blanket.
Blaze – White patch on face of a horse.
Bleeder – Horse who bleeds during or after a workout or race due to ruptured blood vessel.
Blind Switch – Being caught in a pocket or such a position behind or between horses that a free course cannot be pursued.
Blinkers – Device to limit a horse's vision to prevent him from swerving from objects or other horses on either side of him.
Blister – Counter-irritant to ease pain or to treat an ailment.
Bloodhorse – A thoroughbred.
Blood Worms – Parasites that get into the blood stream.
Blowout – A short, final workout, usually a day or two before a race, designed to sharpen a horse's speed.
Board – Totalisator board on which odds, betting pools and other information is displayed.
Bobble – A bad step away from the starting gate, usually caused by the track breaking away from under a horse's hoof and causing him to duck his head or nearly go to his knees.
Bog Spavin – Puffy swelling on the inside and slightly in front of the back, usually caused by overwork or strain.
Bolt – Sudden veering from a straight course.
Bone Spavin – Bony growth inside and just below the hock joint.
Bottom – Stamina in a horse. Also, sub-surface of racing strip.
Bottom Line – Thoroughbred's breeding on female side. The bottom half of an extended pedigree diagram.
Bowed Tendon (a Bow) – Rupture
of the sheath enclosing the tendon from the knee
to the fetlock joint.
Break (A horse) – to
accustom a young horse to racing equipment and methods,
and to carry a rider.
Breakage – In pari-mutuel
payoffs which are rounded out to a nickel or dime,
those pennies that are left over. Breakage is generally
split between the track and state and, in some cases,
breeding or other funds, in varying proportions.
Breakdown – When a
horse suffered an injury; lameness.
Break Maiden – Horse
or rider winning first race of career.
Breather – Restraining
or easing off on a horse for a short distance in
a race to permit him to conserve or renew his strength.
Bred – A horse is bred
at the place of his birth. Also, the mating of horses.
Breeder – Owner of
dam at time foal is dropped.
Breeding Fund – A
fund set up by many states to provide bonus prizes
for state- breds.
Breeze – Working a
horse at a moderate speed; less effort than handily.
Brittle Feet – Excessive
dryness of the horn.
Broken Wind – Breakdown
of the air vessels of the lungs.
Broodmare – Female
thoroughbred used for breeding.
Brown – Sometimes difficult
to separate from black or dark bay. This color can
usually be distinguished by noting finer tan or brown
hairs on the muzzles or flanks.
Brush – Injury to the
fetlock caused by striking of other foot.
Bucked Shins – Inflammation
of front of cannon bone to which young horses are
particularly susceptible.
BUG – Apprentice allowance.
Apprentice rider.
Bullet (Work) – The
best time for the distance on the work tab for a
given day at a track.
Bull Ring – Small racetrack.
Bute (or Butazolidin) – Trade
name for phenylbutazone, a commonly used analgesic
for horses.
Caulk – Projection
bottom of shoe to give horse greater traction, especially
on a wet track.
Call (The) – Running
position of horses in a race at various points.
Caller – One who calls
the running positions of horses in a race.
Canker – Softening
of the horn of the foot, generally starting in the
frog.
Capped Hock – Injury
to hock caused by kicking or rubbing.
Cast – A horse in such
a position he cannot rise.
Center of Distribution – The
balance point of speed and stamina influences in
a horse's pedigree.
Chart – A statistical "picture" of
a race (from which past performances are compiled),
which shows the position and margin of each horse
at designated points of call (depending on distance
of the race), age, weight carried, owner, trainer,
purse, condit ions, pay-off prices, odds, time and
other data.
Checked – A horse pulled
up by his jockey for an instant because he is cut
off or in tight quarters.
Chef-de-Race – Designation
for superior sires, which fall into five categories – Brilliant,
Intermediate, Classic, Stout, Professional – according
to the speed and stamina they impart to their offspring.
Chestnut – Varies from
light, washy yellow to dark liver color, between
which comes red, gold and liver shades. A chestnut
never has black points, mane or tail.
CHUTE – Extension of
backstretch or homestretch to permit straightaway
run from start.
CLAIMING – Buying a
horse out of race for entered price.
CLAIMING BOX – Box
in which claims are deposited before the race.
CLAIMING RACE – Race
in which horses are entered subject to claim for
a specified price.
CLASSIC – Race of traditional
importance. In the U.S. specifically the Kentucky
Derby, Preakness and Belmont stakes for colts, and
Coaching Club American Oaks for fillies.
CLERK OF SCALES – An
official whose chief duty is to weigh the riders
before and after a race to be sure proper weight
is carried.
CLIMBING – A fault
in a horse's stride in which, instead of reaching
out, his action is abnormally high.
CLOCKER – One who times
workouts and races.
CLOSER – A horse who
runs best in the latter part of the race, coming
from off the pace.
CLUBHOUSE TURN – Generally,
the turn closest to the clubhouse.
COLORS – Racing silks – jacket
and cap – worn by riders to
denote the owner(s) of horse.
COLT – Male horse under
5 years of age.
COMPANY – Class of
horses in a race. Members of the field.
CONDITION BOOK – Pamphlet
issued by racing secretary which sets forth conditions
of races to be run.
CONDITIONER – A trainer.
Also a workout or race to enable a horse to attain
fitness.
CONDITION RACE – An
event with conditions limiting it to a certain class
of horse. Such as: Fillies, 3-year-olds, non-winners
of two races other than maiden or claiming, etc.
CONNECTIONS – Persons
identified with the stable, such as owner, trainer,
rider, employees.
CONTRACT RIDER – Jockey
under contract to a stable.
COOLING OUT – Restoring
a horse, usually by walking, to normal temperature
after becoming overheated in a race or workout.
CORN – Result of pressure
from the shoe identical to human corn.
CORNER – Last part
of the turn into the homestretch.
COUGH – Broadly, a
cold. More prevalent in spring among young thoroughbreds.
COUPLED – Two or more
horses running as an entry in a single betting unit.
COW HOCKS – Points
of hock turned in.
CRACK – Top-notch horse.
CRIBBER (A WIND SUCKER) – A
horse who clings to objects with his teeth and sucks
air into his stomach.
CROPPER – When a horse
or rider falls. Usually applied to steeplechase races.
CUP – Trophy awarded
to owners of winners. Also distance race of a mile
and a half or more.
CUP HORSE – One
qualified to engage in distance races.
CUPPY (TRACK) – A
surface which breaks away under a horse's hoof.
CURB – Sprain at back
of hock.
CUSHION – Surface of
track or a layer of the track.
CUT DOWN – Horse
suffering from injuries from being struck by the
shoes of another horse. Or, due to faulty stride,
a horse may cut himself down.
DAILY DOUBLE – Type
of wager calling for the selection of winners of two
consecutive races, usually the first and second.
DAM – Mother of a thoroughbred.
DAMSIRE (BROODMARE SIRE) – The
sire of a broodmare.
DEAD-HEAT – Two or
more horses finishing in an exact tie at the wire.
DEAD TRACK – Racing
surface lacking resiliency.
DECLARED – In U.S.,
a horse withdrawn from a stake in advance of scratch
time. In Europe, a horse confirmed to start in a
race.
DIPLOMA (Earning a...) – Breaking
a maiden, winning for the first time.
DISQUALIFICATION – Change
of order of finish by officials for an infraction
of the rules.
DISTAFF (DISTAFF RACE) – Female.
A race for fillies, mares, or both.
DISTANCED – Well beaten,
finishing a great distance behind the winner.
DOGS – Wooden barrier
(or rubber traffic cones) placed a certain distance
out from the inner rail, to prevent horses during
workout period, when track is wet, muddy, soft yielding
or heavy, from churning the footing along the rail.
DOPE – Slang term for
past performances (To dope out a race). Also, illegal
drug.
DOSAGE DIAGRAM – A
diagram showing the number and placement of chefs-de-race
in a horse's pedigree.
DOSAGE INDEX – Mathematical
reduction of the Dosage Diagram to a number reflecting
a horse's potential for speed or stamina.
DQ – Disqualified.
DRENCH – Liquid administered
through mouth.
DRIVING – Strong urging
by rider.
DROPDOWN – A horse
meeting a lower class of rival than he had been running
against.
DWELT – Tardy in breaking
fromthe gate.
EASED – A
horse allowed not to continue to contest race.
EASILY – Running or
winning without being pressed by rider or opposition.
EIGHTH – A furlong;
220 yards; 660 feet.
ELIGIBLE – Qualified
to start in a race, according to conditions.
ENGAGEMENT – Stake
nomination. Riding commitment.
ENTRANCE FEE – Money
paid to enter a horse in a stake.
ENTRY – Two or more
horses owned by the same stable or (in some cases)
trained by the same trainer and thus running as a
single betting unit..
EQUIPMENT – Whip, blinkers,
etc. Gear carried by a horse in a race.
EQUIVALENT ODDS – Mutuel
price horses pay for each $1 bet.
EVENLY – Neither gaining
nor losing position or distance during a race.
EXACTA (or PERFECTA) – A
wager in which the first two finishers in a race,
in exact order of finish, must be picked.
EXCUSED – Withdrawal
from a race (sometimes on a veterinarian's recommendation)
with consent of stewards.
EXERCISE RIDER – Male
or female rider who is aboard a horse in workout.
EXTENDED – Forced to
run at top speed.
EXTRA WEIGHT (ADDED WEIGHT) – More
weight than conditions of race require.
FALTERED – Used
for a horse that was in contention early and drops back
in the late stages. It is more drastic than weakened
but less drastic than stopped.
FALSE FAVORITE – Horse
who is bet down to favoritism when others would appear
to outclass him on form.
FALSE QUARTER – Horizontal
crack in the hoof caused by injury to the coronet.
FALSE START – Unofficial
start, from which horses are recalled to the barrier.
FARRIER – Horseshoer
FAST TRACK – Footing
at best, dry, fast and even.
FAULT – Weak points
of a horse. Deficiencies.
FEATHER – Light weight.
FEES – Amount paid
to rider or the cost of nominating, entering or starting
a horse in a stakes race.
FENCE – Sometimes called "outside
rail." More properly the barrier between the front
of the stands and the racing strip.
FIELD – The horses
in a race.
FIELD HORSE (or MUTUEL FIELD) – Two
or more starters running as a single betting unit,
when there are more entrants than positions on the
totalisator board can accommodate.
FILLY – Female horse
up to and including the age of 4.
FIRING – Applying a
searing instrument, hot iron or electric needle to
an injured portion of the leg to promote healing
of injury or infirmity.
FIRM – A condition
of a turf course corresponding to fast on a dirt
track.
FIRST TURN – Bend in
the track beyond the starting point.
FLAG – Signal held
by man stationed a short distance in front of the
gate at exact starting point of race. Official timing
starts when flag is dropped to denote proper start.
FLAGMAN – One who drops
the flag to denote official start.
FLAT RACE – Contested
on level ground as opposed to hurdle race or steeplechase.
FLATTEN OUT – When
a horse drops his head almost on straight line with
body. May indicate exhaustion.
FLOAT – Piece of track
equipment dragged over racing strip to squeeze off
surface water.
FOAL – Newly born thoroughbred,
or until weaned. Male or female.
FOUNDER – See Laminitis.
FOUR FURLONGS – Half
a mile; 880 yards; 2,640 feet.
FRACTIONAL TIME – Interme-diate
time recorded in a race, as at the quarter, half,
three-quarters, etc.
FRESH (FRESHENED) – A
rested horse.
FREE HANDICAP – A
race in which no nomination fees.
FREE LANCE – A
rider not under contract to a trainer or stable.
FRONT-RUNNER – A horse
who usually leads (or tries to lead) the field for
as far as he can.
FURLONG – One-eighth
of a mile; 220 yards; 660 feet.
FUROSEMIDE – Generic
term for a medication for the treatment of bleeders.
Most common trade name is Lasix.
GAIT – The
ways in which a horse can move – walk,
trot, canter, gallop, run, etc.
GALLOP – A type of
gait, a fast canter. Also, to ride a horse at that
gait.
GARRISON FINISH – Drawing
a fine finish on a winner, usually coming from off
the pace, Derived from "Snapper" Garrison, old-time
rider given to that practice.
GATE – Starting mechanism.
GELDING – Castrated
male horse.
GENTLEMAN JOCKEY – Amateur
rider, generally in steeplechases.
GET – Progeny of sire.
GIMPY – Lame, sore.
GOOD BOTTOM – Track
that is firm under the surface, which may be sloppy
or wet.
GOOD TRACK – Condition
between fast and slow.
GRADED RACE – Races
designated as the most prestigious in the United
States and Canada (Grade I, Grade II, Grade III).
GRADUATE – Winning
first time, horse or rider. Also, graduate of the
claiming ranks – a horse, that
has moved up to allowance, stakes or handicap racing.
GRANDDAM (SECOND DAM) – Grandmother
of a horse.
GRANDSIRE – Grandfather
or a horse, sire of the horse's dam.
GRAY – A mixture of
white and black hairs.
GROOM – A person who
cares for a horse in a stable.
GROUP RACE – European
equivalent to North American graded races.
HALF – Half
a mile, four furlongs; 880 yards; 2,640 feet.
HALF-BROTHER, HALF-SISTER – Horses
out of the same dam but by different sires.
HALTER – Like a bridle,
but lacing a bit. Used in handling horses around
the stable and when not being ridden.
HALTER (TO) – To
claim a horse.
HALTERMAN – One who
claims horses.
HAND – Four inches.
Unit used in measuring height of horses from withers
to ground.
HANDICAP – Race for
which a handicapper assigns weights to be carried.
Also, to handicap a race, to make selections on the
basis of the past performances.
HANDICAPPER – One who
assigns weights for handicap race. Also one who makes
selections based on past performances.
HANDICAPPING – Assigning
weights for a handicap race. Making selctions based
on past performances.
HANDILY – Working or
racing with moderate effort, but more effort than
breezing.
HANDLE – Amount of
money wagered in the pari-mutuel on a race, a program,
a meeting or a year.
HAND RIDE – Urging
a horse with the hands and not using the whip.
HARD BOOT – Kentucky
horsemen.
HEAD – A margin between
horses. One horse leading another by the length of
his head.
HEAD OF THE STRETCH – Beginning
of the straight run home.
HEAT – A race in which
more than one running is required to decide the winner.
More common in harness racing.
HEAVY – Condition of
track similar to, but even slower than, muddy.
HIGHWEIGHT HANDICAP – Race
in which the topweight is assigned no less than 140
pounds.
HOMEBRED – A horse
bred by his owner.
HOPPED – A horse who
has been illegally stimulated.
HORSE – Broadly, in
any thoroughbred regardless of sex. Specifically,
an entire male 5 years old or older.
HORSING – Mare in heat.
HOT WALKER – Person
who walks horses to cool them out after workout or
races.
HUNG – Horse tiring,
but holding position.
HURDLE RACE – Contested
over obstacles. A jumping race over lower fences
than steeplechase races.
ICING – Standing
a horse in a bucket of ice or applying ice packs to the
legs to deaden pain.
IN FOAL – Pregnant
mare.
IN THE MONEY – Finishing
first, second or third.
INFIELD – Area within
the inner rail of the racetrack.
INFIELD RACING (SPORT) – Turf
racing.
IN HAND – Running
under moderate control, at less than best pace.
IMPOST – Weight carried
or assigned.
INTER-STATE (Wagering) – Wagering
on a simulcast of a race from another state.
INTER-TRACK (Wagering) – Wagering
on a simulcast of a race from another track within
the state.
INQUIRY – Reviewing
the race to check into a possible infraction of the
rules. Also, a sign flashed by officials on tote
board on such occasions.
IRISH RAIL – Moveable
rail.
IRONS – Stirrups.
JOCKEY FEE – Sum
paid to a rider.
JOG – Slow, easy gait.
JUMPER – Steeplechase
or hurdle horse.
JUVENILE – Two-year-old
horse.
KNEE SPAVIN – Bony
growth at back of knee on inner side.
LAMINITIS – Inflammation
under horny wall of foot.
LASIX – See furosemide.
LATE DOUBLE – A
second daily double offered on the latter part of
the program. (See Daily Double)
LEAD – Strap attached
to halter to lead a horse.
LEAD (or LEAD PAD) – Weights
carried to make up the difference when a rider weighs
less than the poundage a horse is assigned to carry.
LEAD PONY – Horse
or pony who heads parade of field from paddock to
starting gate. Also a horse or pony who accompanies
a starter to post.
LEAKY ROOF CIRCUIT – Minor
tracks.
LEG UP – To
help a jockey mount his horse. Also a jockey having
a mount. Also to strengthen a horse's legs through
exercise.
LENGTH – Length of
a horse from nose to tail, about 8 feet. Also distance
between horses in a race.
LISTED RACE – A
European race just below a group race in quality.
LOCK – Slang for a "sure
thing" winner.
LONG END (of purse) – Winner's
share.
LUG (in or out) – Action
of a tiring horse, bearing in or out.
LUNGE – Horse rearing
or plunging.
MAIDEN – A
horse who has not won a race. Also applied to non-winning
rider.
MAIDEN RACE – A
race for non winners.
MAKE A RUN – Charge
by a horse in a race.
MARE – Female horse
5 years old or older. Also, female of any age who
has been bred.
MARE'S MONTH – September.
Suppos-edly because mares who have not run well during
the summer often "wake up" in September.
MASH – Moist mixture,
hot or cold, of grain and other feed given to horses.
MEDICATION LIST – A
list kept by the track veterinarian and published
by the track and Daily Racing Form (when provided
by track officials) showing which horses have been
treated with phenylbutazone and/or furosemide.
MIDDLE DISTANCE – Broadly
from one mile to less than a mile and an eighth.
MINUS POOL – A
mutuel pool caused when one horse is so heavily played
that, after deductions of state tax and commission,
there is not enough money left to pay the legally
prescribed minimum on each winning bet. The racing
association usually makes up t he difference.
MONEY RIDER – A rider
who excels in rich races.
MONKEY-ON-A-STICK – Type
of riding with short stirrups popularized by old-time
riding great Tod Sloan.
MORNING GLORY – Horse
who performs well in morning workouts but fails to
reproduce that form in races.
MORNING LINE – Approximate
odds quoted before wagering determines exact odds.
MUDDY TRACK – Deep
condition of racetrack after being soaked with water.
MUDDER – Horse who
races well on muddy tracks.
MUDLARK – Superior
mudder.
MUZZLE – Nose and lips
of a horse. Also a guard placed over a horse's mouth
to prevent him from biting.
NAVICULAR DISEASE – Corrosive
ulcer on the navicular bone, usually in the fore feet.
NEAR SIDE – Left side
of a horse, side on which he is mounted.
NECK – Unit of measurement,
about the length of a horse's neck; a quarter of
a length.
NERVED – Operation
that severs vital nerve to enable horses to race
without pain. Illegal in most jurisdictions.
NOD – Lowering of head.
Winning in that manner.
NOM DE COURSE – Assumed
name of owner or racing partnership.
NOMINATOR – One who
owns a horse when he is named to a feature.
NOSE – Smallest advantage
a horse can win by. In England called a short head.
OAKS – A
classic stakes event for 3-year-old fillies.
OBJECTION – Claim of
foul lodged by rider, patrol judge or other official.
If lodged by official, it is called an inquiry.
ODDS-ON – Odds of less
than even money. In England it is simply called "on," thus
a horse "5-4 on" is actually at odds of 4-5.
OFFICIAL – Sign displayed
when result is confirmed. Also racing official.
OFF SIDE – Right side
of horse.
OFF-TRACK BETTING – Wagering
on horses at legalized betting offices run usually
by the state or the tracks, or, in New York, by independent
corporations chartered by the state, with wagers
commingled with on-track betting pools.
ON THE BIT – When
a horse is eager to run.
ON THE BOARD – Finishing
among the first four.
ON THE NOSE – Betting
a horse to win only.
OSSELETS – Bony growth
on the fetlock or ankle joint resulting in inflammation
of the enveloping membrane of the bone.
OPEN KNEE – A
condition among young horses in which the bones of
the knee are not yet fully developed.
OUT OF LINE – Price
not consistent with a horse's ability.
OVERCHECK – A strap
that holds the bit in place.
OVER-REACHING – Toe
of hind shoe striking forelegs on heel, or back of
coronet.
OVERLAND – Racing wide
throughout, outside of other horses.
OVERLAY – A horse going
off at a higher price than he appears to warrant
based on his past performances.
OVERNIGHT LINE – Prices
quoted night before the race.
OVERNIGHT RACE – A
race in which entries close a specific number of
hours before running (such as 48 hours), as opposed
to a stakes race for which nominations close weeks
and sometimes months in advance.
OVERWEIGHT – Surplus
weight carried by a horse when the rider cannot make
the required weight.
PADDOCK – Structure
or area where horses are saddled and kept before post
time.
PADDOCK JUDGE – Official
in charge of paddock and saddling routine.
PARI-MUTUELS – A form
of wagering that originated in France in which all
money bet is divided up among those who have winning
tickets, after taxes, takeout and other deductions
are made.
PAST PERFORMANCES – A
compilation in Daily Racing Form of a horse's record,
including all pertinent data, as a basis for handicapping.
PASTEBOARD TRACK – Lightning
fast racing strip.
PATROL JUDGES – Officials
who observe progress of race from various vantage
points around the track.
PENALTIES – Extra weight
a horse must carry, especially in a handicap.
PHOTO FINISH – A result
so close it is necessary to use a finish-line camera
to determine order of finish.
PICK SIX (or more) – A
type of wager in which the winners of all the included
races must be selected.
PICKS AND PLAYS – Most
useful and accurate thoroughbred racing handicapping
report available.
PILL – Small numbered
ball drawn to decide post positions.
PINCHED BACK – Horse
in close quarters and forced back.
PIPE OPENER – Exercise
at a moderate speed. Also a breeze.
PLACE – Second position
at finish.
PLACE BET – Wager
on a horse to finish first or second.
PLACING JUDGES – Officials
who determine the order in which horses reach the
finish line.
PLATTER – Claiming
horse. Also a farrier.
PLACE – A prize for
a winner less valuable than a cup.
PLATES – Shoes horses
wear in races. Racing plates.
POCKET – Boxed in,
shut off. Running in a position with horses in front
and alongside.
POLE – Markers at measured
distances around the track, marking the distance
from the finish. The quarter pole, for instance,
is a quarter of a mile from the finish, not from
the start.
POST – Starting point
or position in starting gate.
POOL – Mutuel pool.
Total sum bet on a race or even, such as the win
pool, daily double pool, exacta pool.
POST PARADE – Horses
going from paddock to starting gate past the stands.
POST POSITION – Position
of stall in starting gate from which a horse starts.
POST TIME – Designated
time from race to start.
PREFERRED LIST – Horses
with prior rights to starting for various reasons.
PREP (or PREP RACE) – A
workout or a race to prepare a horse for a future
engagement.
PROP – Refusing to
break with field from gate. Standing flat-footed.
Also, when a horse suddenly stops running a full
speed by extending his forefeet as "brakes."
PUBLIC TRAINER – One
whose services are not exclusively engaged by a single
stable and who accepts horses from a number of owners.
PURSE – A prize of
money to which owners do not contribute.
QUARTER – One-quarter
of a mile; 440 yards; 1,320 feet.
QUARTER CRACK – Crack
in wall of hoof running downwards from coronet.
QUARTER HORSE – Breed
of horse especially fast for a quarter of a mile,
from which its name is derived.
QUARTER POLE – Marker
one-quarter mile from the finish.
QUINELLA – Wager in
which first two finishers must be picked, but payoff
is made no matter which of the two wins and which
runs second.
RACING SECRETARY – Official
who drafts conditions of races and assigns weights for
handicap events.
RAIL RUNNER – Horse
who prefers to run next to inside rail.
RECEIVING BARN – Structure
at which horses entered are isolated for a certain
period of time before a race.
RED BOARD – Old-time
method of declaring a race official, by posting a
red flag or board on the tote board.
REFUSE – When a horse
will not break from the gate. In jumping races, balking
at the jump.
RESERVED – Held for
a particular engagement or race. Also, held off the
pace.
RIDDEN OUT – Finishing
a race without rider urging him to do his utmost,
even though he has a wide margin over the second
horse.
RIDE SHORT – Using
short stirrup leathers.
RIDGLING – A horse
with one or both undescended testes.
RING BONE – Bony
enlargement at top of hoof or near the pastern bone.
ROAN – Mixture of white
and red (or brown) hairs.
ROARING – Deep, prolonged
cough, generally when a horse is galloping.
ROGUE – Ill-tempered
horse.
ROGUE'S BADGE – Blinkers.
ROMP – Running (or
winning) with utmost ease.
ROUTE – Race distance
of a mile and an eighth or longer.
ROUTER – Horse who
performs well at distance races.
RUCK – Rear end of
the field.
RUNDOWN – A horse with
weak pasterns.
RUNDOWN BANDAGES (or WRAPS) – Bandages
on the hind legs, usually with a pad inside, to keep
a horse from "burning" or scraping his heels when
he races.
RUN-OUT BIT – A special
type of bit to prevent a horse from bearing out (or
in).
SADDLE CLOTH – Cloth
under the saddle on which number (and sometimes horse's
name) denoting post position is displayed.
SALIVA TEST – Laboratory
test to determine if a horse has been drugged or
overdosed with permitted medication.
SAND CRACK – (See Quarter
Crack.)
SAVAGE – To bite another
horse or a person.
SCALE OF WEIGHTS – Fixed
imposts to be carried by horses in a race according
to age, distance, sex, and time of year.
SCHOOLING – Accustoming
a horse to starting from the gate and to teach him
racing practices. In steeplechasing, more particularly
to teach a horse to jump.
SCHOOLING LIST – List
of horses required by the starter to school at the
starting gate before being permitted to race.
SCRATCH – To be taken
out of a race.
SECOND CALL – A
second engagement of jockey who already is listed
for a mount in a race.
SECOND DAM – Grandmother;
granddam.
SELLING RACE – A
claiming race.
SESAMOIDITIS – Inflammation
of the bone above and at the back of the fetlock
joint.
SET – A
group of horses working together.
SET DOWN – A
suspension. Also, put to a drive, or asked to run
by a jockey.
SEVEN FURLONGS – Seven-eighths
of a mile; 1,540 yards; 4,620 feet.
SEX ALLOWANCE – Fillies
and mares, according to their age and time of year,
are allowed to carry three to five pounds less when
meeting males.
SHADOW ROLL – Usually
a lamb's wool roll half way up the horse's face to
keep him from seeing his own shadow.
SHANK – Rope or strap
attached to a halter or bridle by which a horse is
led.
SHED ROW – Stable
area. A row of barns.
SHORT – A horse in
need of more work or racing to reach winning form.
SHOW – Third position
at the finish.
SHOW BET – Wager
on a horse to finish in the money; third or better.
SHUT OFF – Pocketed.
Unable to improve position.
SILKS – Jacket and
cap worn by riders which designate owner of the horse.
SIMULCAST – Televising
a race to other tracks, OTB offices or other outlets
for the purpose of wagering.
SIRE – Father of a
horse.
SIX FURLONGS – Three-quarter
of a mile; 1,320 yards, 3,960 feet.
SIXTEENTH – One-sixteenth
of a mile; 110 yards, 330 feet.
SKINNED TRACK – Dirt
racing strip as opposed to a turf or grass course.
SLOPPY – Condition
of footing. Wet on surface with firm bottom.
SLOW – Footing that
is not fast, between good and heavy.
SNIP – Small patch
of white hairs on the nose or lips of horse.
SNUG – Mild restraining
hold by rider.
SOLID HORSE – Contender.
SOPHOMORE – Three-year-old
horse.
SPAVIN – See bog, bone
and knee spavin.
SPEEDY CUT – Injury
to knee or hock caused by a strike from the opposite
foot.
SPIT BOX – Receptacle
for saliva taken from a horse for testing.
SPLINT – Bony growth
on the side of the splint bone.
SPRING HALT – Involuntary
elevation of the hind legs.
STAKES-PLACED – Finishing
or third in a stakes race.
STAKE – A race (usually
a feature race) for which owner must pay up a fee
to run a horse. The fees can be for nominating, maintaining
eligibility, entering and starting, to which the
track adds more money to make up the total purse.
Some stakes races ar e by invitation and require
no payment or fee.
STAKES HORSE – One
capable of competing in such events.
STALLION – Entire male
horse.
STALL WALKER – Horse
that moves about his stall and frets rather than
rests.
STAR – Small patch
of white hair on a horse's forehead. Also a credit
a horse receives from being forced out of an overcrowded
race, giving him priority in future races.
STARTER RACE – An
allowance or handicap race restricted to horses who
have started for a specific claiming price or less.
STARTING GATE – Mechanical
device having partitions (stalls) for horses in which
they are confined until the starter releases the
doors in front to begin the race.
STATE-BRED – A horse
bred in a particular state and thus eligible to compete
in special races restricted to state-breds.
STAYER – Stout-hearted
horse who can race long distances.
STEADIED – A horse
being taken in hand by his rider, usually because
of being in close quarters.
STEPS UP – A
horse moving up in class to meet better runners.
STEWARDS – Top officials
of the meeting responsible for enforcing the rules.
STEEPLECHASE – A jumping
race over high obstacles.
STICK – A jockey's
whip.
STICKERS – Calks on
shoes which give a horse better traction in mud or
on soft tracks.
STOCKINGS – White legs
below the knees.
STRAIGHT – Betting
to win only.
STRAIGHT AS A STRING – Descriptive
of a horse running at top speed.
STRETCH – Final straight
portion of the racetrack to the finish.
STRETCH CALL – Position
of horses at the eighth pole, usually about halfway
down the stretch.
STRETCH RUNNER – Horse
who finishes fast.
STRETCH TURN – Bend
of track into homestretch.
STRIDE – Manner of
going. Also distance covered after each foot has
touched the ground once.
STRIP – Markings of
a horse. White hairs running part-way down the face.
STRIPE – A white marking
running down a horse's face to bridge of nose or
below.
STUD – Male horse used
for breeding. Also breeding farm.
STUD BOOK – Registry
and genealogical record of the breeding of thoroughbreds
maintained by The Jockey Club.
SUBSCRIPTION – Fee
paid by owner to nominate horse for a stakes race
or to maintain eligibility for a stakes race.
SUCKLING – Thoroughbred
still nursing.
SULK – When a horse
refuses to extend himself.
SUSPEND (or SUSPENSION) – Punishment
for infraction of rules. Offender denied privileges
of racetrack for specified period of time. If permanently
suspended: Ruled Off.
SWAYBACK – Horse with
a dipped backbone.
SWIPE – A groom.
TACK – Riders'
racing equipment. Also applied to stable gear.
TAKE (or TAKEOUT) – Commission
deducted from mutuel pools which s shared by the
track and local and state governing bodies in the
form of tax.
TAKEN UP – A
horse pulled up sharply by his rider because of being
in close quarters.
TEASER – A horse used
at breeding farms to find out if the mare is ready
to receive the stallion.
TELETHEATER – Special
facility for showing simulcast races.
THOROUGHPIN – Similar
to spavin, with swelling going clear through.
THRUSH – Inflammation
of the cleft of the frog.
TIGHT – Ready to race.
TIMBER TOPPER – Jumper
or steeplechase horse. More properly horses jumping
over timber fences.
TONGUE STRAP – Strap
or tape bandage used to tie down a horse's tongue
to prevent it from choking in a race or workout.
TOP LINE – Thoroughbred's
breeding on his sire's side.
TOPWEIGHT – Highest
weight assigned or carried in a race.
TOTALISATOR – Machine
which sells and records betting tickets and shows
odds. Also figures out and displays payoff figures.
TOUT – Person who professes
to have, and sells, advance information on a race.
TRACK RECORD – Fastest
time at various distances recorded at a particular
track.
TRIAL – Workout.
TRAPPED EPIGLOTTIS – Condition,
correctable by surgery, in which a flap of tissue
interferes with a horse's breathing.
TRAIN OFF – Become
jaded after attaining racing fitness.
TRIFECTA (or TRIPLE) – A
wager picking the first three finishers in exact
order.
TRIP – A
horse's race.
TRIPLE CROWN – In
the United States, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness
Stakes and Belmont Stakes. In England the 2,000 Guineas,
Epsom Derby and St. Leger.
TURF COURSE – Grass
course.
TWITCH – A device usually
consisting of a stick with a loop of rope at one
end, which is placed around a horse's nose and upper
lip and twisted to curb fractiousness.
UNDER CONTRACT – A
trainer or rider formally signed for a specified time
and compensation.
UNDERLAY – A horse
racing at longer odds than he should.
UNDER PUNISHMENT – Horse
being whipped and driven.
UNDER WRAPS – Horse
under stout restraint in a race or workout.
UNTRIED – Not raced
or tested for speed. Also a stallion who has not
been bred.
UNWIND – Gradually
withdrawing a horse from intensive training.
URINALYSIS – Testing
urine of horse for drugs or medication.
VALET – Person
who attends riders and keeps their wardrobe and equipment
in order.
VAN (The) – Front
of fi eld. Head end.
WALK HOTS – To
cool a horse out after a workout or race.
WALKOVER – Race which
scratches down to only one starter who merely gallops
required distance. A formal gesture required by rules
of racing.
WARMING UP – Galloping
horse on way to post.
WASHY – Horse breaking
out in nervous sweat before race.
WEANLING – A thoroughbred
after being weaned and until he becomes a yearling
on the New Year's Day following his foaling.
WEAVING – Swaying motion
in stall, or act of threading way through field in
race.
WEIGHT-FOR-AGE – Fixed
scale of weights to be carried by horses according
to age, sex, distance of race and season of year.
WHIP – Instrument,
usually of leather, with which rider strikes horse
to increase his speed. Also called bat and gad.
WHISTLING – Result
of overstrain of horse's lungs and respiratory muscles.
WINDED – Breathing
with difficulty after workout or race.
WINNER-TAKES-ALL – Winner
receiving all the purse or stakes.
WOBBLER – A neurological
disease due to compression of the spinal cord. Seen
principally in 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds.
WORK – To exercise
a horse. workout.
WRONG – Go amiss.
YEARLING – Thoroughbred
between the first New Year's Day after being foaled and
the following January 1.
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