GENERAL
GLOSSARY
Inexperienced
racegoers can be bombarded by the terms and language peculiar to the
racetrack. This glossary is intended to define the terminology of handicapping
and pari-mutuel wagering specifically.
ALSO-ELIGIBLE.
Official entries that will he selected to run
by lot if horses are scratched.
APPRENTICE.
A rookie jockey; rides with weight allowances.
BABY RACE.
Dashes up to four furlongs for two-year-olds
BACKSTRETCH.
Stable area; long straight part of the track on the far side of the
grandstand
BAY.
Dark brown horse with a black mane and tail
BIT.
Metal bar across the moth to which the reins are attached
BLANKET FINISH.
Extremely close finish involving several horses
BLAZE.
A large white marking on a horse's face
BLOODLINES.
A horse's extended pedigree
BOAT RACE.
A fixed race
BOLT.
To run off in the wrong direction, as when horses leave the post parade
unexpectedly
BOTTOM LINE.
The female side of a pedigree
BOWED TENDON.
A rupture in the sheath of the flexor tendon, which runs below the knee
to the ankle, and results in the tendon arching out from the cannon
bone like the string of a bow
Break.
The start of a race
BREAKAGE.
The difference between the actual mutuel-odds payoffs and the lesser,
rounded amounts awarded to winning players
BREEDER.
Owner of the mare at the moment a foal is born
BREEZING.
Running without urging, usually under a light hold
BROODMARE.
A female used for breeding
BUCKED SHINS.
Severely strained shin bones, usually of two-year-olds
BUG BOY.
An apprentice jockey.
BULL RING.
A track having a small circumference and sharp turns.
BUZZER.
A battery-powered vibrator used to startle a horse and cause it to run
faster; an illegal device.
CALKS.
Cleated horseshoes used In mud or soft grass
CANTER.
A slow gallop. Daily exercise run for race horses.
CAST.
A horse fallen and unable to rise, as in the starting gate
CHALK.
The betting favorites
CHESTNUT.
A brown or tan horse with a brown mane and tail
CHOPPY.
A short up-and-down stride that often indicates soreness
CHUTE.
An extension of the stretch or backstretch that permits a longer, straighter
run to the turn
CIRCUIT.
A cluster of tracks in a geographical area whose race dates are scheduled
in sequence
CLAIM
To buy a horse out of a claiming race
CLERK OF
THE SCALES.
An official who weighs the jockeys and their tack before and after the
races
CLIMBING.
Running with an unusually high motion of the front legs, usually when
rank or under severe restraint
CLOCKERS.
Persons who time the workouts, officially and unofficially.
CLUBHOUSE
TURN.
The first turn of route races that begin in the homestretch; near the
club house area of most tracks.
COLT.
A male horse aged four and younger
CONDITION
BOOK.
A bi-weekly track publication in which the racing secretary describes
the eligibility conditions, purses, and weight allowances of the upcoming
races
CONNECTIONS.
Owner, trainer, and other handlers of a horse
CRIBBER
A horses that bites the wood of its stall, sucking air into its lungs.
CULL.
An unwanted horse
CUP.
A kind of blinker
CUPPY.
A track surface that breaks easily into clods
CUSHION.
The sub-surface of the racetrack
DAM.
A horse's mother
DARK HORSE.
A horse having long odds but a good chance of winning
DASH.
A short sprint race, usually of five and five and one-half furlongs
DEAD HEAT.
Two or more horses have finished in a tie
DEAD WEIGHT.
Lead weights carried in saddles to add to jockey's weight
DECLARATIONS.
Scratches
DERBY.
A stakes race limited to three-year-olds
DISTAFF.
The female side of a pedigree
DOER.
A horse that's a good eater
DOPE.
Information about horse's abilities; drugs
DWELT.
A horse that breaks unusually slowly out of the starting gate
DUTCHING.
Betting on several horses in the exact proportions required to make
a profit regardless of which horse wins
EARLY FOOT
Good speed at the beginning of the race.
EASE UP.
To slow a horse, halting its exertion
EIGHTH POLE.
The green pole situated one furlong from the finish line; the stretch
call
ENTRY.
Two or more horses owned or trained by the same person(s) and running
as a single betting interest.
FARRIER.
A horseshoer
FAST TRACK.
The normal condition of the racing surface, dry, firm strip on which
the horses can run to their basic abilities
FETLOCK.
A horse's ankle
FIELD.
The entrants in a race.
FILLY.
A female horse age four or less.
FOAL.
A newborn horse; to give birth.
FOOTING.
The condition of the track surface; colloquial.
FORM.
The condition, readiness, or soundness of the horse; current condition;
the Daily Racing Form, the newspaper of thoroughbred racing.
FORM PLAYER.
Bettor who makes selections from the past performance records.
FRACTIONS.
Clockings at various intervals of a race or workout.
FRESHENER.
Layoff intended to restore the condition of an overworked horse.
FRONG.
The fleshy triangular cushion of a horse's foot.
FRONT RUNNER.
Horses that prefer to run on the lead in a race.
FURLONG.
One-eighth of a mile; 220 yards; 660 feet. (approx 200 Meters)
FUTURITY.
A major stakes race for two-year-olds.
GALLOP.
An easy race or workout, completed without a rider's urging.
GATE.
The starting gate.
GELDING.
A castrated male horse.
GET.
The offspring of a stallion.
GETAWAY DAY.
The final day of a race meeting.
GO.
To start in a race; slang, of an effort to win.
GOING AWAY.
Winning while drawing away from the others
GOOD DOER.
A horse that eats well.
GRAB.
To catch the foreleg with a hind leg, causing stumbling or injury.
GRADUATE.
To break the maiden status.
GROOM.
The stable employee who cares for and tends to a horse; brings the horse
to the paddock on race days.
GROUNDED.
A suspended jockey.
GUN.
An all out urging by the jockey.
HALF-BROTHER
(SISTER).
A male (female) horse out of the same dam but by a different sire.
HALF-MILE
POLE.
The vertical red-painted pole positioned on the backstretch exactly
four furlongs from the finish line.
HALTER
A strap or rope by which horses are led; to claim a horse out of a race
HANDILY
A horse running easily with light urging by the jockey in a race or
workout
HANDLE
Total amount of money bet on a race, a day's program, or during the
season
HANG
A horse doing its best just to say even, without gaining on its opponent,
especially during the late stage of the race
HARDBOOT
An old-time horseman
HAT TRICK
A jockey's winning three races on a single program
HEAD OF THE
STRETCH
End of the far turn and top of the stretch
HEAVY TRACK
A running surface thick with mud; tiring to horses
HIP NUMBER
The numeral attached to a horse's hip at auctions
HOMEBRED
A horse raced by an owner who also bred the horse; bred in the same
state where a horse races
HOMESTRETCH
The end of the final turn to the finish line
HOOD
The head covering containing blinkers
HORSE
The technical term for a male aged five and older
HORSEMAN
An owner, breeder, or trainer
HOT WALKER
A stable employee who walks a horse while It cools out following a race
ICE
To soothe and dull a horse's feet and legs by standing it in a tub of
ice
IMPOST
The weight carried by a horse
IN-AND-OUTER
An inconsistent horse
INFIELD
The area on the inner circumference of the track
IN HAND
A horse running under a rider's restraint
IN LIGHT
A horse carrying low weight
INQUIRY
The stewards investigation into the running of the race to adjudicate
protests and to ensure fairness; a flashing sign that indicates to bettors
the outcome is being investigated
IN THE MONEY
A finish first, second, or third
IN TOUGH
A horse entered against horses he will be hard pressed to beat
IRONS
The stirrups
JAIL
A period following a claim when horses must compete at a claiming level
25 percent higher or remain inactive
JOCKEY AGENT
The person who obtains mounts for a jockey and is paid 25 percent of
the jockey's earnings
JOCKEY CLUB
The official ruling body of Thoroughbred racing and which maintains
the registry and record of the North American Stud Book
JOCKEYS'
GUILD
The national association of jockeys
JOG
A slow, easy gait; a trot
JOURNEYMAN
A professional jockey; a jockey whose performance is considered average
or standard
JUVENILE
A two-year-old race horse
LAMINITIS
A serious inflammation of the foot, often deadly
LEG UP
To enhance a horse's speed or stamina with a workout or a race
LENGTH
Approximately eight to ten feet
LINE
One side of a pedigree; the male line
LIVE WEIGHT
The weight of the jockey, as contrasted to dead weights
LOCK
A sure thing
LUG IN
Bearing in while running
MACHINES
The pari-mutuel machines
MARATHON
A race longer than a mile and one-quarter
MARE
A female horse aged five and older
MATCH RACE
A winner-take-all race between two horses
MEET
A race meeting
MIDDLE DISTANCE
A race longer than seven furlongs up to nine furlongs
MINUS POOL
A circumstance in pari-mutuel betting by which so much money is bet
on a single horse the legal minimum payoff to the bettors cannot be
met, requiring the track to offset the difference from its own revenues
MORNING GLORY
Horse that performs well in workouts but not in races
MORNING LINE
The track's estimate of the probable odds
MUCK OUT
To clean a horse's stall
MUDDER
A horse that performs well in the mud
MUDDY TRACK
A wet, soft track surface that restrains a horse's stride; tiring
MUTUEL POOL
The total amount of money bet on a race, including win-place-show and
all exotics.
MUZZLE
Straps that keep a horse's mouth closed and prevents it from biting
NAME
To enter a horse in a race; to select a jockey for a horse
NIGHTCAP
The final race on a program
NOSE
The narrowest winning margin
OAKS
A stakes race for three-year-old fillies
OBJECTION
An official complaint of a foul by a jockey
ODDS BOARD
The tote board
ODDS ON
Less than even-money on the tote
OFF
The start; the time a race started
OFF THE PACE
To run behind the front runners
OFF TRACK
A racing surface labeled other than fast; betting conducted at a site
other than the race track
ON EDGE
A nervous horse; a sharply conditioned horse
ON THE BIT
A horse straining against the bit
ON THE NOSE
A bet to win
ON THE RAIL
Running along the infield rail
ONE-RUN
A horse that expends its energy in a relatively short burst, usually
from behind the pace
OPEN RACE
A race for which any horse is eligible; a race whose outcome is especially
difficult to predict
OUTRIDER
A track employee who escorts a horse to the post
OVER AT THE
KNEE
The foreleg curves forward at the knee; a confirmation flaw
OVERNIGHT
RACE
A race for which the entries are taken within 72 hours of post time
OVERNIGHTS
The entries for the next racing day
OVERWEIGHT
The number of pounds a horse carries in excess of the official designated
weight due to the jockey's weight
PACE
The rate of speed of a race; the time of the lead horse at each stage
of the race
PADDOCK
The saddling enclosure
PARI-MUTUELS
A system of wagering whereby the winning bettors receive the money lost
by the losing bettors, after a commission has been deducted
PLATER
A claiming horse; a horseshoer
PONY
Any work horse at the track; the horse that leads the race horse to
the post
POOL
The amount of money wagered on a particular kind of bet or the total
number of bets on a race
POST
The starting gate; the starting time of a race
PREPOTENT
The condition whereby a sire passes on its racing aptitudes to considerable
degree in a large percentage of its progeny
PRODUCE
The offspring of a mare
PROP
Refusing to break at the start; standing flatfooted or caught sideways
in the starting gate
PUBLIC STABLE
A trainer's barn that is open to any owners who prefer to stable horses
there
PULL
To restrain horses deliberately to prevent them from winning; to stiff
horses
PULL IN THE
WEIGHTS
A significant weight advantage
PULL UP
To stop a horse or slow it down during a race or immediately afterwards
PUNTER
Slang for a horse player
QUARTER CRACK
The separation of the inner and outer walls of a horse's hoof in a specific
area
QUARTER POLE
The vertical red-colored pole positioned on the far turn exactly two
furlongs from the finish line
RACING SECRETARY
The official who prescribes the races at the track, including eligibility
conditions, distances, and purses and who assigns the weights horses
must carry
RACING SOUND
A horse having some degree of unsoundness but able to race
RANK
A fractious horse, often unmanageable by the jockey
RATE
To restrain a horse lightly in a race in an effort to measure out its
energies most efficiently
RECEIVING
BARN
The place where horses stabled at other tracks and training sites are
kept before they go to the paddock to be saddled for a race; the place
where horses can be inspected and tested following a race
RIDDEN OUT
A driving but not overextended finish, such that the horse is observed
to have energy in reserve
RIDGLING
A partly castrated horse
RIGHT PRICE
Odds attractive enough to risk a bet on a particular horse in the field
RINGER
A horse entered to race under another horse's name
ROAN
A horse having gray and red spots
ROGUE
A seriously fractious unmanageable horse
ROMP
An easy win
ROUTE
A longer race, of a mile or greater, usually around two turns
ROUTER
A horse that performs best in longer races
RULE OFF
To bar a person from the race track
RUN DOWN
A circumstance where a horse's heels scrape the surface of the race
track, usually behind
RUN IN
To win unexpectedly
RUN WIDE
To race far from the rail , covering extra ground
SADDLECLOTH
The fabric between the saddle and the horse; contains the horse's program
number
SAVAGE
The tendency of a horse to bits
SCALE OF
WEIGHTS
An official tabulation of correct weights for the various age and sex
groups at all distances throughout the calendar year
SCHOOL
To train a horse, notably at the starting gate and at the paddock
SCORE
To win a relatively large-sized bet
SCRATCH
To withdraw an entrant from a race
SEND
A horseman's slang for trying to win with a horse today
SET DOWN
The term describing the suspension of a jockey or trainer for an infraction
of the rules; to shake up a horse by asking it for speed
SEX ALLOWANCE
Weight concessions granted to female horses in races versus males
SHADOW ROLL
A cylindrical cloth or sheepskin strapped across a horse's nose area
to prevent it from jumping shadows
SHANK
The rope or strap attached to a halter for leading a horse by hand
SHED ROW
The array of barns in the stable area; the backstretch area
SHIP
To transport a horse by van or plane
SHOE BOARD
A paddock board that describes what kind of shoes each horse is wearing;
not available at all tracks
SHORT
A lack of fitness whereby horses tire in the stretch
SHORT PRICE
A small mutuel payoff
SHUT OUT
A player who does not make a bet in time
SILKS
The owner's clothes and colors worn by the jockey
SIRE
A horse's father
SIT-STILL
A riding style characterized by patience and finesse, as contrasted
with aggressive urging and whipping
SIXTEENTH
POLE
The vertical black-colored pole positioned exactly one-half a furlong
from the finish line
SLOPPY
A track surface wet with water and puddles, but not yet muddy; the surface
remains relatively hard and fast
SLOW
TRACK
A drying out surface following rains that is playing slower than normal.
Smart money
The bets of insiders
SOCKS
White ankles
SOPHOMORE
A three-year-old
SPECIAL WEIGHTS
Even weights, excepting sex and apprentice allowances, used in maiden
races
SPIT OUT
THE BIT
An exhausted horse is backing up and will not persevere any longer
SPLINT
A bony growth on a horse's shins; tend to become inflamed on two-year-olds
due to excessive training and racing
SPLIT RACE
An over-subscribed race is split into two races; usually a stakes
SPOT PLAY
A type of bet whereby the player risks money only on specific kinds
of races or angles
SPOT WEIGHT
To concede pounds to another horses in the field
SPRINT
A short race, of seven furlongs or less; a race around one turn
STAKE
The commission paid the winning jockey, trainer, or groom
STAKES
The nomination, entry, and starting fees paid by owners of horses in
stakes races and which are awarded in their entirety to the winning
owner
STALLION
A whole male horse used in breeding
STALL WALKER
A horse that continually paces its stall, expending energy
STAND
To send a stallion to the stud
STAR
A white marking on a horse's forehead
STARTERS
LIST
Horses ineligible to race because of misbehavior at the starting gate,
as determined by the official starter
STAYER
A reliable runner in the longest races
STEWARDS
The three officially-appointed judges of equine and human conduct at
the racetrack; the official judges of race and riding inquiries
STICK
To whip a horse
STICKERS
The cleats on horses shoes
STIFF
To prevent a horse from winning by riding poorly, by drugging it illegally,
or by poor training; a seriously unfit or outclassed horse
STIRRUPS
Where jockeys' feet are place when mounting; the Irons
STOCKINGS
White legs
STRAIGHT
Slang for a bet to win
STRETCH CALL
The position in the upper stretch at the eighth pole, one furlong from
the finish line
STRETCH TURN
The curve Into the stretch at the end of the far turn
STRING
The horses trained by one trainer or owned by one owner
STUD
Stallion; breeding farm
STUD BOOK
The official registry of the breed
STUD FEE
The fee paid to a stallion's owner for breeding services
SULK
A horse refused to run or to respond to the jockey's handling
SWEEPSTAKES
A big-ticket stakes race
TACK
The equipment a horse carries besides the rider
TAG
The claiming price at which a horse can be purchased from a race
TAKE
The money deducted from the betting pools for taxes, purses, and track
operations
TAKE DOWN
To disqualify a horse from its actual finish position
TAKE OUT
The track take; the percentage varies from state to state
TEASER
A stallion that tests a mare's readiness for mating
TELETIMER
An electronic timer that flashes the fractional times and final time
of a race on the tote board
TRA
Thoroughbred Racing Association The trade association of track owners
and managers
TRPB
Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau. The TRA's security arm; an investigative
watch dog intended to combat corruption and crime at the racetrack
TIGHT
A fit and ready horse
TIGHTENER
A prep race intended to help a horse attain its peak condition
TONGUE TIE
A leather or cloth strap intended to hold a horse's tongue down to prevent
swallowing during a race or workout
TOP WEIGHT
The heaviest weighted horse in a race
TOTALISATOR
The system of automated pari-mutuel machines that records bets as soon
as they are processed and tickets or vouchers are dispensed
TOUT
To give or sell betting advice
TRACK SUPERINTENDENT
The track employee who maintains and manages the racing strip
TRAINING
TRACK
A track for workouts only, usually inside the main track at race tracks
TRIAL RACE
A non-betting exhibition where a horse is asked for speed in simulated
competition, usually for two-year-olds
TRIPLE CROWN
An honor to any three~year-old that wins the Kentucky Derby, Preakness,
and Belmont Stakes in succession
TROUBLE LINE
Words and phrases in the past performances which describe any mishaps
a horse encountered in the race
TURF COURSE
The grass track inside the main track
TURN OUT
To rest a horse by sending it to the farm or training center, away from
the race track
UNDER WRAPS
A horse that has not be allowed to do its best, usually due to the trainer's
instructions or the jockey's judgment
UP
An order to the jockeys to mount their horses
USED UP
A horse that has become exhausted prematurely in a race
VALET
An employee who cares for a jockey's clothes and equipment
VAN
A truck in which horses are shipped
VET'S LIST
The list of ill or injured horses ineligible to races until cleared
by the track veterinarian
WALKING RING
The oval near the paddock where owners gather, horses walk in view of
the public, and jockeys mount to begin the post parade
WALKOVER
An uncontested race; one horse wins by making the course
WARM-UPS
The pre-race gallops
WASHY
A horse sweating from nervousness
WEANLING
A young horse recently separated from its mother
WEIGH IN
The official weighing of jockeys with tack in hand following a race
WEIGHT-FOR-AGE
RACE
A race in which the weights are prescribed by the official scale of
weights, and not by the racing secretary's judgment as to the horses
relative abilities
WHEEL
A form of betting in which one horse is coupled with every other horse
in the field. A horse turns sharply
