|
Across The Board |
Three equal
bets, to win, place and show, on one horse. |
| Allowance
Race |
A non-claiming race which has conditions
to determine the horses that are eligible to enter.
For example, an allowance race might be open to
horses that have not won three races. |
| Also Eligible |
An entered horse that will only
race if a scratch occurs in the field. |
| Also-Ran |
Finished out of the money. |
| Apprentice |
Rookie jockey who receives weight
allowances. |
| Backstretch |
1. The straightaway on the far side
of the racetrack; 2. The area where the stables
are located. |
| Bear Out |
To drift or veer out toward the outside
of the track. |
| Bit |
The metal bar that fits in a horse's
mouth and is attached to the reins. |
| Bleeder |
A horse that bleeds during heavy
exertion (such as racing), usually from small vessels
or capillaries in the respiratory system. |
| Blinkers |
A piece of racing equipment which
contains eye cups that limit the horse's vision
to prevent distractions. |
| Bloodlines |
The pedigree of a horse. |
| Blow Out |
A workout before a race intended
to limber up the horse. |
| Bolt |
A sharp right or left-handed movement
by a horse. |
| Book |
A jockey's calendar of riding engagements. |
| Break |
1. The start of a race; 2. To train
a young horse to accept the saddle, bridle, and
rider. |
| Break Maiden |
When a horse gets his first win. |
| Breeze |
1. To run easily, under a hold, without
much encouragement; 2. The generic term for a morning
workout. |
| Broodmare |
A female equine used for breeding
purposes. |
| Broodmare Sire |
The father (sire) of the mother (dam)
of an equine. |
| Call |
1. To describe the running of a race;
2. A specific point in a race at which running positions
are recorded; 3. A verbal contract between a trainer
and a jockey. |
| Card |
A day's racing program. |
| Cast |
1. A horse that has laid down or
fallen and cannot risep; 2. Lost or thrown, such
as a horseshoe. |
| Chalk |
The betting favorite. |
| Chart |
The result chart which shows all
horses and their positions at various points in
a race along with the time of the race. |
| Chute |
An extension of the track allowing
for a long, straight run from the gate to the first
turn. |
| Circuit |
Tracks whose meets are in sequence,
allowing stables to follow the circuit. |
| Claiming
Race |
A race in which the horses are entered
for a specific price and may be purchased (claimed)
before the race. The intention is to classify horses
and keep the competition in a race fairly equal. |
| Clocker |
The one who times workouts. |
| Close |
To gain ground on the leader. |
| Clubhouse
Turn |
Usually the turn found on the right-hand
side of the track as seen when facing the track
from the stands. |
| Colors |
The jockey silks and caps which are
designed in an owner's colors and pattern. |
| Colt |
A male horse four years old or younger. |
| Common |
A reference given to a horse which
lacks class and/or fails to give a full effort. |
| Condition Book |
A track publication for horsemen
announcing conditions of upcoming races. |
| Coupled |
Two or more horses that have the
same owner or trainer and are run as an entry (a
bet on one horse automatically includes the other. |
| Cuppy |
A dirt track surface which is loose
and dry, tending to break away from the horses as
they run. |
| Cushion |
The top level of a racing surface. |
| Dam |
The mother of a horse |
| Dark Day |
Days a track is closed during a meet. |
| Dead
Heat |
When two horses cross the finish
line at the same time and are inseparable by the
photo-finish camera, the result is a tie, or dead
heat. |
| Derby |
A stakes race for three-year-olds. |
| Disqualify |
To officially lower a horse's actual
finish position due to interfering with other horses,
carrying too little weight, not conforming to conditions
of eligibility, or having systemic substances above
the allowed limits. |
| Dogs |
Rubber cones placed away from the
inner rail on the turf course during morning workouts
in order to prevent wear and tear on the main portion
of the track. Also used occasionally on dirt tracks
when they are muddy or sloppy. |
| Dwelt |
When a horse breaks too slowly from
the gate. |
| Ease Up |
To slow a horse's stride to prevent
undue exertion. |
| Eighth Pole |
Colored post inside the inner rail
exactly one- eighth mile from the finish line. |
| Farrier |
The blacksmith, one who makes and
attaches horseshoes. |
| Fast
Track |
1. A dry racing surface; 2. The description
of a track which is producing faster than normal
times. |
| Field |
1. All the horses in a race; 2. When
there are more starters in a race than the tote
board is able to show odds for, the remaining horses
run as a single betting entry, or field. |
| Filly |
A female horse four years old or
younger. |
| Foal |
1. A newborn equine; 2. To give birth. |
| Footing |
Condition of the racing surface. |
| Form |
1. A horse's current condition; 2.
Short for The Daily Racing Form. |
| Fractions |
Clockings of time at intervals in
races or workouts. |
| Free-Running
Type |
A horse which tens to take a strong
hold of the bit and pull its way to the lead during
the early stages of a race. |
| Freshening |
A vacation or layoff from racing. |
| Furlong |
One-eighth of a mile. |
| Game |
Determined. |
| Gelding |
A castrated male horse. |
| Genuine |
An honest horse, one who gives everything
it has in races. |
| Going Away |
To win while increasing the lead. |
| Good Track |
A drying track surface, between sloppy
& fast. |
| Graduate |
1. To break maiden; 2. To describe
a horse which has fulfilled one condition and moves
on to a higher level. |
| Green |
A description of a horse which is
temperamentally immature. |
| Groom |
A stable employee assigned to tend
to a horse or horses, including bringing the horse
to the paddock for a race. |
| Halter |
The strappy headpiece used to lead
a horse. |
| Hand |
A horse's height is measured in four-inch
increments, or hands. |
| Handicap |
1. To study the background of horses
to determine educated wagering decisions; 2. A race
in which the horses are assigned specific weights
in order to bring about an equal contest. |
| Handle |
The total amount of money wagered. |
| Heavy Track |
A running surface drier than muddy
and quite slow. |
| Homestretch |
The stretch of a track from the final
turn to the finish line. |
| Horse |
1. Generic term for an equine; 2.
An uncastrated male equine five years old or older. |
| Horsing |
A filly or mare in heat. |
| Impost |
The weight a horse is assigned to
carry during a race. |
| Infield |
The area within the inner racing
surface. |
| In Hand |
Running under restraint to conserve
energy. |
| Inquiry |
Investigation by officials to determine
if the race was won fairly and without interference. |
| In
The Money |
For fans, a win, place or show finish
resulting in a mutuel payoff; for owners, a finish
resulting in receiving a portion of the purse. |
| Irons |
The stirrups. |
| Jail |
Refers to the first month a claimed
horse is in a new barn (new owner and trainer) whereby
racing rules require it to be entered at a claiming
price above that which it was claimed, should the
new owner wish to race it. |
| Jockey
Agent |
Someone who secures riding assignments
for a jockey in return for a percentage of the jockey's
earnings. |
| Journeyman |
A licensed jockey who has completed
his apprenticeship. |
| Juvenile |
A two-year-old equine. |
| Lead
Pad |
Saddle pad with pockets to hold lead
weights should they need to be inserted to bring
a jockey up to the assigned weight. |
| Lead
Pony |
1. A horse which escorts racers onto
the track and to the starting gate; 2. Any horse
on th etrack which will not be racing. |
| Leg
Up |
1. To help a rider up on a horse;
2. To build a horse's stamina and speed through
exercise. |
| Length |
Refers to the length of the average
horse, used to describe the distance between horses
during a race. |
| Live Weight |
The jockey's weight. |
| Lock |
A "sure thing" - used to describe
a horse's chance at winning. |
| Lugging In |
Used to describe a horse which is
pulling strongly to the inside while running. |
| Maiden |
A horse of either sex which has never
won a race. |
| Mare |
A female horse five years old or
older. |
| Morning
Glory |
A horse which works fast in the morning
but fails to perform to expectations when racing
in the afternoon. |
| Mudder |
A horse that prefers muddy or sloppy
tracks. |
| Muddy
Track |
A surface with a good deal of moisture
in it, but little or no standing water. |
| Objection |
Interference complaint made by a
jockey or trainer. |
| Off
the Board |
1. Finished out of the money; 2.
Describes the betting action on a horse which is
being very heavily bet. |
| One-Paced |
A description of a horse with acceleration. |
| One-Run
Type |
A horse which tends to lag toward
the back of the pack during the early stages of
a race before mounting a late run. |
| Outrider |
An official on a lead pony who leads
the horses onto the track and to the gate; the outrider
enforces the rules regarding conduct on the track. |
| Overlay |
Odds higher than they should be based
on the horse's chances of winning. |
| Overnight |
A listing of the next day's racing
entries. |
| Overweight |
Weight over the amount officially
assigned a horse because the jockey is too heavy. |
| Pace |
The tempo set by the leaders in the
early and middle stages of a race. |
| Paddock |
The area where horses are saddled
prior to the race. |
| Pari-mutuel |
A system of wagering in which the
total money wagered is distributed to winning ticket
holders, less a fixed percentage returned for race
track management, state tax and the racing industry. |
| Photo
Finish |
The practice in which a photo is
used to determine the official order of finish in
a race. |
| Plodder |
A slow horse, one which lacks acceleration. |
| Pool |
Total amount of money wagered on
a type of bet. |
| Post |
1. The starting gate; 2. The time
the race will begin. |
| Post
Position |
The horse's position in the starting
gate, numbered from the inside rail out. |
| Quarter |
1. A quarter-mile; 2. The side of
a hoof. |
| Rabbit |
A horse which is entered in a race
to insure a fast pace. |
| Racing
Secretary |
The race track official who writes
the conditions for races and also assigns weights
in handicap races. |
| Rank |
A description of a horse which fights
the rider's attempts to relax it during the early
and middle stages of a race. |
| Ridgling |
A male equine with one testicle. |
| Route |
A long race, usually a mile or more. |
| Salute |
The wave of the whip by a jockey
to the stewards after a race in customary request
to dismount. |
| School |
To train a horse, especially in the
paddock or starting gate. |
| Scratch |
Withdraw a horse from a race. |
| Set
Down |
1. To ask a horse for speed; 2. To
suspend a jockey, trainer, etc., from racing for
a specific period of time. |
| Sex
Allowance |
Weight allowance given to females
in races against males. |
| Shadow
Roll |
A roll of sheepskin strapped across
a horse's nose to keep it from looking down and
shying from shadows. |
| Shed Row |
The track barn area. |
| Shoe
Board |
A sign listing the kind of shoes
to be worn by each entrant. |
| Shut Out |
Failing to get a bet in before the
race begins. |
| Silks |
The jockey's jacket and cap, also
called colors. |
| Sire |
The father of a horse. |
| Sloppy
Track |
A surface in which water stands on
the surface prior to sinking in or running off. |
| Slow
Track |
A surface wetter than good but not
as thick as muddy or heavy. |
| Sophomore |
A three-year-old Thoroughbred. |
| Sound |
Free of physical problems. |
| Sprint |
A short race, usually 7 furlongs
or less. |
| Stewards |
Three racing officials who apply
racing law to human and equine conduct at a race
meet. |
| Stud |
A breeding stallion. |
| Tack |
The equipment that goes on a horse. |
| Take
Out |
The percentage of money deducted
from the wagering pool for the track and taxes. |
| Take Back |
To restrain a horse back off the
pace. |
| Take
Up |
To pull a horse up sharply during
the running of a race in order to avoid contact
with another horse. |
| Teletimer |
The electronic timer that flashes
the fractional and final times of races on the tote
board. |
| Tongue
Tie |
A cloth or leather band used to tie
down a horse's tongue to keep it from interfering
with breathing. |
| Tote
Board |
Located in the infield, it provides
the odds on each entrant in a race, plus individual
and total amounts wagered to win, place, and show.
Also provides fractional times of the race, minutes
to the next race and other information. |
| Turn of Foot |
Acceleration. |
| Ungenuine |
Refers to a horse which fails to
put forth full effort in a race. |
| Unsound |
Suffering from physical ailments. |
| Valet |
One who takes care of a jockey's
clothing and equipment and delivers his tack to
the paddock. |
| Weanling |
A newly weaned horse. |
| Weight |
Refers to the weight assigned a horse
which includes the jockey, his saddle and other
equipment. |
