HORSE RACING GLOSSARY OF TERMS

RABBIT - A horse that is considered to have little chance of winning a race but is entered purely to ensure a fast pace and tire out the other front-runners, softening up the competition for the benefit of an stablemate.

RACECARD - A programme for the day's racing.

RACING SECRETARY - Official who drafts conditions of races and assigns weights for handicap events.

RAILS - The dividing barrier between the race track and the public.

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.

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 - Refers to a horse that wins under a vigorous hand ride but is not being whipped.

RIDE SHORT - Using short stirrup leathers.

RIDE WORK - To exercise horses on their home training-ground (gallops).

RIDGLING - A horse with one or both undescended testes.

RING - The bookmakers - collectively - in one of the enclosures.

ROAN - Mixture of white and red (or brown) hairs.

ROARING - Deep, prolonged cough, generally when a horse is galloping.

ROGUE - Ill-tempered horse.

ROMP - Running (or winning) with utmost ease.

ROOF - The 'tic-tac' term for 4/1.

ROUTE - Race distance of a mile or longer.

ROUTER - Horse who performs well at distance races.

RULE 4 - If horses are withdrawn late with insufficient time to form a new betting market, remaining horses are subject to a deduction if placed.

RUNDOWN - Of a horse, to suffer abrasions on the heels as a result of contact with the dirt and sand of the track surface.

RUNDOWN BANDAGES (or WRAPS) - Bandages on the hind legs, usually with a pad inside, to keep a horse from "burning" or scraping his heels in races.

RUN FREE - a horse who is over eager to set the pace and is difficult to restrain.

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.

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 jumping tchnique is highlighted.

SCHOOLING LIST - List of horses required by the starter to school at the starting gate before being permitted to race.

SCOPE - The potential in a horse.

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 / SELLER - A race where the winner is sold at auction immediately afterwards. This happens at the race meeting itself.

SESAMOID - Sesamoid bones are located at the back of the fetlock, the joint formed by the pastern bone and the cannon bone.

SET - A group of horses working together.

SET DOWN - A suspension. Also, put to a drive, or asked to run by a jockey.

SETTLER - Bookmakers employee who calculates bets.

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.

SHORT RUNNER - a horse who barely stays, or doesn't stay, the full distance of a race.

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.

SILVER RING - An enclosure cheaper than Tattersall's and usually sited adjacent to it.

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.

SLOPPY - Condition of footing. Wet on surface with firm bottom.

SLOW - Footing that is not fast, between good and heavy.

SNUG - Mild restraining hold by rider.

SOLID HORSE - Contender.

SOPHOMORE - Three-year-old horse.

SPEEDY CUT - Injury to knee or hock caused by a strike from the opposite foot.

SPIT BOX - Receptacle for urine and blood taken from a horse for testing.

SPIT THE BIT - When a horse quits running against the bit, usually because of fatigue; often said disdainfully: "Luck Lady really spit out the bit".

SPREAD A PLATE - When a horse loses a shoe.

SPRINGER - A horse whose price shortens dramatically, each new quotation being taken up.

STAKES-PLACED - Finishing first, second 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 are 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 race.

STARTING PRICE / SP - This is often abbreviated to SP. These are the returned prices of the horses which form the basis of the pay out to winning punters if they haven't taken a specified price themselves.

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.

STEAMER - A horse whose odds are continually shortened in the face of heavy support.

STEEPLECHASE - A jumping race over high obstacles.

STEPS UP - A horse moving up in class to meet better runners.

STEWARDS - Top officials at the meeting responsible for enforcing the rules.

STEWARD'S ENQUIRY - On any suspected infringements of the 'Rules of Racing' the Stewards hold an investigation.

STICK - A jockey's whip.

STICKS - Jumps (hurdles or fences) as opposed to the Rat.

STICKERS - Calks on shoes which give a horse better traction in mud or on soft tracks.

STOCKINGS - White legs below the knees.

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.

SUSPECT FORM - Form which is questionable. This may be due to an unusually slow time or weak opposition.

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.

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.

TATTERSALL'S - The enclosure next in status to Members'. Includes access to the main betting area (the Ring) and the paddock.

TIMEFORM: popular handicapping service.

TATTOO - A letter and a group of numerals applied to the underside of the upper lip of each registered Thoroughbred.

TELETHEATER - Special facility for showing simulcast races.

THRUSH - Inflammation of the cleft of the frog.

TIC-TAC - The hand signals, or sign language, used by bookmakers at racecourses to converse with eachother.

TIGHT - Ready to race.

TIMBER TOPPER - Jumper or steeplechase horse. More properly horses jumping over timber fences.

TIPSTER - An individual who attempts to correctly predict the outcome of a race/races.

TISSUE - The betting forecast of how an on-course bookmaker thinks the betting on a race now open.

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.

TOTE - Government owned bookmaker.

TOTE RIGGING - Inflated returns are achieved by investing money on unwanted horses on the course - which goes into the Tote pool - while sizeable investments are made away from the course on the desired animals. The 'away' money does not normally find its way into the Tote pool.

TOUT - One who gives tips on racehorses, usually with ecpcetation of some personal reward in return; to give tips.

TRACK BIAS - A racing surface that favors a particular running style or position; horses that run on the lead or on the rail.

TRACK RECORD - Fastest time at various distances recorded at a particular track.

TREBLE - A multiple bet where 3 horses are bet on to win as an accumulator. Each way trebles predict placed horses also.

TRIAL - Workout.

TRIFECTA (or TRIPLE) - A wager picking the first three finishers in exact order.

TRIP - A horse's race.

TRIPLE CROWN - In the U.S, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. In England the 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and St. leger.

TURF COURSE - Grass course.

TURN DOWN - A protrusion on the bottom of a horseshoe added to give traction.

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 STARTERS ORDERS OR UNDER ORDERS - The moments preceding a race before the horses start.

UNDER WRAPS - Horse under stout restraint in a race or workout.

UNFANCIED - A horse not expected to win.

UNTRIED - Not raced or tested for speed. Also a stallion who has not been bred.

UNWIND - Gradually withdrawing a horse from intensive training.

VALET - Person who attends riders and keeps their wardrobe and equipment in order.

WALK HOTS - To cool a horse out after a workout or race.

WALKOVER - Race with only one starter who merely gallops required distance. A formal gesture required by the rules of racing.

WARMING UP - Galloping horse on way to post.

WASHY - Horse breaking out in nervous sweat before race.

WEANLING - A foal that is less than 1-year-old that has been separated from its dam.

WEAVING - Swaying motion in stall, or act of threading way through field in race.

WEIGH IN/WEIGH OUT - When a jockey is weighed to make sure he is the required and stated weight.

WEIGHT-FOR-AGE SCALE - 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.

WINDED - Breathing with difficulty after workout or race.

WINNER-TAKES-ALL - Winner receiving all the purse or stakes.

WITHERS - The highest point of a horse's shoulder.

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. A workout.

 

 

XIS - The 'tic-tac' term for 6/1.

YEARLING - Thoroughbred between the first New Year's Day after being foaled and the following January 1.

YIELDING - Condition of turf course with a great deal of moisture.

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