Horse Racing Lingo
A horse under only a hand ride was not whipped by the jockey. Heavy Track: A grass racing surface that has received an extremely large amount of water and is an almost bog-like condition. Horse: Technically, a male horse five years old or greater is a 'horse'. A male horse under five years of. A racing system devised for the daily double bet in which the bettor backs one horse in the first race and every horse in the second (also known as Baseball or Locking). Weight-For-Age The purpose of weight-for-age is to allow horses of different age and sex to compete on equal terms. Daily Racing Form offers horse racing past performances, free handicapping software, race entries for all North American racetracks, results, charts, workouts, Thoroughbred horse racing news and free publications to help you learn to play the races.
Horse Racing has a language of it’s own. For someone new it can be confusing to try to follow what some people are talking about. Here are some common terms you will hear and what they mean.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ABC Wagering | ABC Wagering is a wagering system invented by Steven Crist that allows you to rank the horses according to their appeal to you. 'A' runners are the ones most likely to win, 'B' runners are somewhat likely to win and 'C' runners are unlikely but might have a shot. Given those ranking you can construct your bets more efficiently. |
| Across The Board | Across the Board bet is a bet on a a runner to Win, Place, and Show. If the runner wins the player collects all three prices, if the runner comes in second the player collects the Place and Show prices, and if the runner comes in third the player collects the Show price only |
| Action | A) The way a horse moves. B) To wager. I.E. (Number 1 has all of the action). |
| Added Money | Money added to the purse of a race by an industry fund to the amount paid by owners in nomination, eligibility, entry and fees. |
| Addin | Money added by the host track to pool. (Seed Money) |
| Agent | A person legally empowered to conduct business for a stable owner or jockey, may buy or sell horses for an owner or breeder. |
| Airing | Running slower than normal in a race. |
| All-Out | When a runner is pushing it to the edge, going faster and harder than normal. |
| Allowance Race | A race where the runners are allowed to carry different weight based on age, sex and/or past race performances. |
| Also-Eligible | A horse that is officially entered in the race, but will only run if other horses are scratched below a specified number. |
| Anterior | Toward front. |
| Apprentice | Rider which has ridden less then a specified number of races. May be denoted with an asterisk in the program. |
| Apron | Area between the grandstand and race track. Normally a paved spectator area. |
| Baby Race | A race for two year old horses. |
| Backside / Backstretch | Employee and stable area many times located behind the track. |
| Bandage | Bandages are used on horses in a race to support their legs and help protect against injury. |
| Barrier / Tape | Starting device used in steeple chase racing which is stretched across the racetrack and springs back out of way when released. |
| Bell | Signal sounded to indicate betting is stopped. May happen when the gate opens or prior. |
| Beyer Number | Popular handicapping ranking popularized by author Andrew Beyer, assigns a numerical value to each runner based on final time and track conditions. |
| Bit | Aluminum, rubber, or stainless steel bar attached to the bridle which fits in the horse's mouth and allows the rider/jockey to exert control over the horse. |
| Blanket | Covering for a runner bearing the number and color corresponding to post position. |
| Bleeder | A horse that is prone to bleeding from the lungs during exercise or running. May be exacerbated by either extreme hot or cold temperatures. May be preventively treated with Lasix. |
| Blinkers | A device to limit the range of vision of a horse. Prevents the horse from being distracted/scared by the crowd or other objects/horses. |
| Board | Historically the 'Tote Board' in the middle of the racetrack that displayed pool totals and odds. May refer to any display presenting odds/pool totals. |
| Bolt | When a runner suddenly veer's off course. |
| Bomber | When a long shot (high odds) horse wins. |
| Box | Bet type that uses all selections in each possible position. I.E. Trifecta Box |
| Breakage | Remaining pennies after rounding, may go to the state or entity taking the wager depending on state rules. (Negative Breakage is paid by the entity taking the wager) |
| Bute | Phenylbutazone, a NSAID that is legal in many jurisdictions. Also known by Butazolidin and Butazone. |
| Call | The actual position of the horses at a certain point in the race. |
| Carryover | Many pools may payout partially if no-one selects the exact finish. In that case the left over money will be added to the next (or specified) instance of the same pool. If a pool is not 'hit', this can lead to successive carryovers and very large pools. In some instances carryovers may be forced-out and paid to those with the most correct selections (5 of 6 etc.). Carryovers are more likely in pools with more legs. I.E. Pick 6 or Super High Five. |
| Chart | Shows the position and distance of each horse at pre-determined points of call, runners age, weight, owner, trainer, jockey, race statisics and other data. |
| Checked | When a jockey must slow a horse due to others in its path. |
| Chute | Extension of the straight stretches of the track allowing runners to get up to speed before going into a turn. |
| Claiming | Method that any licensed person may purchase a running horse entered in a 'claiming race' for a predetermined price. When a runner is claimed the runner changes owners as soon as the race begins although the prior runner still retains all purse money for the race. Thus the new owner takes the risk of the race and the old owner takes the reward. |
| Claiming Race | A race with a predtermined amount that any runner in the race can be purchased at. (See Claiming) |
| Classic | Historically significant race. |
| Clerk of Scales | Racing official whose duty is to ensure riders are properly weighed before and after each race. |
| Clocker | Person that times the races and workouts of a runner. |
| Closer | Runner that tends to do best in the late stages of a race. |
| Colt | Ungelded male horse under four years old. |
| Commingle | Combining wagers into the same pool from multiple wagering locations. |
| Conditions | Requirements and rules for a certain race. Restrictions may include age, sex, winning money, winning races, weight carried, and/or distance of race. |
| Dam | Female parent of a horse. |
| Dam's Sire | Maternal grandfather of a horse. |
| Dead Heat | Two or more runners finishing at the same exact time in a race. (Tie) |
| Deep Stretch | Near the finish line in a race. |
| Decimal Odds | Actual probable payout for a runner to win. More accurate than fractional odds which may involve rounding. |
| Derby | Stakes race for three year olds. |
| Distaff | A female horse. |
| Distanced | A runner so far behind there is no possible way it may win. |
| Driving | A horse running as hard as possible under urging from the jockey/driver. |
| Earmuffs | Device covering horses ears to prevent noise from distracting it. |
| Eased | Gently slowing a horse during a race. |
| Eligible | Qualified to start in a race. |
| Entry Fee | Money paid by an owner to put their runner in the race. |
| Entry | Two or more horses with common ownership or common trainers which run as a single betting interest. Rules vary between jurisdictions. |
| Exotic | Refers to any wager other than win, place, or show. |
| Fast | Track condition where it is dry and evenly packed. |
| Fence | Railing on inside of track. |
| Field | All runners in a race. |
| Filly | Female horse under four years old. |
| Firm | Track condition on a turf course where it is dry and evenly packed. |
| Flag | Manual race start signal. |
| Force-Out | A pool which will be paid fully even if no one selects the correct order. |
| Front-Runner | Runner which normally leads the pack, may do poorly once in the middle of the pack. |
| Furlong | 660 Feet = 220 yard = 1/8 of a mile. |
| Furosemide | Commonly known as Lasix. Medication to help prevent bleeding in some horses. |
| Gait | Particular characteristic of the way a horse walks, such as: walk, trot, canter, or gallop. |
| Gap | Opening in the railing where horses may enter and leave the racecourse. |
| Granddam | Grandmother of a horse. |
| Grandsire | Grandfather of a horse. |
| Groom | Person that cares for horses in the stable. |
| Hand | Measurement equivalent to four inches. |
| Handle | Amount of money wagered on a pool/race/event. |
| Hard | Track condition where it is extremely solid. |
| Head | Term for when a horse is leading another by a small amount (the size of their head). |
| Heat | Race in which the winners will qualify to run in a later more prestigious race. |
| Infield | The area inside the inner railing of the racecourse. |
| Inquiry | Judges/Stewards investigating a possible rule violation. May result in disqualification of a runner in some circumstances. |
| In The Money | A runner that finishes in first, second, or third place. |
| Lasix | See furosemide. |
| Length | Sight measurement equivalent to the length of a horse. Denotes distances between horses during a race. |
| Lock | A sure thing, cannot lose. (Or so they say..) |
| Lure | Mechanical device used to guide the greyhounds around the racetrack. |
| Maiden | Horse that has not won a race. |
| Mare | Female horse older than five years. |
| Matinee | Race program conducted during daylight hours. |
| Minus Pool | A pool where a favorite horse is bet so much that when it wins the entities taking the bet must add money back to the pool to cover the legal minimum payout. |
| Mudder | A runner that does better in wet/muddy conditions. |
| Mutuel Pool | Sum of all wagers on a specific bet type for a specific race (or races in multi-race pools). |
| Neck | A sight measurement generally equivalent to the length of a horses neck. |
| Nose | A sight measurement meaning very small distance. |
| Oaks | Stakes race for three year old female horses. |
| Objection | Claim of a foul or rule infraction made by a jockey against another horse/rider. |
| Official | Race is final and tickets can be paid/redeemed for shown prices. |
| Off Track Betting | Wagering at legal betting outlets not at the actual racetrack. All wagering on AmWager is Off Track Betting. |
| On The Board | Runner finishing in the top three positions. |
| Overlay | A runner / combination that has been wagered on less than it warrants based on statistics. |
| Pacesetter | The horse running in front. The leader. |
| Paddock | Area where horses are saddled and paraded for the crowd before racing. |
| Part Wheel | Using multiple horses in each leg of a wager. Also known as just Wheel. |
| Past Performance | Statistics about the actual performance of a runner in its past races. |
| Photo Finish | Finish where the order is too close to call visually, judges must view the high-speed finish camera to determine the winners. |
| Pick | Type of multi-race wager where you must pick the winner in each selected race. I.E. Pick 3, Pick 5, Pick 6. |
| Place | Second position. A wager that pays on first or second. |
| Post | Starting position of a runner in the race. |
| Post Time | Designated time the race should begin. |
| Purse | Total money distributed to owners of the top finishers of the race. |
| Rail | Barrier on either side of the racing surface. |
| Rail Runner | A runner that likes to stay near the inside rail of a track. |
| Schooling Race | Practice race. |
| Scratch | Removed from the race. May be removed for various reasons. |
| Self-Serve | A machine that you can place a wager at a track without interacting with a teller. |
| Show | Third position. A wager which pays out if a runner comes in at least third. |
| Silks | Jacket and cap worn by jockey's that designate the owner of the horse, or post position. (Varies based on track) |
| Simulcast | Transmission of the race to other locations. |
| Sire | Male parent of a horse. |
| Sloppy | Track condition - Wet with water visible on the track. |
| Slow | Track condition - Track is wet and somewhat soaked. |
| Soft | Track condition - Extremely wet, horses may sink deeply. |
| Sprint | Short race. |
| Stakes | A race in which the owner must pay an entry fee. Generally has higher purses than other races. |
| Stallion | Male horse used for breeding. |
| Starting Gate | Device which serves to hold the runners until the start of the race and then release them evenly. |
| Takeout | The percentage of each bet deducted prior to going into the pool. Shared by the entity taking the bet, the track, government bodies, tote systems, and others. |
| Thoroughbred | A horse whose lineage can be traced back to either Darley Arabian, Byerly Turk or Godolphin Bar and has satifised all requirements of The Jockey Club, and has registered in a stud book recognized by The Jockey Club. |
| Thoroughbred Racing Association | Industry group comprised of many race tracks in North America. |
| Tote / Totalizator | Computer system which aggregates wagers, displays odds, and calculates payouts. |
| Tout | Person which claims to have the best knowledge of who will win. |
| Track Bias | Some race courses may favor certain types of runners. Finding the bias in a track can help handicapping. |
| Trip | Description of how a specific horse performed in a race. |
| Underlay | A runner or combination which has had more money bet on it than statistics warrants. |
| Untried | A runner that has never ran in these specific conditions. |
| Wire | The finish line. |
| Work | To exercise a runner. |
Across the board: A bet on one horse to win, place, and show.
Allowance or Allowance Race: A non-claiming event in which the racing secretary conditions weight allowances based on previous purse earnings and/or types of victories.
Also Eligible or 'AE': Horses entered into the field that will not run unless other horses are scratched.
Apprentice Jockey:A student jockey that will receive a weight allowance of varying degrees depending on his or her experience.
Backstretch: The straight part of the track opposite the finish line or the stable area.
Baby Race: A race for two year old horses, especially early in the season.
Blinkers: Eye equipment that limits a horse’s vision; generally used to help the horse concentrate on running and to reduce distraction.
Break Maiden: When a horse or rider wins for the first time.
Breeze: A term generally used to describe a workout in which a horse is easily running under a hold without encouragement from the rider.
Bridge jumper: A bettor that places large bets in the Place or Show pools on odds-on favorites.
Broodmare: A female thoroughbred that is used for breeding.
Broodmare dam: A mare that produces female progeny that are used for breeding.
Broodmare sire: A male horse that produces female progeny that are used for breeding.
Bug Boy:An apprentice jockey
Bull Ring: A small track where the oval is generally less than one mile and, thus, has very tight turns.
Buy the race: Using every single horse running in a specific race in an exotic wager.For example, if a player buys a Daily Double ticket for the 1st and 2nd race that is 8 with ALL, the bettor will have 'bought' the second race.
Carryover: Usually refers to money in the parimutuel pool for a Pick Six wager that is left over after a sequence fails to have a single player select all of the winners. For example, if there are no winning tickets for a Pick Six on a Friday at a track, the money left in the pool (minus the track take) is a considered a carryover and will be added to the pool for Saturday's Pick Six. Successive carryovers can lead to very large Pick Six pools.
Claiming Race: A race where each horse in the field has a price and can be purchased by any person that makes a valid claim prior to the running of the race.
Clocker: A person that times and/or rates workouts.
Clubhouse Turn: The first turn of races that begin on the frontstretch/homestretch.
Horse Racing Terminology A-z
Colt: A male horse.
Condition: To train a horse
Conditions:The circumstances under which a race will be run, such as: surface, distance, purse, and eligibilities.
Consolation:
A payout, typically in a Pick Six, where players without a full winning ticket still receive money. For example, a player that hits 5-of-6 races in the Pick 6 will typically collect a small consolation payout. Consolations are generally much smaller than the full payout.
Daily Double: A wager in which the player attempts to pick the winner of two sequential races with a single ticket.
Dam:The mother of a horse.
Dark:A day in which a track is not featuring live racing.
Derby:A stakes race for three year old horses.
Distance of ground: A route race or a race run around two turns.
Dog: A cone or other obstruction placed a specified distance from the rail of the turf course to keep horses from damaging that portion of the grass.
Eased: A horse that is pulled up or stopped prior to finishing the race
Exacta: A bet in which the player attempts to pick the 1st and 2nd place horse on one ticket.
Fast Track: Rating of a dirt track that is dry and hard.
Filly: A female horse
Fire Sale: A drastic reduction in the claiming price of a horse.
Foal: A newborn horse.
Form: The current condition of a horse; may also refer to The Daily Racing Form publication.
Fractions: Clocking at quarter-mile increments in either a race or a workout.
Front Runner: A horse that wants to run on or near the lead.
Furlong: One eighth of a mile.
Gelding: A castrated male horse.
Going: The condition of the racing surface.Dirt courses are generally rated Fast, Good, Muddy, or Sloppy.Turf courses are generally rated Firm, Good, Yielding, Soft, or Heavy.
Graded Race: A stakes race that is assigned a grade (I, II, or III) by the American Graded Stakes Committee based on the relative strength of the race as compared to all other races.This is the highest form of racing.
Half sister: A female horse out of the same dam as the other horse but with a different sire.Horses with the same sire but different dams are not considered half sisters or brothers.
Handicap: A race in which the racing secretary assigns weights designed to equalize the winning chances of the entrants; or to study horses’ records in order to determine the chances of each to win the race.
Handily: A fairly strenuous workout where the jockey urges the horse on but does not use the whip.
Handle: Total sum bet on a race or during an entire day.
Hand ride: A jockey that is urging a horse on by 'scrubbing' his hand up and down its neck.A horse under only a hand ride was not whipped by the jockey.
Heavy Track: A grass racing surface that has received an extremely large amount of water and is an almost bog-like condition.
Horse: Technically, a male horse five years old or greater is a 'horse'.A male horse under five years of age is technically a 'colt'.
In hand: A horse running under restraint.
Inquiry: An official investigation by the stewards of the running of the race to determine whether a foul was committed by a horse or jockey.
In the money: To finish in the top four; this generally entitles the owner to a share of the purse.In betting terms 'in the money' means to finish in the top three.
Irons: Stirrups
Jockey agent: An individual that obtains rides for a jockey.
Juvenile: A two year old horse.
Look of Eagles: A horse that has a confident look.John Henry had the Look of Eagles.
Lug In: A horse that bears (drifts towards the rail) in during the stretch run; usually the sign of a tired horse.
Maiden: A horse that has never won a race; or a race for horses that have never won a race.
Marathon: A race longer than 1 ¼ miles long.
Mare: A female horse aged five or older.
Middle distance: A race longer than seven furlongs but shorter than 1 1/8 miles.
Miler: A horse that prefers to race at or near a mile in distance.
Minus Pool: When enough money is bet on one horse that the pool is insufficient, after the track take, to pay the holders of the winning ticket the legal minimum odds.In this situation, the track is required to make up the difference to ensure that the bettors are paid the full amount.
Morning line odds: The odds set by the track prior to the opening of the pools.
Muddy Track: A dirt track that is soft, wet and holding.
Oaks: A stakes race for three year old fillies.
Objections: A claim of foul by a jockey following the race.
Odds: The chances of a horse to win a particular race based on the pari-mutuel wagering of the general public.The payouts for a $2 bet with corresponding odds are listed below:
Odds | $2 Payout | Odds | $2 Payout | Odds | $2 Payout |
1-9 | $2.10 | 3-2 | $5.00 | 5-1 | $12.00 |
1-5 | $2.40 | 8-5 | $5.20 | 6-1 | $14.00 |
2-5 | $2.80 | 9-5 | $5.60 | 8-1 | $18.00 |
1-2 | $3.00 | 2-1 | $6.00 | 10-1 | $22.00 |
3-5 | $3.20 | 5-2 | $7.00 | 12-1 | $26.00 |
4-5 | $3.60 | 3-1 | $8.00 | 15-1 | $32.00 |
Even | $4.00 | 7-2 | $9.00 | 20-1 | $42.00 |
6-5 | $4.40 | 4-1 | $10.00 | 30-1 | $62.00 |
7-5 | $4.80 | 9-2 | $11.00 | 50-1 | $102.00 |
Odds Board: The tote board, usually found in the infield.
Off the board: A horse that fails to finish in the money.
Off the pace: A horse that is lagging back in the early stages of the race.
Off-track: A racing surface that is anything other than Fast (Dirt) or Firm (Turf/Grass).
Optional Claimer: A race where the horses in the field may or may not be entered for a claiming price.
Overlay: A horse whose odds are higher than its actual chance of winning, as determined by the player.For example, if a player determines that horse A’s odds are 4/1 that he will win, but the current odds at the track offer the horse at 10/1, that horse would be considered an 'overlay'.Overlays are good, underlays are bad.
Pace: The speed of the leaders at each stage of the race.
Parimutuels: French system of wagering where winning bettors get all the money wagered by the losers, after a deduction of a percentage by the track (Take Out).
Horse Racing Terms And Phrases
Pick 3 (or 4, 5, 6, etc.): An exotic wager which requires the player to pick the winner in successive races.
Post: Starting gate.
Quarter crack: An injury to the hoof of a horse.
Quarter pole: Post on the infield rail that indicates two furlongs to the finish line.
Rank: A horse that refuses to be rated early on in the race.
Rate: To restrain a horse early on in the race in order to conserve energy for the later stages.
Horse Racing Lingo Betting
Route: Generally a race that is run around two turns.
School: To train a horse, generally in the starting gate or the paddock.
Scratch: To withdraw a horse from a race.
Shadow roll: A roll of cloth placed across a horse's nose in order to block its vision of the ground and prevent it from jumping shadows.
Horse Racing Glossary
Shake up: Urging by the jockey, either with his hands or the whip, to make the horse run faster.
Shipper: A horse that has traveled from one track to another to run in a race.
Shut out: When a player fails to make his bet at the window prior to the gate opening.
Sloppy track: A track that is wet, covered with puddles, but not yet 'muddy'.
Spit the bit: When a tired horse stops running hard.
Sprint: A short race, seven furlongs or less.
Stewards: Three person panel that determines whether or not any rules violations occurred during the race.
Superfecta: A wager in which the player attempts to select the order of the first four finishers in a race. Due to the difficulty of this wager, a winning superfecta wager generally pays out at high odds.
Tag: Claiming price. A horse entered for a 'tag' is entered in a claiming race.
Track Take: Money deducted from each pool for track revenue and taxes.
Trifecta: A wager in which the player selects the first three horses in a race in order.
Trip: The course followed by a horse and rider during the running of a race and describes the 'trouble' encountered. A horse that had a 'good trip' did not encounter any unusual difficulty. A 'bad trip' might involve racing wide, or being boxed in by other horses.
Turf course: A grass covered course.
Under wraps: A horse in which the rider is holding it back and intentionally keeping it from running at top speed.
Washed out: A nervous horse that is sweating.