All aspects of Thoroughbred horse racing in North America is governed by the Jockey Club of New York. All thoroughbred horses are registered in the Stud Book by the Jockey Club of their country of birth. The term Thoroughbred describes a breed of horse whose ancestry traces back to three foundation sires -- the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerly Turk. Named after their respective owners -- Thomas Darley, Lord Godolphin and Captain Robert Byerly -- these three stallions were brought to England from the Mediterranean Middle East around the turn of the 17th century and bred to the stronger, but less precocious, native horse. The result was an animal that could carry weight with sustained speed over extended distances, qualities which brought a new dimension to the burgeoning, aristocratically supported, sport of horse racing. All thoroughbreds share an official birthday, January 1.
The races are measured in furlongs, equal to 1/8 of a mile, 660 feet or 220 yards. The shortest distance that the racetrack is divided into is a 1/16 of a mile (1/2 of a furlong). A plus (+) symbol is equal to 70 yards.
The distances of graded stakes races in North America currently ranges from 5.5 furlongs (Tremont Stakes, GIII at Belmont for 2 year old colts) to 1 and 3/4 miles (San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap, GI at Santa Anita for 3 year olds and up). The Display Handicap at Aqueduct every fall is 2 1/4 miles, although it is not graded. The Jockey Club Gold Cup was previously two miles.
Races are classified according to importance, ranging from cheap claiming races to stakes races.
A handicap is a race in which horses are assigned different weights to carry according to apparent ability. In theory, this gives every horse an equal chance of winning.
A claiming race is a race in which any horse in the race may be purchased for a specified sum before the race. Claims are announced after the race. In Europe a claiming race is known as a selling plate.
Maiden races are races for horses which have never won a race so a horse winning for the first time is "breaking his maiden"
In an allowance race, horses are assigned weights according to factors stated in the race's entry conditions. Allowances may take into account the type of races won recently, or the age and sex of the entries. For example, the conditions may state that "non-winners since February 10 allowed 3 pounds, since January 10, 5 pounds," and a horse that hasn't won since the given date is "allowed" the given amount of weight.
An overnight handicap is a handicap race in which entries are made only one or two days in advance.
Allowance races and overnight handicaps are sometimes referred to as "middle class" races. Horses who campaign regularly in these races are better than claimers, but yet are not good enough to win stakes races on a regular basis. Stakes quality horses often race in allowance races as tune ups between more important races.
A Futurity is a race for two year olds, and entries are often nominated before they are born.
A Derby is a race for three year olds.
The words Oaks and Distaff both refer to races for fillies and mares.
Stakes races are the important races owners and trainers aim to win. Money from entry fees is added to the purse, hence the term "added money".
Since 1973, important stakes races have been graded in order to show which races are considered most important. Grades are expressed in Roman numerals, from I to III.
Graded stakes are known as group races in Europe.
A turf race is a race run on grass rather than dirt. Races in England and Europe are run on the grass but most races in America are run on the dirt.
A fast track is hard, dry, and even.
A sloppy track is wet, and may be slippery, but is firm beneath the water.
A muddy track is soft, slow, and wet, with horses often sinking to the fetlock in goo.
A heavy track is a track that was muddy and is drying out, but is still slow.
A slow track is between heavy and good.
A good track is acceptable, but not fast.
An off track is anything but fast.
Some terms to describe a turf course include firm (fast), soft, and yielding.
A mudder is a horse that runs well on an off track.
A purse is the prize money in a race.
A sprint is a race of less than a mile (8 furlongs).
A route race is a distance race rather than a sprint.
The term backside refers to the stabling area of a racetrack.
A bug boy is an apprentice jockey.
A horse is said to hit the board if it runs first, second, or third.
A horse is an also-ran if it ran out of the money (didn't place).
A dead heat occurs when two horses are inseparable at the wire, even with a photo finish, and they share the victory (may also occur for place or show)
Before a race, horses are saddled in the paddock.
A bad post horse is one that acts up at the start and delays the race.
Horses are at the post when they reach the starting gate.
The break is the start of the race.
Today, races start from a starting gate. The doors are held together magnetically, and when the starter cuts the electrical current, the doors fly open and "they're off."
Before the invention of the starting gate, horses broke from behind a web barrier, which sprang skyward at the start.
The Eclipse Awards have honored champions in each division since 1970, before which champions were chosen by different organizations, and often more than one champion was selected in a division, especially in the two year old division since top juveniles often didn't meet until their three year old season. Now all turf organizations vote together to name one champion per division, and a Horse of the Year.
The TOBA is the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.
The NYRA is the New York Racing Association.
The two main publications dealing with thoroughbred racing are the Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse. Others include American Turf Weekly and the Thoroughbred Record.
The Breeders Cup races were created in 1984 to help attract more sports fans to racing, as well as to bring the top horses in each division together each year. Breeders Cup Day is a Saturday in November, and the program of races includes 8 championship races, each worth at least a million dollars, with the highlight being the Breeders Cup Classic. The Breeders Cup races are run at a different racetrack each year.
A horse's breeder is it's dam's owner when it is foaled.
A horse is said to be by its sire and out of its dam.
A horse's broodmare sire is the sire of its dam.
A horse's tail male line traces his ancestry back through his sire, grandsire, etc. To one of the foundation sires.
A stallion is considered to be an excellent broodmare sire when he consistently sires stakes producing daughters.
The term stakes producing refers to a mare whose offspring have won stakes races.
Leading Sires are determined each year by earnings. Also determined by earnings are the Leading Broodmare Sires and Leading Juvenile Sires, and the Leading Sires of Sales Yearlings are determined by the average price of their offspring sold at auctions that year.
AEI stands for Average Earnings Index, which is the average earnings of a stallion's racing get to date OR the average earnings of a broodmare sire's prodigy to date.
The most important race in France is the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.
Today, races are timed to the fifth of a second. During the 1800's, they were timed to the fourth of a second.
NTR stands for New Track Record, NWR is New World Record. (NSR equals New Stakes Record and NCR means New Course Record, referring to a record set on a course other than the main course at the track, for example a turf course or the Inner Dirt Track at Aqueduct.) ETR means Equalled Track Record, EWR stands for Equals World Record, etc.
The only legal form of betting in America is parimutuel wagering. This was invented in France in 1865, and the name was originally "Paris Mutuals". Bookmakers, or Bookies, are still legal in England.
| Win: | The horseplayer (bettor) selects one horse, and wins if the horse finishes first. |
| Place: | The horseplayer selects one horse, and wins if the horse finishes first or second. |
| Show: | The horseplayer selects one horse, and wins if the horse finishes first, second, or third. |
| Exacta: | The horseplayer selects two horses, and wins if they finish first and second, in the right order. |
| Boxed exacta: | The horseplayer selects two horses, and wins if they finish first and second, in either order. |
| Trifecta: | The horseplayer selects three horses, and wins if they finish first, second, and third in the right order. |
| Daily double: | The player selects one horse in each of two given races, and wins if they both finish first. (Usually the first and second races on the program.) |
Betting across the board refers to placing three bets, win, place, and show, on one horse
A tout is a person who sells tips to bettors at the track, claiming to have inside information. NEVER PAY A TOUT OR TAKE A TIP. And when gambling, always remember that there is no such thing as a sure thing, even Man o' War lost once.
(c) HWS, 2003