gelding a castrated male horse.
gentleman jockey an amateur jockey.
graduate to break maiden.
groom the stable assistant who grooms the horse and escorts it to the paddock for a race.
grunter an out-of-condition horse.
gumbo a heavy mud track.
half-mile pole the pole located 4 furlongs from the finish line.
hand a measure of equine height, specifically 4 inches.
handicap the assigning of weights to equalize competition. Also, to study the records of horses' past performances to help in choosing a future winner.
hand ride to teach a horse to take longer or faster strides by pulling on its head at the beginning of each stride.
hat trick a jockey's winning of three races on a single program.
hayburner a horse that costs more money to maintain than it is worth.
head of the stretch the last portion of the final turn.
heat a race.
herd to turn a horse to block another from gaining a superior position.
homestretch the straightaway in front of the stands.
hop to drug a horse illegally.
hot-walker a stable assistant who walls a horse to cool it off after a race.
impost the weight a horse must carry in a handicap race.
infield the area inside of the track, where the tote board is located.
inquiry an official investigation of a race to determine if it was run fairly.
THOROUGHBRED RACING 553 irons stirrups.
jockey the rider. Also, to jockey for position during a race.
juvenile a two-year-old.
kiss the eighth pole to finish way behind.
lead pony the horse and rider that lead thoroughbreds to the post.
leather a whip.
length 8 to 9 feet.
maiden a jockey or horse that hasn't won a race yet.
mile pole a colored post marking 1 mile to the finish line.
monkey crouch a riding style characterized by a low crouch over the horse's withers.
muck out to clean out a horse's stall.
mudder a horse that runs especially well on muddy tracks.
nightcap the final race on a card.
objection a jockey's complaint of a foul.
odds board the tote board.
odds on odds of less than even money.
off the board to finish out of the money.
off-track betting betting conducted away from the track.
outrider the mounted escort who leads horses to the post.
overland making wide turns.
paddock a saddling enclosure or stall. Also, a pasture.
pari-mutuel a betting system in which the winners collect all the money bet by the losers, minus house percentage.
pasteboard track a fast track that is thin and hard.
pinched back getting pocketed and pushed back behind a group of horses.
pocket being surrounded by other horse.
pony any nonracing, working horse on a track, such as a lead pony.
pool the total amount bet.
post the starting gate.
pull to hold a horse back intentionally to prevent it from winning.
punter one who plays the horses.
quarter pole the colored post 2 furlongs from the finish line.
quinella betting in which the bettor tries to pick the first two finishers.
racing secretary the track handicapper and official who assigns weights in handicap races.
rack up to run into or interfere with several horses at once.
rate to hold back a horse early in a race to help conserve its energy for the home-stretch.
roar loud coughlike breathing of a horse.
runner a messenger between the people in the clubhouse boxes and the mutuel window.
run wide to run too far out from the inside rail and waste ground.
saliva test a drug test performed on winning horses.
save ground to hug the inside rail, the most efficient means of saving ground and running the track faster.
scenic route a wide run covering too much ground; an inefficient run.
scratch the withdrawal of an entrant from a race.
scratch sheet a racing tip sheet featuring graded handicaps, scratches, and so on.
seat the rider's posture on a horse.
sex allowance a weight concession granted to female horses running against males.
shed row row of barns near the backstretch.
shoe board a sign listing the types of shoes worn by the entrants.
short an out-of-shape horse that fades in a stretch.
shut off to cut in front of another racer and block him out.
silks see colors.
sixteenth pole the pole marking half a furlong from the finish line.
skin to roll the surface of a track to make it harder and faster.
sleeper an underrated horse.
sophomore a three-year-old horse.
spit out the bit said of an exhausted horse who refuses to go any further.
sprint any short race, about 7 furlongs or less.
stake the commission paid to the winning jockey or trainer.
stall gate a starting gate having individual compartments for each horse.
stewards the three officials of racing law who judge races.
stiff to hold back a horse intentionally to prevent it from winning.
string collective term for the horses owned by one stable.
tack collective term for the saddle and other equipment placed on the horse.
three-eighths pole the colored pole marking 3 furlongs from the finishing line.
three-quarters pole the colored pole marking 6 furlongs from the finish line.
tout a trainer, groom, stable boy, jockey, or other person connected to the sport who provides "inside information" on a horse or race for a fee.
trackmaster person in charge of maintaining the track.
Triple Crown winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.
urine test a drug test for horses.
valet one who cares for a jockey's clothing and carries his tack.
walking ring an oval walking area near the paddock where the horses are walked for the purpose of observation by the betting public. Also known as the parade ring.
walkover a race in which every horse is scratched but one, who can win simply by walking in.
washy of a horse, sweaty.
weigh-in the weighing of jockeys with tack after a race is over.
weigh-out the weighing of jockeys with track before a race begins.
whoop-de-doo an aggressive riding style in which the horse is frequently whipped and is allowed to run as fast as possible without restraint.