Horse Race Terminology

It’s easy to walk onto a racetrack in America and place a bet on a horse, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve placed a smart bet. Successful betters have done the ground work required to make a valuable wager. For enthusiasts new to the horse racing world, it’s imperative to have a fluent understanding of horse race terminology. This well help you understand press releases, commentaries and reviews about the horses you are considering and aid in the eventual success of your wagers. This section outlines some of the most important horse race terminology encountered in the field.

From the beginning, it’s important to understand the jargon associated with the race track itself. Every race starts with a post parade, which allows the horses to walk past the stands before the race begins. This is your last chance to observe the horses, their behaviors and temperament, but it’s also your last chance to change any bets before the race begins. The horses continue to the post where the race will start and assume the appropriate post position in the starting gate. The post position is the location of the stall in the starting gate where a horse waits for the signal of the race to begin. Poles are located at strategic points around the track and mark the distance left to the finish line. The poles help riders keep track of time and are used by trainers to guide riders through racing strategies. In addition, every track has a backstretch, head of stretch, and stretch. The backstretch is the straightaway located on the far side of the track. Horses race from the backstretch to the head of stretch, which is the beginning of the straight run for the finish line. This last leg of the race is called the stretch.

Now that you have a basic knowledge of the geography of the track, you will want to learn common descriptions of its condition. A dead track is a surface on which horses have difficulty gaining and maintaining speed. The opposite would be a fast track if you are watching dirt track races. This means that the track is dry, even, and fast. On turf tracks or grass tracks, an ideal track would be labeled firm. With perfect conditions and perfect weather, a track is called a pasteboard track and onlookers should expect a clean, swift race.

Once you’ve mastered the lingo of the track, you can move onto the horses. Watch out for horses bearing in or out, these horses can’t maintain a straight line on the track and it’s usually a sign that they are injured or tired. Also, look for horses that are flattened out. This is when horses lower their heads almost in line with their backs and is a considered a sign of fatigue. On the other side of the spectrum is a washy horse that sweats in anticipation of a race or the horse under wraps, which must be physically restrained by the rider in order to maintain a slower pace. Out on the track, horses can be known as front runners, closers, or morning glories. Front runners like to stay in front of the pack for the entirety of the race. Closers prefer to keep their distance from the front until the final stretch and then close in on the leader. Morning glories typically have great morning runs, but then give a less than impressive performance on race day. Some horses are labeled hung if they can hold track position, but can’t gain ground on the leader. If two horses tie in a race, the finish is called a dead heat. Along the same lines, if two horses finish very close together it’s called a blanket finish, signifying that they are so close you could drape a blanket across both of their backs.

Now that you’ve developed a comfortable knowledge of racetrack lingo, explore betting terminology in the next section to insure you place a well-informed bet at the race track.