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. |