Added Money	Money added to purse (usually by owners in the nominating process, to make a horse eligible to start)–entry fee.
Allowance Race	A race in which horses competing cannot be claimed; race conditions specified in condition book.
Also Ran	Out of the money finishers.
Announcer	Person who calls the position of horses as they race, sometimes referred to as caller.
Apprentice Allowance	Pounds of weight off given “bug” (apprentice) riders.
b	Indicates the color of the horse as “bay”.
Bay	A horse with any shade of brown body color and black points (mane, tail and lower legs).
Backside	Barn area of a race track.
Backstretch	Part of the race track with straightaway on far side from grandstand.
Bandages	Wrappings for horses legs to protect and support.
Beaten Favorite	Horse that ran as the favorite in a previous race and did not win.
blk	Indicates the color of the horse as black.
Bleeder	Horse bleedes from the lungs after exertion.
Blinkers	Headpiece or blinders restricting side vision of horse.
Blow Out	Pre-race tune up.
Bolt	Veering abruptly from straight course.
Breakdown	When a horse cannot run because of a physical injury; becomes lame.
Break Maiden	To win a race for the first time.
Breeze	Fast workout of ahorse. Clocker can get an official time from a breeze.
Bug Rider	Jockey who is an apprentice. He is entitled to carry less weight in a race depending on teh number of races he has won. Bugs are indicated in the program by asterisks (*).
Bute	(Phenylbutazone) Medication used to kill pain in horses.
Caulks	Metal cleats on horse shoes.
ch	Indicates the color of the horse as “chestnut”.
Change Leads	Horse changes stride to lead with the opposite leg.
Chestnut	A reddish-brown colored horse. Mane and tail may be a different shade but not black.
Chutes	An extension to the track making a straightaway run, so horses do not have to make an immediate turn when they run a race.
Claiming Race	A race in which horses competing in the race can be purchased (claimed) by a qualified buyer by entering a claim slip before the race is run. Equalizes competition by requiring owners to put a price tag on entries.
Clerk of Scales	Person employed by the track who weighs each jockey before each race to verify that the horse will be carrying its assigned weight. Jockeys are also weighed after each race.
Clocker	The timer who records the workouts of the horses at the race track.
Clubhouse Turn	The turn in the track closest to the Clubhouse.
Colors	Silks worn by jockey to distinguish owner’s horses.
Condition Book	Book issued by the racing secretary and officers of each track. The book explains in detail rules and regulations regarding eligibility for entering races. Each day’s racing conditions are spelled out for the program of the day.
Cool Out	Walking a horse after a race or workout to cool it down.
Coupled	Two horses entered by the same trainer in a race. Listed in the program as 1 and 1A. If two trainers couple horses the second group will be listed as 2 and 2B.
Crop	Jockey’s whip, sometimes referred to as bat.
Crowding	One horse forcing another horse into the inside rail of the track.
Dam	Mother of a horse.
Dark	There is no racing on a dark day.
Dead Heat	Two or more horses are tied at the finish of the race. If tied for first, the purse for first and second will be divided equally. The same applies for other ties.
Dk.B./Br.	Indicates the color of the horse as dark bay or brown.
Driving	Horse finishing strong at the end of a race.
Eligible	Meeting the conditions of a race.
Entry	Horse entered into a race.
Exercise Rider	A person who rides horses during morning workouts. Many jockeys also excercise horses.
fst	Fast track.
Filly	A female horse four years old or younger.
fm	Firm track (turf).
Foal	Baby horse, either sex.
Foal Papers	A Thoroughbred race horses must be registered with The Jockey Club. A copy of the registration papers must be kept on file at the race track during the period that the horse is racing. These papers include the horse’s name, pedigree and physical description.
fr	Frozen track.
Fractions	Times recorded during the running of the race, usually at 1/4 mile intervals and at the finish.
Furlong	1/8 of a mile (660 ft.).
gd	Good track condition.
Gait	The way a horse moves. The main four gaits of a horse are walk, trot (jog), canter and gallop.
Gate Card	Permission from officials for a horse to start in a race based on the fact that he has practiced in the starting gate and can break from the gate without endangering the other horses or riders.
Gelding	A castrated male horse.
Gimpy	Noticeable lameness.
gr	Indicates the color of the horse as gray.
Graduate	To win for the first time and move up from maiden classification.
Grooms	Stable hands hired by the trainer to care for the horses. They feed and water the horses, wash them down, bandage their legs, etc. Grooms lead the horses to the paddock before the race.
Hand	Unit of measure for horses height from the ground to the withers. One hand equals four inches.
Handicap	To consider all the variables and try to select a winner of a race.
Handicap Race	Race in which the weights carried are adjusted to equalize the horses’ chances of winning.
Handle	Total money bet, may be in terms of a race, day, meet, year or other period of time.
Hand Ride	Jockey uses only his hands, not a whip, to command the horse.
Hit the Board	Those horses whose numbers appear on the tote board as first, second, third or fourth.
Homestretch	The part of the track in front of the grandstand from the final turn to the finish. Often shortened to just “stretch”.
Horse Shoes	Every track displays a board describing the type of shoes worn by horse. Shoes are made of aluminum and weigh approximately 8 oz. Shoes are replaced often while racing or training. Although the shoes are nailed to the horses hooves the process is painless to the horse.
Hot Walkers	Stable hands who cool horses down gradually by walking them around. If this is not done the horse may catch cold.
Hung	Horse tired.
In Foal	Pregnant mare.
Irons	Stirrups.
Jockey	Person who rides a horse in a race.
Jog	Slow trot.
Juvenile Stakes	Stake race for two-year-olds.
Lasix	Medication for a horse who is a bleeder.
Lead Shank	Leather strap with a metal chain which attaches to the halter to lead a horse.
Lead Weight	Metal carried in the saddle to make weight assigned.
Leg Up	Trainer helps jockey to mount the horse by holding a hand under the jockey’s knee and giving him a boost.
Length	Distance between horses in a race equivalent to the length of a horse.
Lip Tattoo	Before a horse can race, it is assigned a tattoo number and this number is tattooed on it’s upper lip. This becomes a permanent identification for that horse.
Longshot	Horse paying good odds (usually 10-1 or better).
Lug In/Lug Out	Bearing in or out while running.
Maiden	A horse which has never won a race.
Mare	Female horse five years old or older.
Match Race	A race between only two horses.
Medication	Each state has its own medication rules.
Morning Line	Early estimate of probable odds handicapped by the track handicapper. These odds area listed in the program.
Mudder	A horse who runs well on a muddy track.
my	Muddy track condition.
Near Side	Left side of horse; off side is the right side. Most handling of the horse including mounting and leading is done from the near side.
Objection	Claim of foul by jockey.
Official	On tote board, display confirms results official.
Off Track	When the track condition is other than fast.
Off Track Betting (OTB)	Betting done at establishment away from the race track–not legal in some states.
Outrider	Employed by the track to keep horses from acting up, running away or getting out of control before, during or after a race.
Overnights	Sheets put out by the race track which list the entries for the following day.
Overweight	Carring more than the weight published in the program.
Paddock	Area at the track where the horses are saddled.
Parimutuel	Sharing in money bet.
Photo	When flashed on the tote board, two horses finished so close a review of the film must be made to determine the winner.
Place	Come in second.
Plates	Horse shoes.
Pole	Markers placed around the track. Quarter miles marked by red and white poles, eighth’s (furlongs) are green and white, and sixteenth poles are black and white.
Pony Rider	Person riding a calm horse to lead the race horse to the track.
Pool	Money bet on race in each pool–win/place/show, etc.
Post Parade	Horses parade from the paddock to the starting gate before each race.
Post Position	The position from which a horse starts a race–from the inside rail which is position #1.
Post Time	The starting time for each race.
Purse	The amount of money distributed to the top finishers in a race.
Receiving Barn	Back side area where horses shipped in for a race are housed.
Rogue	Horse that can not be broken of bad habits.
Run Downs	Elastic bandages that protect a horses legs.
Saddle Cloth	Cloth under the saddle with the horses program number on it.
Schooling	Taking a horse to practice in the paddock, starting gate or on the track.
Scratched	Taken out of a race after being entered.
Set Down	Jockey suspended from racing for a specific length of time.
sf	Soft track (turf).
Shadow Roll	Thick, wooley material under eyes to keep horse from seeing shadows on the ground so that the horse doesn’t spook.
Shed Row	A row of stalls used to house horses on the backside.
Show	Come in third.
Silks	The jacket worn by the jockey, usually made of shiny nylon and displays the colors of the horse’s owner.
Sire	Father of a horse.
sly	Sloppy track condition.
Speed Rating	Number assigned to a horses performance in a race. Above 80 is good. Above 100 is excellent.
Spook	A horse’s reaction when startled.
Starting Gate	The gate which horses are loaded into before a race and break from to begin the race.
Tack	Any special equipment for riding and caring for a horse.
Tip Sheet	Professional handicappers pick horses they think will win and sell sheets at the race track.
Tongue Tie	Strip of material tied around a horse’s tongue and jaw to keep it from swallowing its tongue and clogging its air passage.
Tote Board	Display board in front of the grandstand area which gives information regarding races.
Turf	Grass track on the inside of the main track.
Valet	A person who assists a jockey by keeping his clothing and equipment in order.
Washy Horse	One that sweats excessively showing signs of nervousness. Usually indicates pre-race tension. When a horse is washy it uses up too much energy; and this may affect its performance.
Weanling	A foal which is a suckling ready to be weaned (separated from its mother). A foal is usually weaned when it is approximately six months old.
Winner’s Circle	Winning horse enters the area designated as winner’s circle. Winner’s picture with owners, trainers, jockeys, and interested people involved with horse’s performance is taken in winner’s circle.
Yearling	A horse which is one year old. January 1 after the year of the birth of a foal is the birthday for all thoroughbred horses. On January 1, a foal becomes a yearling, and on the following January1, it becomes a two-year-old, etc.
yld	yielding track condition (turf).