Horse Racing for n00bs

Lesson #2- Backstretch Lingo

I’ve had some requests for a brief tutorial in horse racing terminology. I have to admit, the sport does have a language all its own. It’s been around a loooooong time, enough time to develop its own dialect. However, if what you’re looking for is just a basic list of horsey words and their meanings, you can find that elsewhere on the web. Like here. Or here. No, what I’ll provide is a specific subset of terminology that bloggers tend to use, so that readers can better navigate the turbid waters of the internet horse racing community. I’ll start off with a short explanation of the clever names of some of my fellow blogger’s pages (which can be found at right), because they represent an interesting cross section of lingo:

Brooklyn Backstretch- The Backstretch is the term for the stretch of racing surface on the far side of the track (away from the grandstands). It is also used to refer to the barn areas at a track, because these are traditionally located behind the backstretch itself.

Curb My Enthusiasm- A Curb is a type of bit (the metal piece on a bridle that goes in the horse’s mouth). It may also be used as a verb meaning to slow or stop, as basically that is what a bit is used to do to the horse.

Down the Stretch- The Stretch is the piece of track between the two curves which is closest to the grandstand. The finish line is located there. Although they aren’t sloped (usually), horses running the final parts of a horse race are said to be moving ‘down’ the stretch (“And down the stretch they come!”).

Green But Game- A horse who has little training or experience is said to be Green. A horse that tries hard in a race, win or lose, is said to be Game.

Handride- A Handride is a ride performed without the use of a whip. It means that when the horse was racing down the stretch, the jock didn’t feel it was necessary to urge him on to the finish. Basically, an easy win.

Left at the Gate- Horses break from a starting gate in order to maintain some sort of control over the race by having them all theoretically start at the same time. But sometimes the horse just gets caught flat footed when the doors clang open. While the rest of the more precocious field takes off, the sleeper gets Left at the Gate.

Post Parade- This is the name for the walk the horses take from the saddling paddock to the gate. It’s usually done in single file and, for the bigger races, is associated with specific songs (My Old Kentucky Home) and other pageantry. In that way, it is sort of a parade. Basically, though, it’s intended to give bettors (and owners) a last chance to see the horses before the race.

Railbird- The Rail is a term for the fence that runs around the edge of a racetrack. Correspondingly, a Railbird, is someone who’s always sitting at the fence and watching horses…in other words, a horse racing fan.

Superfecta Blog- A Superfecta is a type of exotic bet where, in order to win, you have to pick the first four finishers in a race in order.

Tote Board Brad- The Tote Board is the large screen in the center of a racetrack infield which gives information about wagering, track conditions, and betting pools.

View from the Quarter Pole- This is a reference to one of the many poles situated around the track for measuring purposes. It’s situated a quarter of a mile (2 furlongs) back from the finish line. So when horses hit the Quarter Pole in a race, they have a quarter mile yet to run. There are equally non-inventive names for all the other poles as well (Half Mile Pole,Three Quarters Pole, etc.). Just remember to count backwards from the finish.

And of course…

Blacktype Blog- When a horse becomes a stakes winner his name is forever recorded in breeding charts in BOLD CAPITALS. If a horse places in a stakes race, his name gets written in bold, but without the caps. Collectively, this is phenomenon is referred to as Blacktype. When a horse gets blacktype, or is looking for the same, he’s a stakes quality animal.