Learn the Language of Horse Racing: Terms and Phrases to Know at the Breeders’ Cup
The 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships inch closer with each passing day and for those less immersed in the sport of Thoroughbred racing there no doubt will be a bevy of unfamiliar terms bandied about. Horse racing parlance in a language unto itself, but never fear … we’re here to help.
Many famous horse racing terms already have made the crossover to mainstream, specifically in politics and pop culture. Starting with a term explained further below, “front-runners” in politics are those in the lead according to polls as an election nears.
Likewise, when a political race is very close, pundits often say it is expected to “come down to the wire,” referring to the old wire finish line in horse racing; and when the race in nearing a conclusion, political analysts might say it is entering the “home stretch.”
You’ll find racing terms sprinkled throughout pop culture, but the goal today is to offer a primer for fans attending or watching the Nov. 3-4 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park, covering some of the terms you might encounter that might be a bit less familiar.
The Three Basic Bets
Win – A bet on a horse to finish first.
Place bet – A bet on a horse to finish first or second.
Show bet – A bet on a horse to finish in the money; third or better.
A Quick Guide to Running Styles
Front-runner – A horse whose running style is to attempt to get on or near the lead at the start of the race and to continue there as long as possible. Not much different than the term in the aforementioned political context. Also known as a pacesetter.
Stalker – A horse that is capable of relaxing early in races behind the pacesetter but with enough speed to stay closer to the front so he/she has less ground to make up late in a race.
The Pedigree/Breeding Basics
Sire – The father of the racehorse. Typically, sires are well-known horses who had standout careers on the racetrack.
Dam – The mother of a racehorse. There is an old saying that goes, “Breed the best to the best to get the best,” which means pairing a talented dam with a talented and productive sire offers the best chance to breed an elite racehorse.
Ten Additional Terms to Know for Breeders’ Cup
Across the board – A bet on a horse to win, place and show. If the horse wins, the player collects three ways; if second, two ways; and if third, one way, losing the win and place bets. So actually, it’s three bets.
Box – A betting term denoting a combination bet whereby all possible numeric combinations are covered for certain horses. Sometimes when you like multiple horses equally, the best option is to box them in an exacta or trifecta (more on them below).
Connections – Persons identified with a horse, such as owner, trainer, jockey and stable employees.
Exacta – A wager in which the first two finishers in a race, in exact order of finish, must be picked.
Furlong – An eighth of a mile. Thus, a six-furlong race is three-quarters of a mile and a 10-furlong race is 1 ¼ miles.
Morning line – The starting odds set by the track handicapper, a person hired by the track to analyze each race and determine which horses will be favored by the public to win.
Post Parade – Horses going from the paddock where they are saddled to the starting gate past the stands. The post parade provides spectators with a chance to get a final look at the horses before the start of a race.
Post Position – Position of the stall in the starting gate from which a horse begins a race. While the shortest path around is the fastest, the inside post in large fields – because of potential traffic trouble – can be disadvantageous. Likewise, outside post positions are less desirable because horses often get caught wide, outside of other horses, on the turns and are forced to navigate a longer distance.
Trifecta – A bet in which the first three finishers must be selected in exact order. If you chose to box them, the horses can finish in any order but you must have included each of the top three in the bet.
Stakes – Who doesn’t love a steak dinner, and there are plenty of great restaurants in Arcadia, Calif., close to Santa Anita Park. But no, the word stakes in horse racing does not have anything to do with a cut of meat. It’s short for sweepstakes and in horse racing it refers to a race for which the owner usually must pay a fee to run a horse. The fees can be for nominating, maintaining eligibility, entering and starting, to which the track adds more money to make up the total purse. Some stakes races are by invitation and require no payment or fee. The 14 Breeders’ Cup races all are stakes races.
