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Il Dado - Horses and racing terms Category: Animals and Nature > Horses and racing Date & country: 25/04/2011, USA Words: 472

Home Turn
The final turn a horse must travel around before entering the home straight in the run to the finish line.

Horse
When reference is made to sex, a 'horse' is an ungelded male five-years-old or older.

Hung
A horse holding the same position, unable to make up distance on the winner.

Impost
Weight carried or assigned.

In Hand
Running under moderate control, at less than best pace.

In The Money
Describes the horses in a race that finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd (and sometimes 4th) or the horses on which money will be paid to bettors, depending on the place terms.

In The Red
Are odds shown in red on the betting boards because they are Odds-On bets.

Inquiry
Reviewing the race to check into a possible infraction of the rules. Also, a sign flashed by officials on the tote board on such occasions. If lodged by a jockey, it is called an objection.

Investor
A bettor. A person at a licensed race meeting who bets with a bookmaker or the totalisator, or a person not present at the meeting, but places bets on the horses engaged at that meeting with the off-course totalisator.

Joint Favourites
When a sportsbook or bookmaker cannot separate two horses or teams for favouritism, they are made joint favourites.

Jolly
The favourite in a race. The horse with the shortest odds.

Judge
The person who declares the official placing for each race.

Judge
The official who determines the finishing order of a race.

Juice
The bookmaker's commission, also known as vigorish or vig.

Jumper
Steeplechase or hurdle horse.

Juvenile
Two-year-old horse.

Key Horse
The main expected winning horse used in multiple combinations in an exotic wager.

Kite
UK slang for a cheque ('Check' in the US).

Knocked Up
(Australian racing) A horse that has stopped running, given up in the home straight for example.

Late Double
A second daily double offered during the latter part of the program. See 'Daily Double' above.

Lay
Take a bet on, like a Bookmaker.

Lay Off, Layoff
Bets made by one bookmaker with another bookmaker, in an effort to reduce his liability in respect of bets already laid by him with investors.

LBO
Acronym for 'Licensed Betting Office' in the UK.

Leg In
To nominate one runner to win with a selection of other runners. This is possible on Forecast, Quinella, Trifecta, Quartet and Superfecta (eg. Quinella bet with selection 4 to win, from runners 5, 7, 8 and 9 to come second, in any order).

Length
A measurement approximating the length of a horse from nose to tail, about 8 feet, used to denote distance between horses in a race. For example, "Secretariat won the Belmont by 31 lengths".

Lengthen
The opposite of 'Shorten'. Referred to odds getting longer, that is, more attractive to the bettor.

Listed Race
A stakes race just below a group race or graded race in quality.

Lock
(As in 'Banker') US term for an almost certain winner. Easy winner.

Long Odds
More than 10:1.

Long Shot
(Also, Outsider) A runner is often referred to as being a long shot, because of the fact it is returning high odds and is therefore deemed to have little chance of winning the race.

Lug In (Out)
Action of a tiring horse, bearing in or out, failing to keep a straight course.

Maiden
1) A horse or rider that has not won a race. 2) A female that has never been bred.

Maiden Race
A race for non-winners.

Mare
Female horse five-years-old or older.

Market
The list of all horses engaged in a race and their respective odds.

Meeting
A collection of races conducted by a club on the same day or night forms a race meeting.

Middle Distance
Broadly, from one mile to 1-1/8 miles.

Mile Rate
In harness racing it is the approximate time a horse would have run per mile (1609 meters).

Minus Pool
A mutuel pool caused when a horse is so heavily played that, after deductions of state tax and commission, there is not enough money left to pay the legally prescribed minimum on each winning bet. The racing association usually makes up the difference.

Money Rider
A rider who excels in rich races.

Monkey
GBP

Morning Glory
Horse who performs well in morning workouts but fails to fire in actual races.

Morning Line
Approximate odds quoted before wagering begins.

MTO
Abbreviation for Main Track Only, that is, horses for main track only races. Just as many horses scratch when a turf race is moved to dirt (main track), so MTO horses are entered into a scheduled turf race, anticipating the race may be switched to dirt. Turf races occasionally include MTO entrants. They will be added into the field if the race is taken off the turf and scratches can accommodate th...

Mudder
A horse that races well on muddy tracks. Also known as a 'Mudlark'.

Muddy (track)
A condition of a racetrack which is wet but has no standing water.

Mutuel Pool
Short for 'Parimutuel Pool'. Sum of the wagers on a race or event, such as the win pool, daily double pool, exacta pool, etc.

Nap (or NAP)
The selection that racing correspondents and tipsters nominate as their strongest selection of the day or meeting. Reputed to stand for 'Napoleon'.

NB
The 'Next Best' selection from a tipster. Newspaper tipsters highlight their best three selections for the day using the term 'NAP' for the best one, 'NB' (next best) for the second-best and 'Treble' for the third best.

Neck
Unit of measurement about the length of a horse's neck.

Nickel
A $500 wager.

Nod
Lowering of head. To win by a nod, a horse extends its head with its nose touching the finish line ahead of a close competitor.

Nominations
The complete list of runners entered by owners and trainers for a race.

Non Runner
A horse that was originally meant to run but for some reason has been withdrawn from the race.

Nose
Smallest advantage a horse can win by. Called a short head in Britain.

Novice
A horse in the early stages of its career. An inexperienced horseman. A category for horse or rider who has not yet achieved a number of successes.

Nursery
A handicap for two-year-old horses.

Oaks
A stakes event for three-year-old fillies (females).

Objection
Claim of foul lodged by rider, patrol judge or other official after the running of a race. If lodged by official, it is called an inquiry.

Odds
The sportsbook's or bookmaker's view of the chance of a competitor winning (adjusted to include a profit). The figure or fraction by which a bookmaker or totalisator offers to multiply a bettor's stake, which the bettor is entitled to receive (plus his or her own stake) if their selection wins.

Odds Compiler
Same as 'Oddsmaker' below.

Odds Man (US)
At tracks where computers are not in use, an employee who calculates changing odds as betting progresses.

Odds-against
Where the odds are greater than evens (e.g. 5 to 2). When the bookmaker's or totalisator's stake is greater than the bettor's stake. For example, a horse that is quoted at 4:1 would be odds against, because if it wins a race, the bookmaker or totalisator returns $4 for every dollar a bettor places on that horse, plus his or her original outlay.

Odds-On
Odds of less than even money. This a bet where you have to outlay more than you win. For example if a horse is two to one Odds-On, you have to outlay two dollars to win one dollar and your total collect if the horse wins is three dollars. That is made up of your two dollars and the one dollar you win.

Oddsmaker
A person who sets the betting odds. (Sportsbooks or Bookies don't set the odds. Most major sportsbooks use odds set by Las Vegas oddsmakers.)

Off the Board (US)
A horse so lightly bet that its pari-mutuel odds exceed 99 to 1. Also, a game or event on which the bookie will not accept action.

Off-Track Betting (OTB)
Wagering at legalized betting outlets.

Off/On the bridle
Also, off/on the bit. When a horse is 'off the bridle' or 'off the bit', it means it is losing contact with the bit in its mouth and has stopped pulling or driving forward. When a horse is hard held by the jockey and running smoothly it is said to be 'on the bridle' or 'on the bit'. You want a horse to be on the bridle (or on the bit), pulling and running smoothly.

Official
Sign displayed when result is confirmed. Also racing official.

On The Board
Finishing among the first three.

On The Nose
Betting a horse to win only.

On tilt
Going 'on tilt' is losing the ability to rationalise bets and betting wildly on every race.

Open Ditch
Steeplechase jump with a ditch on the side facing the jockey.

Out Of The Money
A horse that finishes worse than third.

Outlay
The money a bettor wagers is called his or her outlay.

Outsider
A horse that is not expected to win. An outsider is usually quoted at the highest odds.

Over The Top
When a horse is considered to have reached its peak for that season.

Overbroke
Where the book results in a loss for the bookmaker.

Overlay
A horse going off at higher odds than it appears to warrant based on its past performances.

Overnight Race
A race in which entries close a specific number of hours before running (such as 48 hours), as opposed to a stakes race for which nominations close weeks and sometimes months in advance.

Overweight
Surplus weight carried by a horse when the rider cannot make the assigned weight.

Pacesetter
The horse that is running in front (on the lead).

Paddock
Area where horses are saddled and kept before post time.

Panel
A slang term for a furlong.

Parimutuel(s)
A form of wagering originated in 1865 by Frenchman Pierre Oller in which all money bet is divided up among those who have winning tickets, after taxes, takeout and other deductions are made. Oller called his system 'Parier Mutuel' meaning 'Mutual Stake' or 'betting among ourselves'. As this wagering method was adopted in England it became known as 'Paris Mutuals', and soon after 'Parimutu...

Parlay
(Also, Accumulator) A multiple bet. A kind of 'let-it-ride' bet. Making simultaneous selections on two or more races with the intent of pressing the winnings of the first win on the bet of the following race selected, and so on. All the selections made must win for you to win the parlay.

Part Wheel
Using a key horse or horses in different, but not all possible, exotic wagering combinations.

Pasteboard Track
A lightning fast racing surface.

Patent
A multiple bet consisting of 7 bets involving 3 selections in different events. A single on each selection, plus 3 doubles and 1 treble.

Penalty
A weight added to the handicap weight of a horse.

Permutations
It is possible to Perm bets or selections (e.g. on 4 selections all the possible doubles could be Permed making 6 bets).

Phone Betting
A service enabling punters to bet on horses with bookmakers by using telephones.

Phone TAB
Another phone betting service, provided by a totalisator which allows people with special betting accounts to place bets via the telephone. Much the same as a bank account, you must have a credit balance to be able to place a bet. The cost of the investment is debited to your account, and winning dividends and refunds are automatically credited to your account.

Photo Finish
A photo is automatically taken as the horses pass the winning line and when the race is too close to be judged the photo is used to determine the order of finish.

Pick Six (or more)
A type of wager in which the winners of all the included races must be selected.

Picks
Betting selections, usually by an expert.

Pitch
The position where a bookmaker conducts his business on a racecourse.

Place
Finish in the top two, top three, top four and sometimes also top five in a competition or event. A Place bet will win if the selection you bet on is among those placed. Usually, a horse runs a place if it finishes in the first three in fields of eight or more horses. If there are only six or seven runners the horse must finish first or second to place. Different sportsbooks have different Place t...

Plater
Horse which usually runs in selling races.

Point Spread
(Also, Line or Handicap) The points allocated to the 'underdog' to level the odds with the 'favorite/favourite'.