For one-liners and punch lines, horse track lingo has long been used by comedians. "It's girdle in the stretch," comics have told drunken crowds, "and it's gum stuck to the rail. Next up, Filly Mignon in the Porterhouse Stakes!"
Perhaps the humor in this part of our culture comes from our shallow understanding of the language of horse racing. The terms of the game sound amusing, but in reality, most of us know few of the actual meanings. For example, we know that a "colt" is a male horse and a "filly" is a female horse, but that's about the extent of our knowledge.
Pause for a moment - what is a thoroughbred? It's strange to think how many people bet on the outcome of the Triple Crown without really knowing the answer. They might as well bet on the outcome of the Gallic Games and be no more or less informed.
Now is the time to put it all in one place. Below you'll find a guide to the types of racehorse breeds that are most in vogue in America, the United Kingdom, and other places.
Thoroughbred
Is it really today's Western Europe, Asia, or Africa that is responsible for the multi-billion dollar Thoroughbred racetrack economy built around the world's finest racehorse breed?
That depends on how far back in time we go.
A variety of Arabian and Barb (African) horses were introduced to breeders in England in the 4th century. To ensure the careful breeding of these superior bloodlines, King James and King Charles imported some 43 "Royal Mares" from which modern Thoroughbreds would be bred. This decision had far-reaching effects. Centuries later, exactly 186 Thoroughbreds from England became the foundation of racehorse breeding in the United States.
The breed does not reserve its talents exclusively for the racetrack. Many are bred for-and excel at-jumping, dressage, showmanship, and plain old trail riding. For the most part, they look like what they are-big, breathtakingly athletic horses-and act like what they are-the kind of horses that kick some serious butt when you ask (or sometimes even when you don't) and lounge around when you want (or sometimes when you don't). The average Thoroughbred stands 64 inches at the withers and weighs about 1,000 pounds at the same age. They are predominantly bay, chestnut, brown, black or gray.
But how can the horses literally beat the odds? Simple; the odds are stacked in their favor. In the Beautiful Game, however, a horse's birthday can present a unique situation on the Thoroughbred tracks. Each racetrack breeder gives each Northern Hemisphere Thoroughbred a standard birth date of January 1st, but the horse you're betting on isn't actually one day older (or younger) than any of his August 1st buddies born south of the equator.
Thoroughbreds: Pure Bred and Hot Blooded
Though not perfect, Thoroughbreds are sensitive and spirited horses. This spirited nature can lead to the exciting sprints one expects when betting on a horse to win, but it can also lead to the embarrassing and even dangerous situation of a runaway horse.
The 2017 Tremont Stakes winner - who could have been in the 2024 Kentucky Derby if not for a series of emotional mood swings - might seem like a horse whose connections made a bad choice to put him on the Triple Crown trail. But the temperament He Hate Me needs to not only run well, but to warm up and cool down in a way that doesn't break his nerves, makes him a horse that could have made a splash in this year's Run for the Roses.
Thunder Snow is another Thoroughbred colt with a temperament. He earned a spot in the 143rd Run for the Roses. But the 3-year-old was very upset about the Churchill Downs track, which was wet and sloppy. Thunder Snow tried to ditch his rider right out of the gate, then had to be persuaded to stumble across the finish line long after the other horses had finished.
The horse runs well on dry, firm tracks and takes plenty of purses. But the high rollers won't risk a dime on him away from the races in the rain-free desert of Dubai.
Famous Thoroughbreds in History
Ruffian, a talented and tragically doomed racehorse from the 1970s, is the most famous Thoroughbred filly of all time. Winning her first ten races to the astonishment of the betting public, she soon became not only a beautiful (and black) lady of the track, but also a symbol of women's rights. Catered to by promoters who had never experienced the reverse of the phrase "rags to riches," I suspect, she was put in a match race against Foolish Pleasure, a colt who was good but not nearly as good, and who, I'm sorry to say, won the race. Ruffian took the lead but had a catastrophic breakdown and had to be put down.
Fillies are not common at the Kentucky Derby, as female horses mature more slowly than colts.
This results in low odds, which makes Thoroughbred fillies not only the best horse racing breed, but also the best sex of that breed to bet on in many, many circumstances.
The best American-bred gelding of all time was also foaled in the '70s: John Henry was in a class of his own, a racehorse with a furious temperament. Bred for quality in the lower reaches of the state of Kentucky, he was temperamental and demanding, with a short fuse. His racetrack record tells a different story, one of a well-bred animal taking out his temper on opposing runners. John Henry won 17 of 23 races and placed in 4 others, with 10 different jockeys, in 8 different states from New York to Florida, becoming a superstar on the national stage.
Standardbred
Harness racing is the domain of the Standardbred horse. These horses are very similar in appearance to Thoroughbreds, but are slightly smaller, with flatter ribs that give them a low center of gravity. Not that they aren't fast. They are, especially when they enter the final turn, and they have great endurance. Unlike Thoroughbreds, however, they have to use that speed and endurance to pull a sulky.
The origin of the name dates back to the early days of bloodline development. Founded in 1871, Wallace's American Trotting Register made a promise to trainers of thoroughbred horses: If you submit the name of your horse for our publication, we will list it with the names of other fine animals in our pages-as long as your boy is fast enough to make us proud.
The good souls of the racing world are Standardbreds. With their bright personalities and eagerness to learn, they make great partners - in racing and in life. Some farming communities still use Standardbreds for field work and as buggy horses. They are also often seen at equestrian events and shows. (The Horse Fund)
Betting on harness racing and "trotters" is very popular in Europe. American racing fans have found that the sunny disposition of the Standardbred keeps the horses from freaking out on the track as often as Thoroughbreds. In fact, we have a much better handle on the Standardbred part of the genome, and therefore the horse, than we do on the elite racing Thoroughbreds or the ordinary going-to-the-park Palominos.
Famous Standardbred Horses
Adam and Eve were a great pair, but sometimes it takes just one individual to create an entirely new breed. Messenger, an English thoroughbred imported to the United States in 1788, is recognized as the progenitor of the entire Standardbred breed.
Messenger's progeny showed tremendous trotting ability and sired a host of speedy offspring. One of Messenger's great-grandsons, Hambletonian, sired many accomplished Standardbreds in the 1830s; his blood is still dominant in today's harness racers. Hambletonian's sons, like so many of Messenger's offspring, were not only fast but could go the distance.
The most important Standardbred of the past 150 years is Dan Patch, a sports celebrity from an era when harness racing dominated the betting scene. From 1900 to 1906, the dark bay stallion was so magnificent on the track that his owners would not allow their animals to race against him.
The horse was embraced by promoters when he entered the traveling show circuit. There he grew up to earn 7-figure purses and break world speed records in timed trials. He even endorsed products in some newspapers. However, with the "courtesy of the horse" baked into the newspaper articles, it seems less remarkable than if "Dan Patch" had appeared on national television.
American Quarter Horse
Kenya's Olympic equestrian teams are the outback horses of the equestrian world. They are what you ride when you travel long distances and compete in the outdoor equivalent of track and field. Back in town, it is the Thoroughbreds that are like mile runners, sprinting up the straightaways, with enough endurance to go, go, go, over the kind of courses you find in the cowboy rodeo.
Quarter Horses are the Usain Bolts. Never bring a Quarter Horse to Churchill Downs; it is far too much track for such a compact and muscular horse. Do not even think about running one in a long steeplechase. It might throw the jockey, who has already been told not to pull back on the reins lest the horse buck and then go for the chow. Or you could say that to get from point A to point B faster than even a Ferrari can go, just like people in the Ferrari go from point A to point B - don't bet on the horse.
The lineage of the Quarter Horse can also be traced back to one horse, an 18th century thoroughbred named Janus. Small, fast, and of excellent health and temperament, Janus was bred to various English Arabian horses. The resulting offspring were then bred to other ancestors of English and Arabian blood, resulting in the modern Quarter Horse.
Cowboys have used Quarter Horses as livestock for centuries, and ironically, if a steer escapes from the herd, it is unlikely to be rounded up by a trotting Quarter Horse.
Today, the Quarter Horse is the most popular breed in the world. Approximately 3 million horses are registered in the breed. In addition to the overhead work of rodeos and circuses, the Quarter Horse also participates in the driving and dashing work required of ranch life.
Arabian
At the other end of the endurance spectrum is the Arabian, a breed whose endurance is unmatched. In fact, Arabians are not particularly fast runners, if average speed is considered a measure of "fitness" for animals built to run. Most Arabians run at a slower pace than other breeds. However, few horses run longer distances without stopping or tiring than the Arabian.
When it comes to a canyon ride, a forest trail, or any other type of 50+ mile jaunt, the Arabian horse almost always outlasts the competition and wins. It is the tortoise that always beats the hare!
The Arabian horse's body is very lean and much smaller than that of a thoroughbred. Arabians are thought to have been bred in Eurasia as early as 3000 B.C., so it is impossible to know for certain where the breed's remarkable endurance comes from.
Arabians are used in a variety of hunting, trail riding and jumping pursuits, with females often being more active. However, the Arabian's true calling card is endurance riding.
Arabians in the National Distance Championships
An endurance event is a timed test of horse and rider over a measured course built into natural terrain. Horses in National Distance Championships and other endurance events are expected to cover up to 100 miles in a day. But don't feel too sorry for the animals. Endurance riding came to prominence as a sport in the 1950s due to the surplus of retired U.S. Army cavalry horses.
Soon the best of the beasts were in it, participating in a self-sustaining sport with owners to call their own. Horsemen already knew that Arabians were superb at carrying heavy loads over long distances. Well, let's face it: they were, and still are, superb. And so, with sleek old blood and even sleeker old lines, Arabians soon dominated the world of endurance riding.
Horses and riders compete around the world under the auspices of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and other national organizations. The majority of betting is done through exchanges and private arrangements.
The welfare of animals in endurance events has been debated, but it is now mandatory for all competitors to spend part of their day with a veterinarian. Compared to the life of an endurance horse in the cavalry, Arabians have it pretty easy these days.
How to Win Bets by Knowing the Breeds
There is no point in debating which type of competition is the most exciting to bet on. "I like to bet on baseball; it's easier to win," says one fan. "Nah, basketball is my favorite sport," says another. Players find themselves divided between the contests they love and those that offer tempting odds. In this contest of sports loyalty versus actuarial judgment, each person must build his or her own virtual Berlin Wall.
Betting on horse racing is no different than betting on anything else. You can examine the odds and past performance until your eyes glaze over, but in the end you have to make a choice. How do you choose when there is no single standard of measurement, when the criteria for choosing a breed and, within that breed, a particular horse are so subjective? I ask this because I was raised with the idea that one should at least try to have a system.
But no matter which breed is being gambled on, it’s important to understand the nature of the animals.
An inexperienced person may not be aware that Thoroughbreds can suffer from a form of mental collapse. This fact costs bettors a great deal of money each year in the run-up to the Kentucky Derby.
The Kentucky Derby is run only in Kentucky; for a horse to win the Derby, it must first run (and hopefully win) the Louisville race. Thoroughbreds can become difficult to train, difficult to handle in the starting gate and during a race, and generally a pain in the neck when they're only 2 or 3 years old. The syndrome hurts a colt's chances of ever going to the Derby, and that's just a tough break for an otherwise talented horse.
Colts given futures markets for the Derby always number in the hundreds when the odds are released. Only later do they begin to narrow.
It may be that a particular Thoroughbred has a good chance of lining up and running faster than 20 other horses at Churchill Downs. But it is difficult to dissect a group of temperamental horses and see which one is most likely to qualify in the spring.
A horse like He Hate Me was a good bet at long odds months before the race because there was not enough information to tell if his parade incident was a fluke. But the long-shot advance bet has to be backed up with 5 or 10 other small bets on similar horses, or it's like throwing a single grain of grass seed in the dirt. No one knows if a Thoroughbred is going to keep its "marbles" and improve. And any discussion that the 9-5 favorite made a valiant effort in the Preakness does not change the fact that the Preakness was essentially a bad race for the 9-5 favorite.
For a contrast to betting on America's angry colts, consider the French steeplechase breed, Autre Que Pur-Sang. There is Thoroughbred blood in the AQPS, but they are far more stable competitors.
Steeplechase horses compete successfully into old age. In the Grand National at Aintree, decades-old horses outperform their younger counterparts. Betting on a 9-year-old gelding is arguably safer than betting on a younger horse in the Liverpool race - especially if you are betting on a French horse that has the kind of breeding steeplechase horses need. Steeplechase horses run smart and safe. They are bred and trained to anticipate obstacles.
As for winning the bet as planned? That’s a whole other breed of a problem.
Horse Racing Through the Microscope
To the uninitiated, it may seem simple. You put together a group of highly regarded stallions and mares, they run on television, and the fastest of them wins. If you bet on that winner, you get your money from the racetrack without too much fuss. Am I painting an oversimplified picture?
Of course. But like any scientific field, horseracing reveals more and more intricacies as you dig deeper. We have only touched on a portion of the horse breeds. The world of horse racing is endless!
Familiar tracks may give the false impression that horse racing is monotonous. But it is as diverse and unpredictable as any competitive sport.