Horse Talk 2

By George Harrison

Horse Talk is a collaboration of over 250 words or phrases dealing with Thoroughbred racing and training terminology, including jockey strategy, the important role of the exercise riders, and a bunch of fun slang terms that can only be explained by the author.
A must for all racing enthusiasts or relatives and friends of Owners, trainers, riders, grooms, hot walkers, or anybody else that love Thoroughbred racing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 16, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465304476

George Harrison

George Harrison grew up in Saratoga, & Vernon, New York, two small horse racing towns in upstate New York. George started driving/training/grooming Harness horses in the mid 70s, than in 1988 turned his passion for horse racing to Thoroughbreds, working as an exercise rider primarily on the Gulfstream Park, Keeneland, and Saratoga circuit, along with breaking babies every winter. George is a licensed trainer or assistant trainer in both the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and United States Trotting Association for over 27 years on over 35 different race tracks across America and Canada.

Book preview

Copyright © 2011 by George Harrison.

ISBN: Hardcover    978-1-4653-4602-5

ISBN: Softcover      978-1-4653-4601-8

ISBN: Ebook           978-1-4653-0447-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

Photo Credits

Back cover horse and rider: Ann T. Converse

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

91306

Contents

1 or 2 turn race

1st or 2nd over

2 Minute lick

Acid

Across the board

Age classification

Agent

Also Eligible (AE)

Appeal

Back or backing up

Backstretch / Backside

Beyer figure

Blind switch

Blinkers

Blister

Blowing the turn

Book

Bounce

Box

Boxed in

Break

Breeze (work)

Broke down

Broodmare

Buck

Bug boy or girl

Bullring

Bullet work

Card

Cast

Chalk

Chute

Cinchy

Claim, Claimed, Claiming race

Clip heels

Clocker

Colic

Colors or silks

Colt

Coming of a race

Condition book

Conditions

Cooler

Cork

Coupled

Cover

Dam

Displacing

Distanced

Do up

Dogs

Down the track

Draw

Drifting, Bearing, or Lugging

Drop a notch or class

Ears pinned

Eased

Eligible

Enter

Entry

Entry fee

Entry form

Exercise rider

Favorite

Feature race

Feel the pressure

Field

Filly

Flat / Tick / Change

Flush out

Force the issue

Fractions

Front-runner / Stalker / Late closer / One run horse

Furlong

Gait

Gallop

Gallop out

Gap

Garden spot / Sweet spot

Gate blanket

Gate card

Gate crew

Gave way

Gelding

Girth

Give him his head

Goggles

Graded stakes 1, 2, or 3

Green

Groom

Half brother or sister

Handicap

Handicapper

Heavy hands

Hit the board

Hogging down

Hole

Homebred

Home stretch

Hood

Hot walker

Hung out

Inject

Irons

Jockey / Pinhead

Jog Jiggy jog / Canter / lope

Jug

Lame

Late closer / late speed

Leads

Leg up

Length

Load

Long hold

Long shot

Main track only / MTO

Meet

Money earned

Not eligible

Odds

On Paper

On the shelf

Open gallop

Out of / Dam

Outrider

Owner

Pace

Paddock

Paddock tunnel

Pedigree

Photo finish

Pin hook

Pole

Pony / Ponies / Ponied

Post parade

Post position

Post time

Program / Racing form

Pull / pull out

Pulled & Pulling

Purse

Put away

Put down

Rabbit

Rail / Wood / Fence

Rank

Rate

Running off

Sales ring

Save ground

School

Scope

Scratch / Late scratch

Scurf

Shadow roll

Shed row

Ship

Sire

Sound /Soundness

Sour

Spit box

Spit the bit

Squirrelly

Stable mate

Starter

Starting gate

Steeplechase

Stick their toes in

Stretch the horse out

Suspension

Supplement

Switch sticks

Tack / Tack walk

Take

Take hold

Tattoo

Teaser

Tied on

Tote Board

Tongue tie

Trainer

Trifecta / Superfecta / Exacta

Triple Crown

Tube

Turf

Turn of foot

Two year olds in training sale

Up in class

Valet

Washed out

Weanling

Well

Wheel

Whip

Wide

Win, Place, Show

Wire

Wire to wire

Yearling

Appendix

Dedication

Horse Talk is dedicated to all the disabled exercise riders or to riders that can no longer perform their job due to an on the job injury.

Exercise riders will ride any horse in any condition or soundness issues because of their love and dedication to their profession.

George Harrison 2011

1 or 2 turn race

When we speak of a horse racing 1 or 2 turns, we are talking about the distance the horses will race. A 1-turn race is generally shorter in distance, such as five furlongs to seven furlongs, now at some tracks (Belmont) there is a 1-turn mile race.

2 turn races are when the horses race around the whole track covering both ends of the track or 2 turns. Generally a 2 turn race will be a mile or longer.

Trainer talking

My filly starts her first race next week. I will look in the condition book for a 1 turn race for the experience and then stretch her out a bit to a mile next time.

1st or 2nd over

During a horse race if all the horses are racing in a line next to the rail and then one of the horses from the field moves out to the right to start a second line that horse would be considered the first over horse and if another horse followed behind the first over horse, then that horse would be 2nd over.

The 2nd over horse has an advantage and is used as a strategy by jockeys to get behind the first horse to break the wind resistance, this will save energy for a fast run down the home stretch.

Trainer talking

My horse will be the favorite in today’s feature race, so I will instruct the jockey to come 1st over on the backside, stalk the leaders and try to take the lead down the lane.

2 Minute lick

This is a type of breeze for a horse during the training hours. For example the trainer will instruct the exercise rider to 2 minute lick a half mile. We base the time for a two minute mile so if the exercise rider wanted to breeze a 2 minute lick a half mile than the actual time of the breeze would be a minute flat. 2 minute lick a quarter mile would be in 30 seconds. The exercise rider should be clocking the horse in his head. This is another very important duty for a good experienced exercise rider. If an exercise rider does not have a good clock in his head than that rider will not be busy breezing horses, and all exercise riders want to breeze horses.

Exercise rider talking

I am going to back this colt up to the wire, turn around and 2 minute lick three quarters of a mile in one minute and thirty seconds flat if I can hold him.

Author statement

In the old days as an exercise rider it was very important to have a good clock in your head. Most trainers will tell you how fast he wants you to breeze, such as a half mile in 48 seconds. These days the most trainers just tell you to breeze without any time factor so the rider must use good judgment on the time and hope the trainer is happy with it.

The trainer will have a stop watch in his hand and the rider must have a clock in his head.

Acid

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring part of tissues and is a primary constituent of synovial fluid that lubricates joints allowing the cartilage caps to glide upon one another with minimal friction.

Horses will get sore in their knees and ankles due to over exertion or years of racing. Veterinarians will inject acid into the sore areas relieve pain and inflammation.

Trainer talking

This colt had a hard and rugged year of racing; I want Doc Ode Cheney to inject his knees and hocks with acid; than I will turn him out for the winter.

Author statement

Turn out means to put the horse in a grassy field or paddock.

Across the board

When you want to bet a horse to win, place, and show you will be betting your horse across the board. The board is the tote board and the tote board shows the first, second and third place horses and the payoff. If a horse finishes 1st, 2nd, or 3rd we say it hit the board. If a horse does not finish in the