• Horse Racing

Horse Racing Terms Everyone Should Know

Mastering the basic horse racing terms will allow you to communicate more easily with your fellow bettors at the race track. In some cases, knowing the right terms can also help you decide which wagers to place on the next race. 

Learning horse racing betting terms is easier said than done due to the sheer number of words you must know. Luckily, this helpful guide will teach you all the terms that novice bettors must know to succeed when using the best horse racing betting sites.

Why Knowing Horse Racing Terms Matters

First things first, why do you need to know horse racing terms for betting? As the old saying goes, knowledge is power. The more horse racing terms that you know, the easier it will be to communicate with other fans of the sport.

Additionally, understanding more terms in horse racing will aid in your race day preparation. The more jargon that you understand, the easier it will be to understand insights from betting experts. You will also be able to understand recaps of previous events and compare betting strategies.

Glossary of Horse Racing Terms to Know

Anyone new to betting on horse races must learn two sets of vocabulary: racing terms and betting words. For your convenience, I have divided our horse racing terms for dummies glossary into sections for each.

General Horse Racing Terms and Phrases

If you are new to horse racing, then there are dozens of new terms for you to master. Luckily, you do not need to be an expert in vocabulary to enjoy one of the world’s most popular sports. Here are some basic horse racing terms and phrases to familiarize yourself with first.

Colts, Geldings, and Stallions

A “colt” is a male horse that is under the age of five. If the horse has been castrated, it is called a gelding, regardless of its age. Horses that have reached maturity, usually at ages three to four,  without being castrated are referred to as stallions.

Filly, Mare, and Broodmare

A female horse under the age of four. In horse racing, classic stake events for fillies are called Oaks. Fillies are allowed to carry less weight than male competitors.

When a horse reaches the age of five, she becomes a “mare.” A thoroughbred female who is used for breeding is called a “broodmare” or a “stud mare.”

Furlong

A furlong is a standard racing term referring to an eighth of a mile, 660 feet, or 220 yards. Other common uses include:

• Four furlongs: one half-mile, 2,640 feet, or 880 yards
• Six furlongs: three-quarters of a mile, 3,960 feet, or 1,320 yards
• Seven furlongs: seven-eighths of a mile, 4,620 feet, or 1,540 yards

A furlong is also sometimes called an “eighth,” and four furlongs is called a “half.”

Graded Stakes Race

The classification system used for ranking stakes races in North America. There are three grades: I, II, and III.

Both the quality of the track and the purse in recent years are used to determine a race’s grade. For instance, a race must have a purse of at least $300,000 to be considered a Grade I race. Promoters of Grade II and Grade III races may offer higher purses in the hope of being upgraded the following season.

Paddock

The paddock is the designated saddling and parading area for a given race. You can see the competitors for an upcoming event in the paddock prior to the event.

Post, Post Position, Post Parade, and Post Time

“Post” is a commonly used term in horse racing, and it can be used in multiple ways. Some of the most common horse racing terms with “post” include:

• Post: Can refer to a race’s starting point, the starting position of a horse, or be used to record a horse’s win.
• Post position: A horse’s position in the starting gate
• Post parade: When the horses for a race move from the paddock to the starting gate
• Post time: The starting time of a specific race

Maiden

The term “maiden” refers to a horse that has not yet won a race. A “maiden race” is an event that only includes horses that have never won a race. “Break maiden” refers to a horse or rider winning their first race.

Jockey

The “jockey” is the person riding the horse during a race. A “jockey fee” is the payment given to the rider for competition in the race.

Silks

Silks, also referred to as “colors,” are the cap and jacket worn by a jockey during a race. A rider’s silks indicate the owner of the horse, and an owner’s colors are registered with the relevant racing authority. At smaller tracks, they can also indicate the post position of the rider.

Sire

The “sire” is the male parent of a horse, and the “Crop” is the number of foals a male horse sires in a year. Related terms include:

• Grandsire: The sire of a horse’s sire or broodmare.
• Dam’s sire: The sire of the horse’s broodmare. Also called a maternal grandsire.
• Get: the children of a sire

Triple Crown

A Triple Crown in horse racing is the most prestigious achievement in modern racing. A horse must win the three most important races in a given country. Examples of this feature include:

• United States: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes
• Canada: Queen’s Plate, Prince of Wales Stakes, and Breeders’ Stakes
• United Kingdom: 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, and St. Leger Stakes

Betting Terms in Horse Racing

In addition to learning the racing vocabulary above, there are also horse racing gambling terms that you need to know. Mastering the terms below will improve your ability to create winning horse racing betting slips.

Exacta

A type of horse racing bet in which you predict the first and second place finishers in a given race. Both picks must be correct for an exacta to win.

Exotic

An “exotic” wager is a bet on multiple horses. There are two types of exotics: single-race and multi-race exotics. The first is a wager on multiple horses in one race, and you win if your chosen horses finish in the order you predict. 

You can also place an exotic on horses across multiple races. To win a multi-race exotic, you must correctly pick the winner of each race in your exotic bet.

Chalk

Chalk is a betting term for horse racing that means the betting favorite before the race won the event. Similar terms include:

• Chalk player: a bettor who typically wagers on the favorite
• Second chalk: the horse with the second-best odds to win
• Chalky results: when most or every race at an event is won by horses with low betting odds

Overlay

One of the most common betting terms for horse racing is “laying” odds. This refers to the betting odds, such as 3:1, that you can bet on.

If a horse is undervalued by oddsmakers, then their odds will be higher than expected. When this happens, it is referred to as “overlaying” odds. Conversely, if a horse is overvalued and has lower than expected odds, it is underlaid.

Prop Bet

Props are popular betting markets in many sports. These creative bets are not focused solely on which horse will win. Instead, props allow you to wager on everything from the color of the winning horse. To the winning owner and much more.

Rebate

Rebates are trendy sports betting bonuses for horse racing fans. With a horse racing rebate, you receive a refund on losing wagers. For instance, BetOnline offers a daily 9% rebate in its racebook.

Trifecta

A bet on the top three finishers in the race. You must predict first, second, and third place in order to win this bet.

Tote

A totalizator, or tote for short, is a horse racing betting term for the automated parimutuel system that tracks current odds, dispenses tickets, and allows bettors to cash in their winning tickets. Information about the latest odds and the total amount bet on a race is displayed on the “tote board.”

Win/Place/Show

The win/place/show bet, or WPS for short, is essentially three bets on one horse. If your horse wins, you collect the payouts for win, place, and show. A second-place finish earns “place” and “show” payouts, and third place collects the payout for “show.” You can also place win, place, and show wagers individually.

Horse Racing Terms for Dummies

Learning common horse racing terms is one of the first steps to being a successful bettor. Check out the guide above for a breakdown of common horse racing and betting terms that you should know before wagering.

After mastering the racing terms and definitions above, you will be ready to wager on this year’s most significant events. Create an account at BetOnline and claim the $25 risk-free bet to start betting on this season’s biggest horse races today.