HORSE RACING GLOSSARY
The language of handicapping, in plain English. Every bet type, running style, and piece of track jargon you'll meet in a race program — defined.
Across the Board
A bet placing equal win, place, and show wagers on one horse in a single ticket.
Allowance Race
A non-claiming race above claiming class where horses are not for sale, with weight allowances by condition.
Beyer Speed Figure
The most widely-used speed figure in North American racing, published in the Daily Racing Form.
Blinkers
Equipment that limits a horse's side vision to help it focus and run straight.
Box (Betting)
An exotic wager covering all possible orderings of your selected horses.
Chalk
Slang for the favorite; a 'chalk player' is someone who mostly bets favorites.
Claiming Race
A race in which every horse is for sale at a set price, creating the sport's most common class level.
Closer
A running style: a horse that races behind the pace early and rallies late.
Daily Double
A bet requiring you to pick the winners of two consecutive races.
Exacta
An exotic bet requiring you to pick the first two finishers in exact order.
Favorite
The horse with the lowest odds — the one the betting public backs most heavily.
Front-Runner
A running style: a horse that wants the lead and sets the pace from the start.
Furlong
A unit of distance in horse racing equal to one-eighth of a mile (220 yards).
Lasix
A race-day medication (furosemide) used to reduce bleeding in the lungs; noted as 'L' in the program.
Longshot
A horse with high odds that the public gives little chance to win.
Maiden
A horse that has never won a race. A maiden race is restricted to such horses.
Morning Line
The track handicapper's predicted odds for each horse, set before betting opens.
Overlay
A horse whose odds are higher than its true chance of winning — a positive-value (+EV) bet.
Pace
The speed of a race in its early and middle stages — the framework most races are decided by.
Post Position
The numbered starting gate slot a horse breaks from, which can help or hurt depending on the track.
Scratch
The withdrawal of a horse from a race before it runs.
Sloppy Track
A wet dirt track with standing water on a firm base — often fast and speed-favoring.
Speed Figure
A single number rating how fast a horse ran a race, adjusted for track and distance.
Stakes Race
The highest class of race, with the biggest purses and the best horses; owners pay entry fees.
Superfecta
An exotic bet requiring you to pick the first four finishers in exact order.
Takeout
The percentage the track removes from each betting pool before paying winners.
Track Condition (Going)
The state of the racing surface, from fast/firm to sloppy/muddy, which reshuffles form.
Trifecta
An exotic bet requiring you to pick the first three finishers in exact order.
Underlay
A horse whose odds are lower than its true chance of winning — a negative-value bet to avoid.
Wire-to-Wire
Leading a race from start to finish; a front-runner who is never passed.