Part of the fun of racing is the adventure of being in another world. Anyone who has spent much time at the race track, particularly the backstretch, knows that it is a world unto itself. Inch for inch no place on earth has more colorful characters than the race track and backstretch.
My grandfather used to work the backstretch at Rockingham Park in New Hampshire and I raced a few of my horses there, too. Want to see an Elvis impersonator (and a pretty good one at that) lead the post parade? Go to Rockingham. Now that is unique.
Like any insular society, racing has its own jargon, a unique language that reflects the uncertainties of racing, the ups and downs. Many of the terms aren’t used much anymore and I think that is a shame. Just so you’ll know a few of these terms to use the next time you’re at the track, here is a list of a few of my favorites (see how many you already know)…
Ice Cream: Means an easy bet that can’t lose. Its sweet.
Lock: Horse that can’t lose (see Ice Cream)
Dead Cert.: A lock, a horse that is certain to win.
Wide as Your House: A horse or greyhound that will run wide on the outside of the track rather than taking the shorter path on the rail.
Boat Race: A race in which most of the horses aren’t trying to win so that one chosen horse can win. A “fixed” race.
Fixed Race: See above.
Like Finding Money in the Street: An easy bet that is so certain to win, it is a “gift.”
Gift: See above.
Plater: Horse that runs in the cheap claiming races. Not sure what the pate actually means though some think it refers to the horse being headed for the slaughterhouse and to be eaten while others say it refers to special shoes that must be worn because its hooves are so bad.
Irons: Another name for stirrups. When a jockey is said to be “in the irons,” it means he or she will ride the horse.
Scraping Paint: A horse is riding so close to the rail it is scraping the paint off the rail.
Chalk: A horse that is the favorite.
Chalky: A horse that is bet down a lot is said to be chalky. It often means that the horse doesn’t really deserve that kind of support.
Morning Glory: A horse that works out great in the morning and looks like a winner only to turn in a poor performance in the afternoon when it actually races.
Stooper: A person who walks around the track stooped over looking for discarded tickets that may be winners.
Early Days: Early in the program when only a few races have been run and though a bettor is down, he or she is expecting to win in the long run.
There’s Always Fresh: This is about my favorite saying at the track. It speaks of the indomitable spirit of the horse player. It means, that tomorrow is a new day “fresh.” No matter what happened today, tomorrow will bring new opportunities.
Silks: The colorful costumes the jockeys wear during a race. The original silks were first introduced at Newmarket England by the Jockey Club so that it would be easier to distinguish each horse and rider to avoid disputes. Each owner chose his colors and design. The tradition goes on to this day with thousands of silks being registered wherever thoroughbreds are raced.
Quitter: Horse that starts out well and often goes to the front of the pack only to fade badly at the end of the race.
Well that’s it for now. Those are some of my favorites, but there are many more colorful words and phrases you will hear on the backstretch. How many do you know?