| BOXED IN:A horse that is racing on the
rails (or fence) and is surrounded by other horses in front, outside
and behind it. A horse that is boxed in is held up and unable to gain
a clear passage.
BREAK: To start galloping and lose natural trotting
or pacing rhythm. It occurs more with trotters than pacers.
BROODMARE: A female horse, generally retired from
racing, used for breeding purposes.
CARD: Another term for program of racing. For example,
a person may refer to there being eight races on the card, which
simple means eight races will be staged at that particular day.
CATCH DRIVER: A driver which doesn't train his or
her own horses, and is engaged by other trainers and owners to drive
their horses.
CLAIMING RACE: A race where any of the entrants may
be claimed (purchased) for a specified amount.
CLASS: A horse which has raced adequately against better
foes may find his way into the winner's circle, while a horse who
has beaten inferior foes may find tougher horses not to its liking.
A fairly reliable way of checking class is comparing the purses
of the previous races and the present race.
COLORS: The special colorful jacket worn by drivers when
in a race. Unlike Thoroughbred racing, drivers register their own
colors and wear them every time they race.
COLT: A male 3 years of age or less.
CONDITIONED RACE: A race where eligibility is based
on age, sex, money won, or races won. For example, "3-year-old
fillies, non-winners of $10,000 or 4 races."
COVER: A horse that races with another horse in front of
him is said to race with cover, as the leading horse cuts the wind
resistance.
CROSS FIRE: When a horse's hind foot strikes the
opposite front foot or leg.
DAM: The female parent, or mother, of a horse.
DEAD HEAT: A situation in which the judges cannot
separate two or more horses when judging the outcome of a race.
DISTANCED: A horse that is out of touch with the
rest of the field at the end of the race. This is often referred
to as finished distanced.
DRIVER: The person holding a license or permit to
drive harness horses. There are different types of licenses, which
correspond to differing levels of experience.
EARLY/LATE CLOSER: A race requiring payments which
start much closer to the actual race date than a stake "Early"
and "Late" involve specified periods of time.
FILLY: A female 3 years of age or less.
FIRST-OVER: The first horse to make a move on the leader
in a race, moving up on the outside.
FOAL: A newly born horse. Also describes the act
of a mare giving birth.
FREE LEGGED: A pacer which races without wearing
hobbles.
GELDING: A castrated male of any age.
HANDICAPPING: The first step in successfully picking a winner
(or "handicapping") is becoming familiar with reading
the racing program. Each program has a section explaining the information
format used at that particular track. Probably the best place to
start when handicapping Standardbreds is time. Since over 99 percent
of all harness races are conducted at the one-mile distance, valid
comparisons can be made among horses.
HARNESS: The gear which is used to attach the sulky
to a horse, to carry the hobbles and to enable the driver to steer
the horse.
HOME STRETCH: The straight length of the track, nearest
the spectators, where the finish line is situated. It is called
this because it is the final part of the track a horse travels down
during a race -- on its run 'home' (or run to the finish line).
HOBBLES: The straps which connect the front and rear
legs on the same side of a horse. Most pacers wear hobbles to help
balance their stride and maintain a pacing gait. The length of hobbles
is adjustable and a trainer registers the length that best suits
his or her horse. There are also trotting hobbles that work through
a pulley system to help trotters maintain their gait.
HORSE: A male 4 years of age or older.
INQUIRY: Stewards may conduct an inquiry as a result of any
incident which may have occurred during a race, to determine whether
or not certain drivers and/or horses were responsible for the incident
and whether they should receive due punishment.
INVITATIONAL: A race for the top horses in the area.
Also known a Open or Free-For-All.
LAME: The term used to describe a horse which is
limping or has difficulty walking properly.
LEASING: As opposed to buying a harness horse, people
have the option of leasing one. Just like some people lease a car
instead of paying the money up-front, leasing a horse gives people
use of a horse without large capital outlay. An agreement or contract
must be drawn up between the two parties, and the lease must be
registered with the relevant controlling body.
MAIDEN: A horse which has not yet won a race.
MARE: A female 4 years of age or more.
PARI-MUTUEL RACE: A race in which wagering is allowed,
held at a track licensed by a state’s racing commission. Pari-mutuel
races are held at licensed pari-mutuel racetracks or fairs.
PARKED: A horse racing on the outside, with at least
one horse between it and the inside rail.
PHOTO FINISH: When two horses cross the finish too
closely to identify a winner, officials call for a photograph of
the race, taken exactly at the finish line, to help them determine
who was ahead.
POCKET: A horse in a pocket is unable to obtain a
clear run because it has other runners situated in front, behind
and to the side of it.
POST POSITION: Generally, the closer a horse starts
to the inside rail or barrier of the track (especially on smaller
tracks), the better is its chance of winning. At the start, horses
must either "leave" (start quickly) to get a good position
or else find a place on the rail to avoid racing on the outside
of other horses. When racing on the outside the horse is said to
be "parked out", and loses ground on every turn. A horse
on the inside has a better chance to get to the rail or quickly
get a good position.
QUALIFIER: A race in which a horse must go a mile
below an established time standard to prove itself capable
of competing in pari-mutuel races.
SCRATCHING: A horse that is withdrawn (or scratched)
from a race before the start.
SIRE: The male parent, or father, of a horse.
SIRE STAKE: Stake races designed to promote Standardbred
breeding and racing within a state. Different states have different
rules regulating eligibility to that state’s sire stakes program.
Rules include: a horse must be the offspring of a stallion standing
in the state or a mare living in that state, owned by a resident
of that state, or the horse was born in that state.
STAKE RACE: A race where owners make a series of
payments, starting well in advance, to keep a horse eligible. If
an owner misses a payment to a stakes race, the horse becomes ineligible.
STARTER: The person responsible for starting a harness race.
The starter controls the start of the race from the back of the
mobile vehicle.
SULKY: Also known as the cart or racebike, the sulky
is attached to the harness and carries the driver and which the
horse pulls.
TIME TRIAL: An attempt to have a horse beat its own
best time in a non-competitive event. A time trial is not a race.
Galloping horses hitched to sulkies, called prompters, are used
to push a horse to its best effort.
TOTE BOARD: Tote Board: An electronic board, usually
in the infield of a track, which posts the odds, amount of money
bet, results of a race and the wagering pay-offs.
WEANLING: A baby horse, up to its first birthday.
YEARLING: Any horse between its first and second
birthday
|
WIN: The horse you select must come in
first.
PLACE: The horse you select must come in first or second.
SHOW: The horse you select must come in first, second, or third.
DAILY DOUBLE: A bet attempting to pick the winner of two consecutive
races.
PICK THREE: A bet attempting to select the winners of three
consecutive races.
QUINELLA: A bet attempting to select the first two finishers,
regardless of order.
PERFECTA/EXACTA: A bet attempting to select the first two finishers
in exact order.
TRIFECTA: A bet attempting to select the first three finishers
in exact order.
TRI-SUPER: A bet attempting to select the first three finishers
in exact order, and then the first four finishers in exact order in
a subsequent race.
TWIN TRIFECTA: A bet attempting to select the first three finishers
in exact order, and then the first three finishers in exact order
in a subsequent race.
Associations
USTA: United States Trotting
Association, based in Columbus, Ohio, the regulatory, record keeping
and registration association for all Standardbreds. It was created
in 1939 to unify a fragmented Standardbred industry. Support harness
racing and Standardbreds by joining the USTA. The USTA is just one of numerous
organizations here and abroad that serve Standardbreds and harnes
racing. For a complete list, see the USTA's Trotting
& Pacing Guide.
Deciphering a Standardbred’s Record
A horse establishes its record when it wins a race. The
USTA keeps records of the fastest race a horse wins each year it
races.
Example: p,3,T1:54.1f ($200,000)
|
p
|
The gait in which the horse raced, which
is the pace; if no letter is present after the age, the horse
raced on the trot. |
|
3
|
The first number, 3, is the age the horse
was when it won its fastest race as a 3-year-old. |
|
T
|
The "T" means the record was
taken in a time trial, not in a race. If a "Q" is
there, the record was taken in a qualifying race. If no letter
is present before the time, the record was taken during a race. |
|
1:54.1
|
The time, 1:54.1, is the short hand version
of the fact that the horse raced a mile in one minute and fifty-four
and one-fifths seconds. |
|
f
|
The "f" stands for the fact that
the race took place over a five-eighths-mile sized track. If
an "s" is present, it means a seven-eighths of a mile
track; an "h" means a half-mile track; and "q"
is for a three-quarter-mile track. If no letter is present,
the track is a mile long. |
| ($200,000) |
The amount of money a horse has earned
in its career follows its fastest time, in parentheses |
|
The Way to the Winner's Circle
|
| One of the best parts about Standardbreds is the opportunity
for hands-on involvement in their racing careers. The USTA can
help you find your way to Standardbred ownership, whether in
the racing game or with a retired competitor |
|
The Racing Game
|
| Here are a few steps to help you if you want to make your
way into racehorse ownership: |
| 1: Finding a trainer: It is best to find a trainer
before you get a horse. To accomplish this, contact the race
secretary of your closest race track, or your state's horseman's
association. A list of all tracks and associations can be found
in the USTA's Trotting & Pacing Guide,
published annually. |
2. Making a Purchase: There are several options once
you decide to buy a horse: go to an auction, go through a private
sale or claim a horse.
- Auction: A horse goes to the highest bidder.
Sales can feature racehorses, broodmares and stallion prospects,
as well as yearlings.
- Private sale: Brings one buyer together
with one seller. Can include one owner, partnerships or
limited partnerships where winnings--and losses-- are limited
to what your total investment, and a controlling partner
makes decisions.
- Claiming race: A horse can be purchased
right out of a race for a stated price. A qualified buyer
files "a claim" and puts up the amount of the
claiming price before the race, and the title to the horse
changes immediately after the race.
|
3. What to look for: You can spend between several
hundred and several thousand dollars on a Standardbred, so it
is best to use the advise of a trainer or veterinarian. As a
general rule, look for the following:
- Breeding: The best racehorses come from
the best breeding: A prominent and productive stallion mated
to a well-bred mare with a history of producing top horses.
- Conformation: Conformation, or how a horse
is put together, is also important. Experienced buyers look
for such things as: wide-set eyes, a wide jaw, a massive
neck, powerful chest, and straight legs and feet.
- Trotters v. pacers: Trotters make up one
in five Standardbreds. They take more time and patience
to develop. However, talented trotters have less competition,
while having the opportunity to win as much, or more, than
pacers. Pacers, on the other hand, get to the races faster
meaning a faster return on investment. However, it takes
a very fast pacer to be truly successful.
|
Spending Money:Training fees buy three things: a trainer's
services, basic feed and a groom. After the training fee, there
are a variety of other charges that will include the blacksmith,
veterinary and medication costs and licensing. Monthly costs
usually run between $1,220 and $2,180 for a horse starting 30
times over a nine-month period. Additional expenses may include:
- Insurance: based upon the value of the horse,
rates are estimated between $3 and $7 per $100 of value.
- Staking: Most of the richest pots for Standardbreds
are for 2- and 3-years-olds. To compete, you must invest
money in those races in the name of your horse to keep your
horse eligible. Most payments start when the horse is a
yearling and do not end until you enter them for the race.
- Transportation: If your horse trains at
a farm, away from the racetrack, there will be costs involved
in shipping him to the races. Also, a stake horse will have
to travel to numerous different tracks for stake events.
Short trips average about $1 per mile, although the rate
likely goes down for longer trips.
- Membership: Every breeder and owner must
become a member of the U.S. Trotting Association. It costs
$60 to join and $45 to renew annually. Many owners also
opt to join their local horsemen's organization that work
on their behalf.
- Extras: To get more involved in the industry,
new owners will want to subscribe to trade publications
like Hoof Beats,
the world's largest magazine devoted to Standardbreds, and
purchase important reference materials like the USTA's Sires
And Dams, Stakes Guide, Year Book, Trotting & Pacing
Guide, and Care & Training of the Trotter and Pacer.
|
| This ownership information has been taken from Owning
a Harness Racehorse: The Way to the Winner's Circle, a brochure
produced by the U.S. Trotting Association. |
|
The origins of the Standardbred trace back to Messenger, an English
Thoroughbred foaled in 1780, and later exported to the United States.
Messenger was the great-grandsire of Hambletonian 10, to whom every
Standardbred can trace its heritage. Standardbreds are a relatively
new breed, dating back just over 200 years, but it is a true American
breed.
