Across the Board – To bet a horse to win, place and show.

Allowance Race - Race for horses not eligible to be claimed. There are different classes of allowance races.

Also Eligible – Horses who are eligible to run if there are scratches in the race.

Apprentice - Also referred to as a bug boy. An apprentice is a jockey who is just getting started in the sport. The apprentice is allowed to carry less weight that a veteran rider. After the rider wins a certain number of races, he loses his bug. The apprentice is allowed ten pounds until he wins five races and seven pounds until he has won an additional 30 races. If he has ridden 35 winners prior to the end of one year from the date of riding his fifth winner, he will receive an allowance of five pounds until the end of that year. An apprentice is called a bug because the program will have an asterisk next to the weight that the jockey carries.

Backstretch –Straight portion of far side of the track between the turns. The stable area is also know as the backstretch.

Bandage: Cloth wrapped around a horse’s front or rear legs. The bandages offer support and protect the horse’s legs against injury.

Bearing in/ out – A horse who is not running a straight course, due to tiredness or soreness or because of the jockey’s inability to stay a straight course.

Bit –Metal mouth bar to which the reins are attached.

Bleeder – A horse that bleeds internally or through the nostrils during or after a workout.

Blinkers - Device that hinders a horse from seeing things on either side. It prevents the horse from shying from objects and other horses and they focus a horse’s attention on running.

Breezing - Working a horse at a moderate speed, less effort than handily.

Breakage - The odd pennies that the track keeps from the pay-out.

Bug - A term to denote a one, two or three- bug apprentice weight allowance.

Bug Boy - An apprentice who gets a weight allowance to compensate for his inexperience.

Bullet work - The best time for each distance on the workout line for a given day, designated by a black dot in the program.

Bute - (Butazolidin) - Trade name for phenylbutazone, an analgesic permitted for use on horses.

Chalk - The heavily bet favorite in a race.

Change Leads – Changing from leading with the right leg to the left leg going around a turn.

Claiming horse – A horse who is eligible to be bought out of a race.

Class – A relative term that implies one horse is superior to another.

Colt – Unaltered male horse under five-years old.

Dam – Mother of a horse.

Dead Heat – Two or more horses finishing in an exact tie at the wire.

Derby – Stakes races for 3-year olds.

Disqualification – A horse is removed from the place he finished and placed lower. For example, a horse may finish first, but interfere with another runner, impeding his chances to win the race. The interfering horse will be "taken down" and placed lower in the order of finish.

Dogs – Plastic traffic cones placed a certain distance out from the rail during workouts so that the area will be protected from wearing out.

Driving – Strong urging by rider in stretch.

Drop Down – A horse is running for a lower claiming tag than in his previous races.

Eased – A horse who stops running, having been taken up by his jockey.

Entry – Two or more horses who have the same owner or trainer and are coupled in the wagering.

Exacta – A wager in which the first two finishers in a race must finish first or second

Fast Track – A dry track.

Field – Horses that are grouped together as one wagering interest. If you wager on the field, you get all the runners entered in the field.

Filly – Female horse under five years of age.

Firm – A turf course that is dry.

Foal – A new born horse.

Fractional Time – Intermediate time recorded in a race at the quarter, half mile, etc…

Furlong – One eighth of a mile, 220 yards; 660 feet.

Furosemide – A diuretic medication that is used to treat horses who bleed. Also known by the product name Lasix.

Gelding – Castrated male horse.

Graded races – The most important races. They are classified as Grade I, Grade II or Grade III. One being the most important.

Handicap – A race in which the racing secretary assigns various weights to horses in an attempt to equalize their ability. The best horse in the race carries the most weight.

Handle – The amount of money wagered into a betting pool.

Handily – An easy victory achieved without hard urging.

Heavy Track- A running surface drier than muddy, although often slower.

Horse – A male horse five years or older.

Impost – The weight carried by a horse.

In the Money – Finishing first, second or third.

Inquiry – An objection lodged by a jockey or the stewards concerning a possible infraction during the running of a race.

Juvenile – A horse that is 2-years old.

Haltered – Claimed.

Length – Approximately eight to nine feet. The measurement used to gauge how much one horse is in front of another.

Maiden race – A race for horses who have never won a race.

Maiden Special Weight – A maiden races for horses not eligible to be claimed.

Mare – A female horse 5-years or older.

Morning line – A projection, before actual wagering takes place, on how the public will bet.

Muddy track – A track soaked through due to heavy rain.

Mudder- A horse who like an "off" track, a track that is wet.

Off Track – A track that is less than fast.

Outrider - Mounted rider who escorts horses to the post.,

Pace – Relative rate of speed in the early going of a race.

Paddock – Area where the horses are saddled

Place – A horse finishing second.

Post Parade – Horses heading to the starting gate.

Ridden out – Mild encouragement by rider in the stretch.

Scratch – A horse that has been withdrawn from a race.

Shadow Roll – A noseband that is placed on the horse so that he won’t see shadows on the ground. This prevents horses from trying to jump a shadow on the track.

Sire – Father of a horse.

Sixteenth – One sixteenth of a mile; 110 yards.

Sloppy – A track condition in which there is moisture on the track, but the base of the track is still firm.

Stewards – Like any sporting event there are officials who enforce the rules. In racing they are called stewards.

Taken Down – A horse who has been disqualified and placed lower in the order of finish.

Tote Board – the totalisator infield board at the track that shows the money wagered and the resulting odds.

Trifecta – A wager in which you must have the top three horses in the exact order of finish in order to win.

Show – A horse finishing third in a race.

Superfecta – A wager in which the first four runners in a race must finish first, second, third or fourth.

Take out – The percentage of tax taken from each betting pool at the track.

Valet - A person who takes care of the jockey’s equipment.

Yearling – A horse’s age between New Year’s Day after being foaled and the following January 1.