Across The Board 
   To place equal bets, to win, place and show, on one horse.

All Out
    When a horse extends himself to the utmost.

Allowance Race
    A race which has eligibility conditions to determine the horses that may enter and is not a claimer.

Also Eligible
     A horse who is an alternate starter, who will be allowed in the race if a starter is scratched.

Also-Ran
     A horse which finished back in the pack.

Apprentice
    Rookie jockey.

Backside
    Location of stables.

Backstretch
    Straight of far side of track between the turns.

Bay
    Brown or tan horse with black "points" - mane, lower legs, and tail.

Bear Out
    To drift toward the outside of the track.

Blanket Finish
    Horses finishing so closely together they could be covered by a blanket.

Bleeder
    Horse that bleeds during heavy exertion, usually from small vessels or capillaries in respiratory system.

Blinkers
    A common piece of racing equipment that contains eye cups which limit a horse's vision and prevent it from shying from objects or other horses.

Bloodline
    Pedigree of a horse.

Blow Out
    Workout before a race to limber up a horse.

Bolt
    A sharp left- or right-hand movement by a horse.

Break 
    To leave the gate at the start of a race. Also, a harness horse changing to a different gate than the one specified in the race in which they are competing.

Break Maiden
    When a horse wins his first race.  Until that first win, a horse is a maiden.

Breed
    An equine group whose members have been selectively bred for consistent characteristics over a period of time and with pedigrees recorded in a stud book.

Breeze
    To run easily, under a hold, without much encouragement. A common plan for a morning workout.

Broodmare
    Female horse used for breeding purposes.

Broodmare Sire
    The sire of the dam of a horse.

Bug
    Apprentice Jockey who is allowed a reduced weight as they gain experience.

Chestnut
   Red  to golden yellow horse with red main and tail.

Chute
   The extension of backstretch or homestretch to permit straightaway run from start.

Claiming Race
   A race in which any horse may be purchased at a predetermined price.

Colt
    Male horse under 5 years of age.

Conformation
   The shape and correctness of the anatomy of a horse.

Dam
    The mother of a Thoroughbred.

Damsire
    The sire of a broodmare.

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

Derby
    Stakes race for three year olds.

DQ
    Short for Disqualified.

Driver
    A person driving a harness horse in a race.

Driving
   Strong urging by the rider.

Easily
   Running or winning without being pressed by rider or opposition.

Evenly
   Neither gaining nor losing position or distance during a race.

Exacta (or Perfecta)
   A wager in which the first two finishers in a race, in exact order of finish, must be picked.

Extended
   Forced to run at top speed.

False Favorite
    A horse who is bet down to favoritism when others would appear to outclass him on form.

Fast Track
    Track condition with footing at its best. Dry and even.

Favorite
   Horse having the most money wagered on it to win.

Filly
    Female horse under five years old that has not been bred.

Firm
    A condition of a turf course corresponding to fast on a dirt track.

Flatten Out
    When a horse drops his head almost on straight line with body. May indicate exhaustion.

Float
    A piece of track equipment dragged over the racing strip to squeeze off surface water.

Foal
    A horse under one year old.

Furlong
    A distance equal to 1/8th of a mile.

Gait
   Used to describe the manner in which a horse moves.

Gallop
    A fast gate in which all four feet are off the ground at once.

Gelding
   Castrated male horse.

Good Track
   Condition between fast and slow.

Granddam
  Grandmother of a horse.  

Grandsire
   Grandfather of a horse, or sire of the horse's dam.

Groom
    A person who cares for a horse in the stables.

Half-Brother or Sister
   Horses out of the same dam but by different sires.

Hand
   Unit of measurement for a horse's height, each of which is 4 inches.

Handicap Race
    A race in which weights have been assigned by the racing secretary after evaluating entrant's past races.

Handicapping
   The art of evaluating a horse's past performance to determine the outcome of a race.

Handily
    Working or racing with moderate effort; not under the whip.

Head of the Stretch
    Beginning of the straight run home.

Horse
    Ungelded male horse five years old or older.

Hot Walk
   Cooling down a horse by walking by hand or on a machine after a race or workout.

In Foal
   Pregnant mare.

In Hand
   Running under moderate control, or at less than best pace.

In the Money
   Finishing first, second or third.

Jockey
   Rider of a horse in a race.

Jog
   Slow, easy gait.

Juvenile
    A two year old horse.

Late Double
    A second Daily Double offered on the latter part of the program.

Length
    About eight feet, the length of a horse from nose to tail. At racing speeds a horse travels about 5 lenghts a second. Thus timing is often in 1/5 seconds.

Longshot
    Entry not well regarded by bettors, resulting in the possibility of longer odds and higher payoffs.

Maiden
   A horse who has not won a race. Also applied to non-winning rider.

Maiden Race
    A race for horses which have never won a race.

Mare
   Female horse five years old or older, or younger if bred.

Match Race
    A race between just two horses.

Money Rider
    A rider who excels in rich races.

Morning Line
    An estimate of the final race odds, as determined by the track's handicapper.

Mudder
    A horse which races well on a muddy track.

Muddy Track
    Track condition where there is substantial water in the track making footing less than ideal.

Mudlark
    A superior mudder.

Near Side
    Left side of a horse, side on which he is mounted.

Nom de Course
    Assumed name of owner or racing partnership.

Nose
    Smallest winning margin at the finish.

Oaks
    A classic stakes event for 3-year-old fillies.

Off Side
    Right side of horse.   

On the Bit
    When a horse is eager to run.

On the Board
    Finishing among the first four.

On the Nose
    Betting a horse to win only.   

Official
    Final results of a race have been confirmed by the stewards.

Pace
    Relative speed of the leaders of a race at various stages during the race.

Pacer
    A harness racing gait in which the legs on one side of the horse move together.

Paddock
    Area where the horses are saddled and paraded before post time. Also a small fenced in field for horses to be turned out in.

Pari-mutuel
    The form of wagering whereby players wager against each other, not against the "house".

Parked Out
    Term for a harness horse which is not able to race near the inside rail due to the position of other horses.

Pedigree
   The details of a horse's ancestry.  Often shown as a family tree.

Photo Finish
   A finish between two or more horses which is so close a still photograph must be used to determine the order of finish.

Place
   Second position at finish.

Pole
    Distance marks placed around the track, usually every 1/16th of a mile.

Post
    Starting point or position in starting gate.

Post Parade
   When the horses leave the paddock and go toward the starting gate.

Post Time
    The designated time for a race to begin.

Purse
    The total prize money awarded in a race - usually among the top five.

Quarter
    One-quarter of a mile.

Quarter Horse
    Breed of horse especially fast for a quarter of a mile, from which its name is derived.

Quinella
    A wager in which first two finishers must be picked, but payoff is made no matter which of the two wins and which runs second.

Rail Runner
    A horse who prefers to run next to inside rail.

Recall
    When the first attempt at starting in a harness race is nullified by the official in charge of the start.

Roan
    Horse with a red and white hair mixture.  Usually with age they turn mostly gray.

Rogue
    An ill-tempered or spirited horse.

Romp
    Running or winning with utmost ease.

Scratch
    A horse is withdrawn from a race.

Show
    Third position at the finish.

Silks
    Jacket representing the owner of a horse which is worn by the jockey.

Simulcast
    Simultaneous broadcast of a race to betting facilities away from the live track.

Sire
   The male parent of a horse.

Sophamore
   Three-year-old horse.

Stake
    A race for which owner must pay a fee to run a horse. The fees can be for nominating, maintaining eligibility, entering and starting, to which the track adds more money to make up the total purse. Some stakes races are by invitation and require no payment or fee.

Stakes Race
    Highest class of race, reserved for the best horses.  Owners have to pay an entry fee or "stake" for these races.

Stallion
    Ungelded male horse used specifically for breeding.

Standardbred
   A breed of horse which participates in harness racing.

Starting Gate
    A mechanical device which allows each horse to begin a race at the same time.

Steeplechase
   A race over a course with artificial obstacles.

Stewards
   The highest level officials overseeing the races who work to maintain the integrity of the sport.

Stick
   A jockey's whip.

Stretch
    The straight portions of a race track.

Stud Book
    A official record of the pedigrees of purebred horses.

Sulky
    A two wheeled cart carrying the driver and pulled by a horse in harness racing.

Tack
   Equipment used for riding and driving a horse.

Tattoo
   A letter and a group of numerals applied to the underside of the upper lip of each registered Thoroughbred.

Thoroughbred
    A horse specifically bred for racing that can trace their lineage back to three original sires.  These sires are: Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian, Byerley Turk.

Trainer
   A person in charge of conditioning horses in preparation for races.

Trifecta (or Triple)
   A wager picking the first three finishers in exact order.

Triple Crown
   The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

Trotter
    In harness racing, horses which move with a diagonal gait.

Underlay
    A horse racing at shorter odds than he should.

Untried
    A horse that has not been raced or tested for speed. Also a stallion who has not been bred.

Valet
    A person who attends riders and keeps their wardrobe and equipment in order.

Yearling
    A horse which is one year old.

Yeilding
    Condition of turf course with a great deal of moisture.