Gum Tree Stables LLC

Added money – purse money in addition to nomination, entry, and starting fees for a stake race, contributed by the track to enhance the purse
Allowance race - a race in which a horse is entered according to eligibility conditions, usually the number of races it has won or money it has earned. Allowance is made in the weight each horse must carry based on its recent performance.
Bloodstock agent – a broker who represents the purchaser or seller (or both), of Thoroughbreds at public or private sale, generally in exchange for a commission
Bounce - a poorer performance by a horse in a race soon after a previous race in which the horse made a strong effort, and due to that effort
Broodmare – a female horse in foal or previously used for breeding
Broodmare prospect – a filly or mare that has not been bred
Claiming race – a race in which each horse carries a price tag indicating the amount for which another owner and trainer can buy the horse out of the race
Class – the level of quality and difficulty of a race, or, in reference to a horse, its ability to be competitive with quality horses
Closer – a horse who prefers racing with a rallying trip, coming from behind late in a race
Colt – a male horse under 5 years old
Conformation – the structure of a Thoroughbred’s body, as determined by the arrangement and harmony of is parts.
Consignor – an owner of a Thoroughbred, or the owner’s agent, who has contracted with a sales company for sale of a horse at a public auction
Dam – the female parent of a horse
Double – a bet that pays if the bettor picks the winner of two designated consecutive races
Exacta – a bet that pays if the bettor picks the win and place horses, in that exact order
Exotic – any bet other than win, place, or show
Farrier – a person who trims and shoes horses’ hoofs
Fast – the condition of a dirt track when it is dry and firm
Filly – a female horse under 5 years of age
Firm – the condition of a turf track when it is dry and relatively hard
Foal – the young offspring of a horse, usually a horse under one year old
Fractions – a race’s internal time splits, measured at regular intervals such as a furlong
Furlong – one-eighth of a mile, the basic unit of distance in horse racing
Game – showing a wiling, strenuous effort, either in victory or defeat
Gelding – a castrated male horse
Good – the condition of a dirt or turf track when it has absorbed some rain, but maintains a relatively even, firm surface
Handle - the total amount bet at a track or wagering facility on a given day, or over a given period
Horse – in the more restricted sense, an uncastrated male horse 5 years old or older
In foal – a pregnant broodmare
Length – a distance equal to the size of a horse’s body; in a route, a good horse runs a length in about one-fifth of a second
Maiden – a horse who has never won a race
Mare – a female horse 5 years old or older
Muddy – the condition of a dirt track when it has absorbed so much rain that the surface is saturated, with unreliable footing
One turn – a race around one curve of the track
Optional claimer – a race in which a horse may enter either under the allowance conditions stated, or, if it does not fit those conditions, for a designated claiming price
Place - finish second
Pick 3 – a bet that pays if the bettor picks the winners of three designated consecutive races; pick 4’s and pick 6’s are also common wagers offered at most tracks
Pool – the total amount bet on a given wager for a given race
Purse – the amount of money allotted by the racetrack, of which the entrants of the race are running for a specific percentage, according to their finish position. Typically, the winner gets 60% of the purse, the place horse 20%, and the show horse 11%, with 6% for fourth and 3% for fifth.
Quinella – a bet that pays if the bettor picks the win and place horses, in either order
Route – a race of a mile or longer
Select Sale – a public auction of Thoroughbreds with certain conformation and pedigree restrictions, in contrast to an open sale, where the only requirement is an entry fee
Show – finish third
Sire – a stallion that has produced a foal
Sloppy – the condition of a dirt track when it has absorbed enough rain that the surface is soft and uneven
Soft – the condition of a turf track when it is saturated, with unreliable footing
Sprint – a race less than a mile long
Special weight – a weight assigned by the racing secretary, typically for maidens, who have not established a performance record on which weight allowances can be based
Stake race – the most prestigious level race, run for a higher purse, and for which those horses racing must pay nomination, entry, and starting fees
Stallion – a male horse used for breeding
Stallion prospect – an uncastrated male horse who has not been bred; usually a horse still in training or recently retired from racing
Starter allowance - an allowance race in which a horse may enter only if it has run in a recent claiming race at or below a designed claiming price
Soundness – the physical condition of a Thoroughbred who is healthy and free from disease or lameness
Speed figure – a single number analyzing how fast a horse ran all (or part) of a race, taking into account the track variant, trip, beaten lengths, and other factors affecting the horse’s performance
Speed horse - a horse who prefers racing at a rapid early pace, in front of the other runners
Stalker – a horse who prefers racing a bit behind the speed horses, then attacking at a critical stage in a race
Suckling – a Thoroughbred still nursing with its dam
Takeout – the percentage the track retains from each bet to help fund purses and operations; typically varies according to wager
Trifecta – a bet which pays if the bettor picks the win, place, and show horses, in that order
Trip – the course of action a horse encounters during a race
Turf race – a race run on grass, as opposed to the majority of (North American) races, which are run on dirt
Two turns – a race run around two curves of a track; while tracks vary somewhat in size, most sprints are one-turn races, and most routes are two-turn races
Variant – the difference from average time for races of the same distance by the same class horses at the same track on different days, due to weather and track condition
Weanling – a foal who has been weaned from its dam
Yearling – a young Thoroughbred after the January 1st following its foaling, until the next January 1st
Yielding – the condition of a turf track when it has absorbed enough rain that the surface is soft and uneven