Even free-and-easy spectators of horse racing have noticed that the contestants often have name that are colorful in the extreme . No horse name Steve or Horsey has ever win theKentucky Derby . Instead , names like Odor in the Court , Panty Raid , and — more creditably — Secretariat have all galloped down the stint . So why do racehorses have such odd names ?
It comes down to fix sure there ’s short repetition in thenaming convention . Most order bodies for thoroughbred racing adjust certain argument for names . In the United States and Canada , that ’s theJockey Club , which routinely rejects up to a third of naming submission . You ca n’t , for model , go past 18 theatrical role , use only numbers , apply the names of sustenance persons unless given permission , utilize profanity , and so on .
Most importantly , thenamecan’t be one of the C of thousands already registered , a prohibition that can last for year after a horse ’s retirement or even forever . Nor can you simplychangethe spelling slightly : Eazy Goer is n’t going to vanish if there ’s already an Easy Goer in the registry .
That leave owners to come up with something creative to fit the guidelines .
The naming structure usually cleave to a few subcategories . A name might refer to a horse ’s lineage or stemma . A knight dubbed Money in the Bank , for example , might sire offspring refer Direct Deposit .
Other time , owners will prefer for something that ’s memorable , like a pun or a pop culture reference ; some opt to name their horse after a person in tribute . ( Some , like former First Lady Barbara Bush , allot the asking ; others , like Margaret Thatcher , decline . )
No matter what , buck name calling seem to bring home the bacon pot of cannon fodder for audience and announcers likewise .
[ h / tHorse Racing Sense ]
