New York Racing Association's
Horse Racing Glossary
IF YOU'RE CURIOUS what a shadow roll is how far a furlong is, check out the New
York Racing Association's horse racing glossary, an excellent source of information
for handicappers of all skills levels.
Novice players who access the site that a shadow roll is a device, usually made of
sheepskin, that is placed on a horse's nose. It prevents a horse from seeing shadows
on the track, which could make a hard-charging equine jump.
A furlong is one-eighth of a mile. The most commonly run races are six furlongs, or
three-quarters of a mile.
Study the glossary, head to your local watering hole and challenge anyone to a
friendly game of horse racing trivia. They'll be amazed at what you know.
If you really want to impress a barstool racing fan, tell them how horses in training
are identified. Contrary to popular belief, it's not by markings, although some horses are
more easily recognizable than others because of the unique nature of their coats.
Horses in training are tatooed on their lips. Each time a horse is led to the paddock on
race day, a horse identifier checks the tatoo to make sure the right horse is brought over
from the barn. Mistakes are rare, but do happen on occasion.
To access the glossary, click the button below.
A shadow roll is usually made of sheepskin and sits on the bridge of a horse's nose. It prevents a horse from seeing shadows on the track.
A saddle cloth is placed underneath each saddle that a horse wears on race days. These cloths are color coded to help identify horses.
Example: If I wager on a race featuring all brown horses (most do), the horse breaking from post position 1 is always going to wear a red saddle cloth. Horse 2 wears a white saddle cloth.
A maximum of 12 horses can race at Indiana Grand. That's all the starting spots there is in the starting gate.
