The Rules of a Horse Race
There are many rules that govern a horse race. Listed below are some of the most common rules and the people who enforce them. Stewards are the highest officials at the meeting and they enforce the rules of the race. In steeplechase, for example, the horses jump over high obstacles. They wear calks on their shoes to improve traction on muddy and soft tracks. The stretch call refers to the horses’ position at the eighth pole and the stretch turn, which is the bend in the track that leads into the homestrench. Strut, or manner of going, is the distance that each foot touches the ground.
BREAK (a horse)
The term “BREAK” in a horse race refers to a horse that breaks quickly and gets away with it, but not as quickly as the field. It should be used only if one or two horses break sharply in a race. The horse finishes with good energy, moves fastest at the wire, and can’t gain ground on the leaders. This type of finish has a lot of similarities to a “midget move.”
GRANDDAM (SECOND DAM)
A GRANDDAM (SECOND DAMS) horse race is a Grade I horse race in Australia. The winner of this race usually advances to stakes racing or allowance racing. The race is named for the dam of the foal, who is also known as the damsire. The term “damside” is used to describe a horse’s pedigree. This race is run only by female horses and is equivalent to the North American Graded and Group One races.
SIX FURLONGS (or SIXTEENTH)
In horse racing, a furlong is one-half mile or a mile and a sixteenth. Most races are run around three turns. A racecourse that is one mile long is considered a “short” race, giving the inside horses a significant advantage. A racecourse that is six furlongs long is considered to be a more fair race, as horses do not have to work as hard.
SIMULCAST (or PREFERRED LIST)
If you’re in the market for a horse race and are unsure of the best bet, you can use the Simulcast feature to predict which horses will win and place. The Simulcast feature consists of a list of horse races for which the oddsmaker has already rated each entrant. You can use the list to select the horses that you want to follow in the race.
OVERLAND (or OVERNIGHT RACE)
The OVERLAND (or OVERNIGHT) RACE is a 54-mile bicycle race, with 7,000 feet of climbing. The course features seven sectors of ancient public roads in Vermont, with two well-fortified sag stops. It features spectacular scenery and epic terrain, all set in a pastoral environment. The event promotes the sport of overland adventure riding, while benefiting local organizations such as Reading/West Windsor Food Shelf and Ascutney Outdoors.
SET (or SECOND CALL)
During a horse race, it is crucial to understand the significance of the SET (or SECOND CALL). A runner’s speed and early or late speed is measured by how far they can cover in one-fifth of a second. If a horse is able to cover the distance between the second call and the finish line, it is considered a good LATE SPEED. To determine which horses have the most late or early speed, the WATT program can help.