Part of the fun of racing is the adventure of being in another world. Anyone who has spent much time on the race track, particularly down the stretch, knows that it is a world unto itself. Inch for inch no place on earth has more colorful characters than the race track and the home stretch.

My grandfather used to work the backstretch at Rockingham Park in New Hampshire and I bred some of my horses there too. Want to see an Elvis impersonator (and a pretty good one) lead the parade afterwards? Go to Rockingham. Now that’s unique.

Like every island society, racing has its own jargon, a unique language that reflects the uncertainties of racing, the ups and downs. Many of the terms are not used much anymore and I think that’s a shame. Just so you know some of these terms to use next time you’re on the track, here’s a list of some of my favorites (see how many you already know)…

Ice Cream: It means an easy bet that you can’t lose. It is sweet.

Padlock: Horse that cannot lose (see Ice Cream)

Dead Cert.: A lock, a horse that will surely win.

Wide as your house: a horse or greyhound that will run wide on the outside of the track instead of taking the shortest path at the rail.

Boat Race – A race in which the majority of horses do not try to win so that a chosen horse can win. A “fixed” breed.

Fixed Stroke: See above.

Like finding money on the street: an easy bet that is so sure to win that it is a “gift”.

Gift: See above.

Plater: Horse that runs in the cheap lure races. I’m not sure what the pâté really means, although some think it refers to the horse going to the slaughterhouse and gets eaten, while others say it refers to special shoes that have to be worn because their hooves are so bad.

Irons: Another name for stirrups. When a jockey is said to be “in the shackles”, it means that he will ride the horse.

Scraped Paint: A horse is riding so close to the railing that it is scraping the paint off the railing.

Chalk: A horse that is the favourite.

Calcareous: A horse that is wagered a lot is said to be calcareous. It often means that the horse really doesn’t deserve that kind of support.

Morning Glory – A horse that works out very well in the morning and looks like a winner only to perform poorly in the afternoon when he actually runs.

Stooper: A person who walks the track hunched over looking for discarded tickets that may be winning.

Early Days: Early in the program, when only a few races have been run and even though one punter is down, he hopes to win in the long run.

There is always fresh – this is my favorite saying on the track. It speaks of the indomitable spirit of the horse player. It means that tomorrow is a new “fresh” day. No matter what happened today, tomorrow will bring new opportunities.

Silks: The colorful suits worn by jockeys during a race. The original silks were first introduced to Newmarket England by the Jockey Club to make it easier to distinguish each horse and rider to avoid disputes. Each owner chose their colors and design. The tradition continues to this day with thousands of registered silks where Thoroughbreds are bred.

Give Up: Horse who starts out well and often goes to the front of the pack only to fade late in the race.

Well, that’s all for now. Those are some of my favorites, but there are many more colorful words and phrases you’ll hear down the stretch. how much do you know