And They're Off!
In honor of Derby Week (and cause I'm a word nerd) I offer the following English phrases which have racing roots. Offer these tidbits over your julep to wow your Derby guests. If it takes their attention off your handicapping that's just a bonus.
in the homestretch-the stretch is the last part of any race, the part right before the finish line. Hence, if you are in the homestretch you are almost done.
upset-Upset was actually a horse, the only horse to beat the great Man 'o War, traditionally considered the greatest racehorse ever(see above). It happened in the 1919 Sanford Stakes. After a lousy start (some stories claim he was actually pointed in the wrong direction) he got trapped on the inside (his regular rider was suspended under a cloud of suspicion after the race) and, despite a tremendous rush in the stretch, couldn't catch Upset. So, any time a heavy favorite loses, it's an upset.
get the lead out-in races, especially handicap races, horses are assigned a weight to carry. The theory is if all horses were weighted perfectly they would all finish together. This weight includes the jockey and equipment, any missing weight is made up of lead bars that are put under the saddle. In the bad old days before cameras, when there weren't enough stewards to watch every single stride, jockeys would chuck the bars over the rails when they were out of sight of the stewards. And yes, weighing in before and after a race followed shortly after.
Happy Derby y'all!
in the homestretch-the stretch is the last part of any race, the part right before the finish line. Hence, if you are in the homestretch you are almost done.
upset-Upset was actually a horse, the only horse to beat the great Man 'o War, traditionally considered the greatest racehorse ever(see above). It happened in the 1919 Sanford Stakes. After a lousy start (some stories claim he was actually pointed in the wrong direction) he got trapped on the inside (his regular rider was suspended under a cloud of suspicion after the race) and, despite a tremendous rush in the stretch, couldn't catch Upset. So, any time a heavy favorite loses, it's an upset.
get the lead out-in races, especially handicap races, horses are assigned a weight to carry. The theory is if all horses were weighted perfectly they would all finish together. This weight includes the jockey and equipment, any missing weight is made up of lead bars that are put under the saddle. In the bad old days before cameras, when there weren't enough stewards to watch every single stride, jockeys would chuck the bars over the rails when they were out of sight of the stewards. And yes, weighing in before and after a race followed shortly after.
Happy Derby y'all!
posted by Sam @ 10:00 PM
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