bug boy
n.— «Around the racetrack, they are called “bug boys,” but not for their love of insects. These jockeys get their names because the Daily Racing Form used to print a “bug”—or asterisk—next to the weight assignments of apprentices. The more asterisks, the less experience and winners an apprentice had. They are the rookies of thoroughbred horse racing.» —“Del Mar: The apprentices” by Jeff Nahill in Inglewood North County Times (Escondido, California) July 16, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Need a slang term that can replace just about any noun? Try chumpie. If you’re from Philadelphia, you may already know this handy placeholder word. And there’s Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan, and … The Bronx — why do we add...
The expression to go chalk has to do with rankings in an athletic tournament and harks back to when seeded teams or players were listed on a chalkboard. To pick chalk means to choose one’s favorite competitor, and you can also speak of a chalk...