pinhook v. to speculate in race horses. Etymological Note: This is a jargonized variation of pinhook defined by the Dictionary of American Regional English as “to act as a pinhooker,…a small-time speculator in farm products, esp. tobacco, esp. one who buys directly from farmers.” DARE traces the origins of later forms to the adjective pinhook, meaning “petty, small-time,” which is recorded as early as 1834 in Davy Crockett’s Narrative Life. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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The term “pinhooker” is rather commonly used (though not pejoratively)in Ireland particularly to identify certain professional horse buying agents.