Taghorse racing

Daisy-Cutting

The term daisy-cutting, which refers to the low-action trot of Arabian and Thoroughbred horses, is reminiscent of the low grounder in baseball known as a daisy cutter and even the daisy cutter explosive, which shoots low-flying shrapnel. This is...

The Big Apple

Why is New York City called the Big Apple? In the 1920s, a writer named John Fitz Gerald used it in a column about the horseracing scene, because racetrack workers in New Orleans would say that if a horse was successful down South, they’d send...

bug

bug  n.— «Now that Ms. Studart is no longer an apprentice, her prospects for rides are unclear, especially with more experienced jockeys coming to New York for the summer season. Trainers tend to favor apprentices—nicknamed “bugs” for the...

breezing

breezing  n.— «Ms. Studart starts most days at Belmont by 7 a.m. She spends mornings “breezing”—racing parlance for galloping at top speed—horses for various trainers, her braided hair flying behind her.» —“A Long Way From Home...