The Jockey Club: How horse racing's stars are named
MILWAUKEE - The last event of horse racing's Triple Crown was run Saturday, June 10. That means that Thoroughbreds like "Sun Thunder" and "National Treasure" will fade from mainstream thought, but there will be a whole new crop of horses and names again in 2024.
There are many things to appreciate in the sport of horse racing, and those are on display to wide audiences in May and June every year during the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, which make up the Triple Crown. One of the most obvious parts would be the names of the horses themselves.
"It seems fascinating to me, and I wonder if it does to you, too, even when you do this every day?" said FOX6's Tim Van Vooren.
The field heads to the first turn during the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 6, 2023, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
"It still does," said Andrew Chesser, The Jockey Club. "I don't take lightly that each one of these names has some measure of specialness to who submitted it and then, ultimately, to what it will be once it's attached and applied to that horse."
Specialness, indeed. The Jockey Club assures that there are no duplicate names currently in use for sanctioned racing in North America or even ones that sound alike phonetically. The club maintains a database that owners can check before they submit a request.
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"In the time of Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, that was a much more time-intensive process,' said Chesser. "It was done manually, paperwork, the Post. These days, it's far more efficient."
Javier Castellano celebrates atop Arcangelo after he wins the 155th Running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 10, 2023, in Hempstead, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Just as at the DMV, the folks at The Jockey Club have to be on the lookout for inappropriate names, questionable pop culture references and the like, but the investment, financial and emotional, in a horse, drives most owners to seek a respectful moniker.
"A name can be only 18 characters at a maximum, and letters, characters, spaces and punctuation count toward that total," said Chesser. "Names that end in horse-related terms such as horse, filly, colt, we reject those to avoid confusion."
A name is subjective, of course, so what appeals to someone may not even get to the starting gate with someone else. Some fans will study the racing form. Others will support certain colors, and a great many will wager significantly on name alone.
Two Phil's, Reincarnate, Kingsbarns and Verifying race tight around turn one during the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 6, 2023, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Those in the sport grow attached to horses and their names.
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"Do they ever answer to the name, Andrew? Do you think they ever answer to the name?" asked FOX6's Tim Van Vooren.
"It's funny, I think they get familiar with you and maybe just a little bit of that name, but it may also be that you're bringing carrots or mints, and they're just as familiar with that."
Arcangelo ridden by Javier Castellano wins the 155th Running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 10, 2023, in Hempstead, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Jockey Club says almost 19,000 horses were born in North America in 2022 with the intention of having them race. That means they all need a name and a unique name, at that.