The Kentucky Derby is TOMORROW. And the horses competing include: “Renegade”, Litmus Test”, “Right to Party”, “So Happy”, “Incredibolt”, “Emerging Market,. and “Further Ado.” (If that horse is scratched, the race will go on, “without Further Ado”!)
Have you ever wondered how racehorses get these funky names? Some of it involves the horse’s lineage, a name is often inspired by the horse’s parents’ registered names. But there are reasons a horse’s name could get rejected:
1. Names consisting of more than 18 characters, including spaces and punctuation. For example, “Request For Parole” maxes out the limit.
2. Names consisting entirely of initials.
3. Names ending in horse-related terms, like filly, cold, stud, mare, and stallion.
4. Names consisting entirely of numbers. Also: Numbers above 30 can only be used if they’re spelled out.
5. Names ending with a numerical designation. Names can have Roman numerals, but you can’t have things like “2nd” or “3rd.”
6. Names of real persons, living or dead, unless there’s written permission, and even then, it could be rejected by the Jockey Club. Nicknames are cool.
7. Names of racetracks. You will not hear of a horse named Churchill Downs.
8. Names cannot be offensive in the eyes of the Jockey Club. That includes profanity, anything controversial, or be demeaning to the horse.
9. Names that are currently active either in racing or breeding.
10. Names of winners in the past 50 years, or otherwise “retired” names.
(BroBible / Jockey Club)
