# Names of Race Horses **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-race-horses/64538 "2001-05-06T14:15:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-race-horses/64538/1 "2001-05-06T14:15:09Z")
Watching the Kentucky Derby yesterday got me thinking about this. Does some sort of body regulate the names of race horses? Are they copyrighted? Could I name my horse **Secretariat?** (or **Secretariat Jr.** )? What about vulgar or potentially offensive names? Could I name a horse **Purple Turd** , **3-Dollar Crack Whore** , or **Bill Clinton’s New Mistress**? IOW, in the world of horse racing, is it anything goes? ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2001, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-race-horses/64538/2 "2001-05-06T14:42:14Z")
I don’t know much about this subject except that anything _doesn’t_ go when it comes to naming racehorses. I read an article about the subject once. There is a registration organization that prevents duplicates and disallows vulgarities – although the article did mention about how an occasional scampish owner is able to slip a roundabout offcolor name past their radar. (I wonder if the same people work at the vanity license plate office; I read an article to the same effect about them once too.) ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2001, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-race-horses/64538/3 "2001-05-06T15:14:07Z")
The Jockey Club maintains the registery. info on naming: [http://home.jockeyclub.com/name.html](http://home.jockeyclub.com/name.html) As stated, they will disallow names perceived to be in unacceptably bad taste as well as names which have already been used. And yes, some owners have made a game of trying to sneak a naughty name by the committee, much like people trying to sneak something by the DMV for a vanity plate. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2001, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-race-horses/64538/4 "2001-05-06T15:38:05Z")
You can’t use a offensive name, but it is possible to sneak one by. One example was “Cunning Stunt,” though I don’t know if that horse actually existed. I do remember a “Brett’s Best Bet,” which led to a spoonerization of the first word by the track announcer. The call went “Breast . . . Bet Bet.” The last two words were spat out quickly as it was obvious he knew what he just said. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2001, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-race-horses/64538/5 "2001-05-06T18:14:43Z")
Not really on track, but my sister used to do a lot of equestrian show jumping back in the day. You wouldn’t believe the number of people who show name (typically horses would have a real name and a show name) their horses something like “Wish I Was” or “If Only I Were” or some other varient. “Now showing number 17: Wish I Was owned and ridden by Jill Smith.” Those wacky equestrians.