While many believe that naming a racehorse is as simple as dreaming up a creative name, it’s much more than that. The Jockey Club (the U.S. Thoroughbred Registry Commission) has a variety of rules and regulations in place when creating names for racing horses to ensure there is no overlap or confusion.

Although a horse might have been given a stable name at birth (for example, Secretariat was called Big Red), it goes by its racing name once it is bred or raced.

So, what are the rules and regulations on these names? Who decides them? How are the horses classified? When does this happen?

Read on to learn how a racehorse is named, and the rules and regulations in place for name submission. 

Let's Talk Age

Okay, so you’re probably thinking “What in the world does age have to do with naming a horse?”, but the answer is actually quite a lot. Regardless of when a horse is born, all horses are given the birthday of Jan. 1. This keeps horses in easily defined age groups.

Within one year of their actual date of birth, horses must be registered with the Jockey Club, and this is no easy task. The horse must be DNA typed to prove their lineage, and both parents must be registered and DNA/blood typed. In addition, the foal cannot be born through artificial insemination or embryo transfer.

Once the horse is registered in its first year, it must be officially named by Feb. of its two-year-old year. This is where things get really complicated. 

Meeting The Name Guidelines

When owners go to submit a racing name, they can submit up to six names to the Jockey Club and the board will decide which name is approved. A new owner can also pay a fee for a name change if they dislike the one selected for their horse under its previous ownership.

Horse names can be up to 18 characters in length including all spaces and punctuation, and must follow the below guidelines: 

• Names are not allowed to end in “filly,” “colt,” “stud,” “mare,” “stallion,” or any other similar horse-related term
• Names are not allowed to end with a numerical description such as “2nd” or “3rd,” regardless of if it is spelled out
• Names cannot consist entirely of numbers unless the number is above thirty; then it can be used if it is spelled out
• Initials such as C.O.D., F.O.B, I.O.U, etc. cannot be used
• Names of actual persons cannot be used unless written permission to use their name is on file with the Jockey Club
• Names having commercial significance cannot be used
• No names from the restricted list (Hall of Fame, Eclipse Award winners, etc.) can be used
• Names of racetracks or graded stakes races cannot be used
• Names that are suggestive or could be considered vulgar or to have obscene meaning cannot be used
• Names that could be considered offensive to religious, ethnic, or political groups cannot be used
• Names cannot be used if currently in use by another or if they sound too similar to a name in use
• Names cannot be reused until five years after the prior horse has left racing and breeding 

Oh yes, lots of rules! However, some owners can get around certain ones by using creative spelling.

As you can imagine, coming up with six possible names according to all these regulations can be difficult, and if the owner cannot come up with a fitting selection or all his choices are disapproved, the Jockey Club will select a name on its own accord.

Finally, once the horse is awarded its name, its registered name is tattooed under its upper lip for identification purposes. This provides a permanent link for the horse’s registration information. 

Now that you know how racehorses are named, cheer on your favorites at the 2024 Breeders' Cup in Del Mar!

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