Race Horse Name Generator

Race horse names have to pass a rulebook before they ever reach a program. The Jockey Club (US), Weatherbys (UK and Ireland) and Racing Australia all cap names at 18 characters including spaces, allow no more than seven syllables, ban names of living people without permission, refuse anything vulgar or misleading (no 'Filly' on a colt) and permanently protect the names of champions such as Secretariat, Seabiscuit, Frankel and Winx. Because roughly 20,000 thoroughbreds are named every year in the US alone, most obvious names are taken, which is why owners get creative.

The classic technique is to combine the sire and dam. A colt by Into Mischief out of a mare called Beautiful Ballad becomes something like Mischief Melody. Others name after their business (Blue Chip, Compound Interest), a home town, a favourite drink (Mint Julep, Single Malt), a piece of racing jargon (Photo Finish, Wire to Wire, Sixteenth Pole) or a joke that will sound good in the stretch call — Hoof Hearted, Odor in the Court and Notacatbutallama are all real registered names.

A strong racehorse name is one a track announcer can shout at speed. Two or three words with hard consonants and a clear rhythm (Quiet Thunder, Late Charge, Empire's Reply) carry better than soft, long phrases. Before you fall in love with one, check availability on the Jockey Club or Weatherbys online name lookup.