In the world of horse racing, the thunder of hooves and the roar of the crowd might dominate the senses, but long before a colt or filly ever steps onto the turf, another contest quietly takes place — the naming of the horse. And make no mistake, it’s no casual affair.
A horse’s name is its identity, its brand, and sometimes its prophecy. Owners spend hours, even days, sifting through ideas, looking for something that captures lineage, personality, or sheer whimsy. Some names are steeped in tradition, drawing from the sire and dam. Others spring from a private joke, a fond memory, or a bold ambition.
Once you go black. Woman On Top, Smoke the grass, His Master’s Vice are some of the horses are the horses named by Shiven Surendranath who owns them.
“It all depends on owners and they take the final call,” says Surendranath.
Constable, another horse owned partly by Dhunjibhoy another owner.
The naming game is a blend of art and regulation. The Stud Book Authority of India is the nodal authority in the country for registration of names of all thoroughbreds born in India.
“All names are registered in accordance Article 14 of the International Agreement on Breeding Racing and Wagering and have to be carefully checked that names are finite and no two horses names even pronounce similar, said Satish R Iyer, Keeper & Registrar of the Indian Stud Book.
Rules ensure no two active horses share the same name and ban anything offensive or overtly commercial. That’s why a two-year-old in Pune might debut as Moonlight Magic instead of Chocolate Factory, or why Snowfall can’t be repeated for decades once retired.
For many owners, a name is also a lucky charm. Some pick auspicious starting letters. Others look to astrology. And a few wait until they’ve seen the young horse gallop — because sometimes, the right name doesn’t come from a pedigree chart, but from the way a mane catches the wind.
So next time the race caller says, “And here comes Constable, charging down the straight!”, remember: before the wins and the trophies, before the odds and the betting slips, there was a moment when someone sat down with a pen, a list, and a dream — and decided what the world would call this magnificent animal.
In horse racing, what’s in a name? Often, the first step to making history.
