When you are trying to put together your bets for the Kentucky Derby, it is obvious that there are many funny names on the contenders list each year. A question in many bettors’ minds is whether there is some sort of method behind this madness. Interestingly, there are a lot of meanings behind Kentucky Derby horse names. Once you understand the history and rules governing these horses, you will be able to use this information to place better bets. In particular, many times a horse’s name specifies the championship-winning Thoroughbred that dominates their bloodline.
Why do horses have weird names?
Thoroughbreds are the type of horse that is featured in the Kentucky Derby. To keep pedigrees organized, each country that has Thoroughbred horses will have a stud book. To have a horse that is eligible to run in the Kentucky Derby, it must have a name registered with the official stud book in their country of origin. However, one of the rules is that horses cannot have the same name. Certainly, mistakes have been made over the past two hundred years, but computer technology now ensures that reusing an old name does not happen anymore. For this reason, horse names have become weirder over the past decades because so few names that make sense are available.
How to figure out what horse names mean
Do names carry special meaning? When you are a serious bettor, you want to evaluate every angle of a horse that you are considering investing in. To get all of the details, a few research methods are in order. Listed below, four ways to research horse names are detailed.
1. Use online etymology dictionaries to check for the origins of horse names.
2. Check Google translate for foreign meanings.
3. Search for specific news related to naming the horse.
4. Always remember the pedigree often dictates the horses name. For example, Frac Daddy is named for Scat Daddy and Fric Frac was a famous horse that the owners may have wanted to embody for their 2013 Kentucky Derby hopeful.
Possible name explanations for 2013 Kentucky Derby weird horse names
Verrazano: This name is not necessarily a noun that is easily translated into another language. Instead, there are two main references for this name. The first refers to one of the suspension bridges in New York City. The other is Giovanni da Verrazano who was one of the first Italian explorers of North America. Either reference denotes a grandeur that a winning Kentucky Derby horse needs.
Vyjack: This Kentucky Derby horse name is difficult to decipher because it does not appear to be constructed from pedigree names. It is also not a combination of jockey, owner, or trainer names. As a matter of fact, you will be hard pressed to find a reference to Vyjack before 2010. Nevertheless, it is likely that this name was taken from a part of US Navy history. There is a flag called the First Navy Jack and this is the best source for this name our writers at DerbyBetting.org could find.
Palace Malice: Do you like your athletes to look tough? This was definitely the intention behind naming Palace Malice. The Palace part of this horse’s name comes from his dam, Palace Rumour. On the other hand, malice was probably added because this word means evil and fierce – which is what most bettors want from a winning horse.
Super Ninety Nine: It is difficult to find clues in this horse is pedigree for why it earned this name. It can also be confusing to Panamanians that will assume that it is a popular chain of stores found around Panama City. In any case, it is possible that this horse was named after the Japanese anime series, “Submarine Super 99” that ran from 1970 to 1972.
Charming Kitten: This may sound like something a cat lover would name their racehorse. In spite of this, Charming Kitten’s name has everything to do with its lineage. The pedigree of this Kentucky Derby contender includes Kitten’s Joy, Kitten’s First and other Prince Charming-style enchanted names like Lady Madonna, Lady Capulet, Fairy Bridge, and Northern Dancer.