Racehorses have the Weirdest Names

The Kentucky Derby will take place tomorrow in Louisville, Kentucky. The horses in the lineup have some unusual names, like Epicenter, Cyberknife, Tiz the Bomb, Zozos, and Summer is Tomorrow. Why do racehorses have such odd names? Mainly because there are so many of them. You can't give a racehorse the same name as a previous horse, sometimes for years, sometimes forever. And names have to be approved by the governing body.

There are rules for naming horses. The Jockey Club has a set of rules for thoroughbreds, and the American Quarter Horse Registry has different rules, which are spelled out at Horse Racing Sense. They categorize names that come from the horse's lineage, pop culture references, traditional names, horses named after a person, and humorous names. The humorous names are the ones we recall best. Some have great stories behind them. Some try to push the envelope to see what they can get away with.

There are herds of racehorses with pun names, but I really like those that are designed to be funny when the track announcer uses them. Recall the race between My Wife Knows Everything and The Wife Doesn't Know. Or ARRRRRRRRRR! And of course, the unforgettable Hoof Hearted.

-via Mental Floss

(Image credit: Velo Steve)