dog

n. in horse racing, a cone or barrier for delimiting a path. Subjects: English, United States, Sports & Recreation

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Citations: 1962 Walter Haight Washington Post, Times Herald (Nov. 15) “About Horses And People…” p. D12: Race track “dogs” (or the equivalent thereof) could have been a factor in the International victory of France’s Match II.…They’re in the category of the carpenter’s “Horse”…A few feet of two-by-four with four legs attached.…The removal of two legs, from one end, turns a horse into a dog. The wooden dogs, often seen in guarding a street excavation and holding a red light at night, once were stock equipment at all race tracks.…Most have been replaced by the inverted yellow traffic cones. Dogs or cones are placed several feet out from the inside rail at times when a track is wet, so that this part of the racing strip will be protected during morning workout hours. 1986 Bob Schwarzmann @ Renton Seattle Times (Wash.) (May 4) “If Problems Surface, Coffey Can Help Smooth Them Out” p. C11: Coffey said Coble had been reluctant to use “dogs” because he felt the horsemen would not accept them. “Dogs” are barriers—flame-orange traffic cones in this case—to keep the hoofs away from an area of concern. 2004 David Grening @ Elmont, N.Y MSNBC (Oct. 15) “Badge of Silver debuts for Frankel”: Exercise rider Emanuel Davy never asked her for anything during the work, conducted around a triple set of orange traffic cones, commonly referred to as dogs.

Posted 19 Oct 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend