Best Racehorse Names of All Time

Some of the greatest racehorse names are funny. Others are interesting. All of them are memorable.

One of the most fun aspects of horse racing is seeing how horses are named. Owners usually buy a horse at a young age and submit a name to the Jockey Club, horse racing’s general authority on horse registration and data.

Many times, the name represents a combination of a horse’s parents. On some occasions, though, there are other motives in play, and every once in a while, the answer to the age-old question “what’s in a name?” is hilarious.

That’s what has sparked this collage of racehorse names, which are designed to provoke a particular response. Some of the racehorse names in this collection are funny. Others are the result of interesting anecdotes. All of them are memorable.

25. Arrrrr

Arrrrr at Saratoga in 2008. The New York Racing Association, Inc. / YouTube

Born: April 24, 2004

Bottom line: Luck never hurts in horse racing, and a little serendipity produced one of the greatest race calls in the history of the sport.

When a horse named Arrrrr ran at Saratoga on Aug. 16, 2008, and put forth a winning performance, track announcer Tom Durkin had a blast with it.

Ahoy, mateys.

24. Bofa Deez Nuts

Bofa Deez Nuts wins a 2018 race at Remington Park in Oklahoma. Bofa Deez Nuts / Facebook

Born: March 7, 2015

Bottom line: Someone goofed in allowing this name to be approved.

Bofa Deez Nuts is a quarter horse, one that runs much shorter distances than thoroughbreds. He has run at Will Rogers Downs and Remington Park (both located in Oklahoma), and he found the winner’s circle for the first time in June 2018.

Perhaps the funniest part of this story, though, is that Bofa Deez Nuts is a gelding.

23. Covfefe

Covfefe beats the competition in a 2018 race at Churchill Downs. twinspires / YouTube

Born: Feb. 22, 2016

Bottom line: The potential for a great racehorse name was there already, as this filly (born in 2016) is by Into Mischief and out of a mare named Antics.

As political and social media experts probably can guess, though, the name Covfefe was bestowed upon the horse following a certain U.S. president’s infamous tweet where he used that word. Covfefe was an impressive debut winner in September 2018 at Churchill Downs. She then was favored in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park and finished fourth.

But in November 2019, the horse won a $1 million race in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

22. Denman’s Call

Denman’s Call after winning a race at Santa Anita Park in California. Santa Anita Park / YouTube

Born: Feb. 10, 2013

Bottom line: What Tom Durkin was to New York tracks, Trevor Denman was to California tracks. He was one of the top track announcers for decades and still holds that post at Del Mar.

Several years ago, a horse was named Denman’s Call as an homage to the great announcer, and as connections often do, they picked the right horse to give the name to.

Denman’s Call won the Grade 1 Triple Bend at Santa Anita in 2017. Unfortunately, Trevor was not on the call that day.

21. Doremifasollatido

Doremifasollatido at Belmont Park in 2008. Horse Racing / YouTube

Born: March 31, 2006

Bottom line: Tom Durkin’s vocal stylings also were on full display when a 2-year-old filly strutted her stuff on Independence Day in 2008 at Belmont Park.

Doremifasollatido’s winning performance turned heads, but it was Durkin’s race call that makes people remember her fondly to this day.

Doremifasollatido, by the way, turned out to be a very good horse. She won the Grade 2 Matron as a 2-year-old and banked more than $260,000 in career earnings.

20. Dr. Fager

Dr. Fager, left, at the Atlanta City Race Course in 1968. AP Photo

Born: April 6, 1964

Died: Aug. 5, 1976

Bottom line: The story behind Dr. Fager’s name isn’t a funny one, but it includes one of the best “thank you” gifts ever given. Trainer John Nerud suffered life-threatening injuries after a fall from a horse. Then, he was saved by a pair of surgeries conducted by Dr. Charles Anthony Fager.

The horse’s connections picked the right steed to name after the brilliant doctor. Dr. Fager won 18 of 22 lifetime starts, and his 1968 campaign is regarded as one of the best single seasons in racing history.

That year, he won seven of eight starts and set a world record by running a mile in 1:32 1/5, a time that still stands as an American record 50 years later.

19. Effinex

Effinex wins the 2015 Excelsior Stakes. The New York Racing Association, Inc. / YouTube

Born: April 15, 2011

Died: Oct. 18, 2017

Bottom line: This isn’t quite as egregious an error as Bofa Deez Nuts, but Effinex was named as a reference to owner Dr. Russell Cohen’s ex-wife.

The humorously named colt took a while to come around, but he blossomed in 2015, at the age of 4. He won three stakes races, including the Grade 1 Clark Handicap, and was second to the great American Pharoah in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The story had a sad ending, though, as the horse died from a ruptured pulmonary artery in 2017.

18. Fiftyshadesofhay

Fiftyshadesofhay (3), ridden by Joel Rosario, wins the 2013 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico. Mike Stewart / AP Photo

Born: April 14, 2010

Bottom line: The “Fifty Shades” book trilogy provoked many strong reactions among its readers.

It is unclear whether or not the owners of this filly read the books, but whatever the case may be, they bestowed the name Fiftyshadesofhay on a filly that could run.

Foaled in 2010, Fiftyshadesofhay won five of 20 career starts (including three graded stakes races) and banked more than $1 million in career earnings.

17. First Dude

First Dude wins the 2011 Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park. Breeders’ Cup World Championships / YouTube

Born: March 27, 2007

Bottom line: When Sarah Palin governed Alaska, her ex-husband Todd preferred to be addressed as the state’s “first dude.”

Around the time of her vice presidential campaign in 2008, a mare named Run Sarah Run produced a colt, and First Dude stuck.

The horse turned out to be one of the best in the country. He finished second in the 2010 Preakness Stakes before winning the 2011 Hollywood Gold Cup.

16. Flat Drunk

Flat Drunk wins her debut at Keeneland in 2017. Keeneland / Coady Photography

Born: March 6, 2015

Bottom line: When Flat Drunk debuted at Keeneland in spring 2017, the name elicited its fair share of chuckles. However, the 2-year-old filly flashed immense potential, winning her debut race.

After that effort, though, she was sold privately and, in a very rare happening, was renamed Bonneville Flats. It’s often seen as bad luck to rename an already named horse, and in this case, the superstition may be right.

Since being renamed, she’s won twice in 12 subsequent starts.

15. Flat Fleet Feet

Flat Fleet Feet, left, finishes second to Hidden Lake in the 1997 Go For Wand Handicap at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Horse Racing / YouTube

Born: April 21, 1993

Bottom line: Try saying this one five times fast.

Flat Fleet Feet was one of the better race mares of the mid-1990s. She finished third or better in 19 of her 23 starts, and among her seven wins were the Grade 1 Top Flight Handicap and the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes.

As good as she was, though, one could forgive announcers for suffering twisted tongues while she ran.

14. Harass

Harass (6) finishes second in a 2015 race at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Gulfstream Park / YouTube

Born: Feb. 1, 2012

Bottom line: On the surface, this doesn’t seem like a horrible or inappropriate name for a horse.

However, when you put the name Harass into various horse racing expressions, or use it to describe actions during a race, the name’s meaning takes on a completely different connotation.

See for yourself in this video.

13. Hoof Hearted

Hoof Hearted wins a horse race. Vintage North American Horse Racing / YouTube

Born: Feb. 27, 1981

Bottom line: If you say this name slowly, with a break between the two words, this doesn’t seem like such a scandalous name.

But if you talk quickly, you’re left with a different-sounding name that would make a classroom full of elementary school students explode with laughter.

12. I’ll Have Another

I’ll Have Another wins the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby in 2012. Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs Office / Wikipedia / CC BY 2.0

Born: April 1, 2009

Bottom line: I’ll Have Another is one of the highest-profile horses on this list. He won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2012, but was denied a chance at horse racing’s Triple Crown due to an injury that forced his retirement.

The colt was named I’ll Have Another as a result of a conversation between owner J. Paul Reddam and his wife.

Reddam responded with that three-word phrase when asked if he wanted another fresh-baked cookie, and the name stuck.

11. John Henry

John Henry (1A), ridden by Bill Shoemaker, wins the 1981 Arlington Million at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Jim Bourdier / AP Photo

Born: March 9, 1975

Died: Oct. 8, 2007

Bottom line: One of horse racing’s best underdog stories is John Henry, whose name proved apropos.

Named for the mythical figure who beat a highly touted machine in a digging contest, John Henry rose from obscurity to become one of the most celebrated horses in racing history.

He won 39 of 83 starts in his Hall of Fame career, and statues bearing his likeness stand at both Santa Anita Park and Arlington Park.

10. Luv Gov

Luv Gov after a 2009 workout at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Julie Jacobson / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 12, 2006

Bottom line: Credit for this gem can go to Marylou Whitney, one of the most legendary figures on the New York racing circuit.

The horse was born in 2006 and came of racing age following the saga that ended with Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigning from office due to an extramarital affair with a call girl.

Luv Gov competed in two-thirds of the 2009 Triple Crown, running eighth in the Preakness before finishing fifth in the Belmont.

9. Midnight Lute

Midnight Lute, ridden by jockey Garret Gomez, wins the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Chris Carlson / AP Photo

Born: May 13, 2003

Bottom line: Sports figures are no strangers to horse racing. However, one top-tier sprinter played into one of college basketball’s most bitter feuds.

After being beaten to a recruit, UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian called Arizona coach Lute Olson “Midnight Lute,” and that name was given to a son of Real Quiet foaled in 2003.

Like his namesake, Midnight Lute made a habit of sweeping in late. His stretch runs earned him a pair of Breeders’ Cup Sprint victories in 2007 and 2008, as well as career earnings of nearly $2.7 million.

8. Mywifenosevrything / Thewifedoesntknow

Mywifenosevrything and Thewifedoesntknow

Mywifenosevrything, far right, beats Thewifedoesntknow at Monmouth Park in 2010. MonmouthPark / YouTube

Mywifenosevrything — Born: March 13, 2007

Thewifedoesntknow — Born: April 11, 2007

Bottom line: These two horses are forever linked because of one race in 2010. Incredibly, these two horses ran against each other on Aug. 22 at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park.

Even more incredibly, the two moved in tandem around the far turn, leading to one of the most bizarre stretch duels in racing history.

In the end, Mywifenosevrything more than Thewifedoesntknow.

7. Notacatbutallama

Notacatbutallama, far left, running in a race. The New York Racing Association, Inc. / YouTube

Born: May 9, 2010

Bottom line: The name of Notacatbutallama stemmed from a game of Taboo played by owner Mike Repole and his wife Maria (more on them later).

The hysterical response made for an eye-catching name that used most of the 18 characters allotted by the Jockey Club, but the horse that possessed it was far more than a punch line.

He won a pair of Grade 3 races as a 3-year-old and ended his career with nearly $800,000 in earnings.

6. Onoitsmymothernlaw

Onoitsmymothernlaw wins a race at the Saratoga Race Course. The New York Racing Association, Inc. / YouTube

Born: May 13, 2005

Bottom line: To this day, nobody’s really sure what caused the connections of Onoitsmymothernlaw to name her that.

She didn’t run often (just four career starts), but her career included a win at Saratoga Race Course, and the race call included the hysterical comment, “Onoitsmymothernlaw … won’t go away!”

5. Painting the Sky

Painting the Sky in action. Astiar / Horse Racing Nation

Born: March 23, 2013

Bottom line: Painting the Sky is one of the most eye-catching thoroughbreds in the country. She’s a “paint” horse, meaning she has patches of brown and white hair all over her body.

She’s one of a select few paint thoroughbreds in recent racing history, and she turned plenty of heads whenever she ran.

She won two of 12 starts from 2015 to 2017 while racing on the Louisiana circuit.

4. Panty Raid

Panty Raid, ridden by jockey Garrett Gomez, wins the 2007 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. Ed Reinke / AP Photo

Born: March 8, 2004

Bottom line: This is another one for the “Jockey Club goofed” file.

Somehow, this name was approved, and the filly saddled with it was able to run.

Panty Raid won five of 10 career starts, including two Grade 1 races, and she wound up earning more than one million dollars.

3. Pollard’s Vision

Pollard’s Vision, center, ridden by John Velazquez, runs during the 2005 Pimlico Special in Baltimore. Chris Gardner / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 31, 2001

Bottom line: In the early-2000’s, the book “Seabiscuit” inspired a movie and gave horse racing a boost in the public eye.

Seabiscuit’s longtime jockey, Red Pollard, was blind in one eye, as was this horse that came about when the book and feature film were prominent.

Pollard’s Vision earned six victories, including four graded stakes wins, and banked more than $1.4 million in career earnings.

2. Stopchargingmaria / Stopshoppingmaria / Stopspendingmaria

Stopchargingmaria (2) in the 2016 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park. The New York Racing Association, Inc. / YouTube

Stopchargingmaria — Born: March 26, 2011

Stopshoppingmaria — Born: Feb. 21, 2009

Stopspendingmaria — Born: March 8, 2008

Bottom line: These horses were all owned by Mike Repole, who made his fortune as the co-founder of Glaceau, which was sold to Coca-Cola for $4.1 billion in 2007.

However, despite his wealth, Repole apparently is not keen on the spending habits of his wife, Maria. He named several horses in this vein, and some of them could really run.

Stopchargingmaria, for instance, won more than $3 million in her career, and among her triumphs was a win in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

1. Yakahickamickadola

Yakahickamickadola runs in a 1989 race at Hialeah Race Course in Hialeah, Florida. beckron99 / YouTube

Born: April 8, 1986

Bottom line: It took a lot to tongue-tie legendary announcer Tom Durkin. This name, however, proved too much for him when the horse bearing it ran at Hialeah in 1989.

The horse wasn’t much of a runner, winning just one of 17 lifetime starts, but he gave us a call that’s unforgettable in several ways.