Racing commentaries

by Mac
(London)

Fort Larned winning Breeders Cup Classic 2012

What do the following terms mean?

Dwelt, Made all, Shaken up, Ridden (seems obvious) Ridden and progress, Widest draw, Midfield, Driven.

When I read the commentaries it is far from obvious what they mean!

Thanks

Mac Stewart

Answer: Many of these comments have similar meanings:

Dwelt: means a horse is allowed to race at its own pace and no attempt is made to better its position or hold back

Made All: means a horse went straight into the lead and remained there until winning the race

Shaken up: means a horse is encouraged to increase its effort with a shake of the reins and or use of the the jockeys heels

Ridden: is similar to shaken up but suggests that the encouragement is continuous

Ridden and progress: suggests that the encouragement results in the horse improving its position

Widest draw: Applies to flat races where stalls are used to start the race. The widest draw is the stall furthest from the inside rail. This is often a disadvantage on turning tracks especially tight tracks such as found at Chester racecourse

Midfield: Means a horse is racing midway between the front and back of a field of horses

Driven: is a term used near the end of a race when a jockey's urging is most insistent often using the whip for maximum response