What does the term "break her maiden" mean in horse racing?

Question

What does the term "break her maiden" mean in horse racing?

Answer 1

To win for the first time!

Answer 2

A horse is said to have "broken his/her maiden" when it wins for the first time.  A horse is a "maiden" until it wins a race.

Answer 3

not really....it just means te horse won its first race thats all it doesn't have to be in its first race

Answer 4

a horse has finally won it's 1st race

Answer 5

Her first win on her first outing!

Answer 6

There are several different catagories in racing.

Maiden races are restricted to horses which have never won a race.

There are 2 kinds of Maiden races

Maiden Special Weight

Maiden Claiming

claiming means the horse has a price tag on him and can be "bought" by another trainer/owner

For Winners there are:

Claiming

all horses have a price tag and can be bought whether you want them to be or not

Allowance

has conditions like never won a race besides a maiden

Allowance optional claim

if you don't meet the condition you can still run but for a price tag

Starter Handicap

only horses that have started for a certain claiming price can be eligible...kind of like a little stake race and they are not for sale

Stakes

you have to pay a nomination fee to run and all carry the same weight

Handicap

same as stakes but you are weighted according to your races

So, to "Break your maiden" means to win for the first time, be it your first start or your hundredth start

Answer 7

In horse racing terminalogy a maiden is a horse that has not won a race.  So when they use the term "break her/his maiden" they mean the horse winning the first race of it's career.  It does not mean they have to win the first race they run in.  Some race horses never break their maiden until they are 3, 4, or 5 years old.

Answer 8

Within racing there are two definitions of a "maiden":

1. A horse that has never won a race.

2. A filly/mare that has never had a foal.

As has already been said, your term refers to a horse winning their first race.