Why do horses, like in the Kentucky Derby, have such unusual names?

Question

Why do horses, like in the Kentucky Derby, have such unusual names?

Answer 1

Because over 60,000 thoroughbreds are foaled each year.  They have long since gone through all the easy names, like "Joe" and "Mike".

Answer 2

I don't know why. I kind of feel bad for the horse becuase even though the horse probably doesn't care about the name, these owners should just image if they had to live with the name, "Steet Sense" The horses are usually named after something or someone though

Answer 3

Often times, the names from the sire and dam (father and mother) are combined, and you also need to come up with a name that's not already in the registry.

Answer 4

Why do horses in the desert have NO names?

BTW, part of a race horse's name can denote its lineage. Eg: Northern Dancer - Native Dancer.

Answer 5

Because breed registries won't allow two horses to have the same name, even if one of those horses is dead.  So.....as all the more common names were taken up, people had to get more creative with the registered names.  

We don't generally call our horses by their registered names a the barn, that's just for "show"  They normally have a nickname that may or may not have anything to do with what their paper name is.

Answer 6

I really don't know, but I do have money on "Any Given Saturday" today and havn't checked yet to see if the horse won, guess I better.

Answer 7

There's a lot of regulations that you have to meet to register with the jockey club (which you have to register for in order to be a TB racehorse in the Derby).  There's limitations about the length of name.  You're not allowed to use names that have already been used by hall of fame horses.  I don't know all the requirements, but i know it's hard to find a name to use...  very hard to find something original.  It's true that the horses have barn names...  it's the same for ordinary registered show horses though...  and in dog shows...  you have a name they're registered by, but then you call them something easier...  like a nickname...  it's kinda like how we have first, middle, and last names, but don't call each other by the whole thing all the time...  it's so that we can be sure to distinguish between horses.

Answer 8

They are registered Thoroughbreds.  Registered animals have to have a name that is different from all other animals in the registry.  That is a lot of names...therefore their names have to be creative & unique or they will be denied.  

Most registered animals will also have a "barn name" which is a more common name that they are called on a daily basis, but the names we see are their registered names.

Answer 9

Bloodline and creative naming have alot to do with it.

Here's some examples ;

The sire "Hastings" (who was known after his career to have a very foul temper... lol...Battle of Hastings?) sired "Fair Play" (maybe a little wishful thinking at work!) who sired "Man O' War" (whose get all had war/related names - why not?!!! ).

"Seabiscuit" (Man O' War's grandson) was sired by "Hard Tack" - which is a biscuit of the sea...

Answer 10

Just like champion dogs, to set them apart from other horses.

Answer 11

A horses name is usually a combination of the parents names, ie. parents named Lightning Bolt and Go for it! would produce a foul named Go Lightning or Bolt for It!

Answer 12

the names you hear or read are just for the forms. the people that look after the horse dont call it by the stupid name.

the names are often made up as sometimes more then one person say a corp. owns the horse so they dream up long names that include something of themselfs in it .

the horse is more likely called socks or blacky by the people that deal with the horse

Answer 13

So if that horse becomes famous then they will be remembered easily. Also have a cool name!

-mel