The National Weather Service is predicting 1 to 2 inches of rain for Louisville tomorrow. Those 80 hooves and shoes hitting the wet ground will be kicking up the mud. The phrase “here’s mud in your eye” is a humorous toast, usually among friends. Some believe the phrase came from horse racing, where a horse in the lead kicks dirt or mud into the eyes or face of the horse following behind. All theories connote good spirit and humor. Perhaps it signifies a desire for two friends to finish well—the toaster in first, and the toasted a close second.

Drawing by Ana Mirela Tache

Check out our book for more phrases and idioms that come from the world of horse racing.

American Lion – Illinois Derby winner took the lead and held the lead from a suspect field 4 weeks ago at Hawthorne Park. He finished in 1:51 1/5 but his last 1/8 was in a respectable 13 flat. Am Lion had a little extra burst in the tank when Yawanna Twist (who finished 11 in front of the next- Backtalk) came up to challenge. That race was the runner’s first effort on dirt and with middling works at CD I can see an over looked talent at a healthy mutual price.

Lookin At Lucky – This troubled troubadour is 6 for 8 lifetime with a victory in the 1 1/16 Rebel at OP 7 weeks ago. In that race he clicked heels halfway thru but was able to repel the likes of Nobles Promise and Dublin. Baffert trainee has been professionally working the past two weeks at CD. I see him picking up the pieces late ala Pioneer of the Nile in ‘09. His trouble at the rail in the SA Derby Post may be a problem for the inside post runner.

Dublin – Durable Afleet Alex colt makes his 9th career start – all on dirt. Came in third in the Arkansas Derby but ran a very consistent final 1/8 of 12 4/5 seconds. His chances go up with the sunshine, I don’t think he’ll respond to a “cuppy” wet surface. I look for him to hold a stalking position and finish up close but not ahead of American Lion or Lookin at Lucky.

Sidney’s Candy – Outside draw may set him up for the blistering early fractions that he will need to get the lead, Joe Talamo will have his hands full keeping it over 46 and change. I like the final 1/8 time of 12 3/5 for the SA Derby while maintaining a 4 length lead. His prior two races were not as impressive as the SA Derby and the fields were not of this caliber. He is a special horse if he can win from the outside, I see him fading in the stretch.

Super Saver – Borel will get the leg up from Pletcher for the Winstar LLC. He ran a very respectable 12 4/5 the last 1/8 in the Arkansas Derby. He was closing in on Line Of Divid on the wire and lost by less than a neck. Front running type fires from the 4 hole which should suit Colonel Calvin. If Super Saver has kept/made the lead when turning for home I think that American Lion or Lookin At Lucky would be the only ones to catch him.

LATE SUPER ADD – Make Music For Me California turf and synthetic specialist is coming off a lackluster final 13 2/5 in the Bluegrass. He lost to Lucky and Nobles Promise by 1 1/4 lengths in the Cal Fut at Hollywood Park during the week before Christmas. Underrated Joel Rosario is up in the saddle. It wouldn’t shock me to see him take dirt and make some cha ching type of music filling out the super.

According to this article the first reported use of a camera to document the end of a race was in 1888 at a track in Plainfield, New Jersey.

The term refers to the end of a race that is so close that the winner is only discernable only from a photograph taken as the horses cross the finish line. A common variation is “It’s a photo finish!” or simply “He wins in a photo!”

Grassy Wins the 9th in a 6 horse photo at Saratoga Race Course 8/22/09 photo courtesy of NYRA

An interesting photo of a triple dead heat is here.

Another, more technical, article on the different aspects of the photo finish cameras is here.

Who knew that way back in 1888 a camera on the finish line at a racetrack in New Jersey would usher in the age of instant replay. Now during challenges in the NFL we are treated to super slow motion replays at every conceivable angle. Referees duck under video hoods like the Wizard of Oz behind his curtain. While the time clock on televised basketball games is divided into tenths of a second. It never ceases to amaze me when announcers confidently assure us that there is “no need to rush here, there is still plenty of time to get the shot off” when there are 2.7 seconds left on the clock.

In horse racing the imperfect science of keeping time during morning workouts is still associated with a hand held stopwatch. Race times are now measured by hundredths of a seconds but the time honored method of 1/5 of a second per trailing horse length is still the rule for handicapping. Many of us prescribe to our own methods of finding a Derby winner, but generally, these includes the back of the envelope computations using the finishing times for the last 1/8 mile in recent few prep races. After the injury to Eskendereya the 2010 edition of the Kentucky Derby looks like an evenly matched field, perhaps this the year for a photo finish. For those of you who are interested, a very smart Kentucky Derby system is here.

But I digress, the term photo finish originated at the track yet is used to describe everything from elections to dancing contests in Florida.

I am always surprised when I see the generally unrecognized influence horse racing has on our language and culture. I hope that both horse racing fans and those interested in the English language will also find all of this enjoyable.

In horse racing to tout means to give out tips on a horse, usually for money or for the expectation of a share of any winnings. The word tout can also be used as a noun, meaning someone who gives out the tip on a race with an expected compensation. The word is Scottish in origin and originally meant to peep, to spy. It came to be used in horse racing when touts would secretly watch horses working out and sell or profit somehow from the ill-gotten information. So touts have had a bad rap from the very beginning of horse racing. If you follow this sport, these next few weeks before the Kentucky Derby are loudest and most lucrative for touts.

Oaklawn Park, Mar 01, 1960 . Photo: Francis Miller./Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

This is an exciting time of year. The Kentucky Derby is just around the corner and Baseball season has begun.

On Saturday, Eskendereya showed everyone he is a top contender for  winning the Derby by  easily running by his competition in the Wood Memorial on Saturday at Aqueduct.  He “hit the ball out of the park” so to speak.

In last night’s opening game of the 2010 baseball season, the Yankees got “off to a flying start” against the Red Sox but couldn’t sustain the lead, faltering in the stretch in the late innings of the game. I’m a Yankees fan, my husband is a Red Sox fan. He would say the Yankees were cheap speed on the lead last night.

The question is, when all is said and done, when the campaign is over, who will be on top? Will Eskendereya keep up the pace and win the Derby and maybe go on to the Triple Crown? Will Lookin at Lucky rebound from his eventful third place finish in the Santa Anita Derby to show everyone he’s the top horse? Will the Yankees prevail? Or, will the Red Sox regain the pennant? Or, will some other horse or team step forward and surprise? No one can predict, but watching it all unfold is priceless.

As the seasons unfold, watch how the language of baseball and the language of the sport of kings will be used repeatedly to describe the competition. Both of these long established, hugely popular spectator sports have contributed much to the richness of the language, particularly when describing competition. The cross-weaving of the terminology of these two sports is fun to watch and listen to as well.

Enjoy the ride.