Horse Colors of A Natural Thoroughbred Kind
How Secretariat's Three White Stockings Compares to 2009 Racers
Apr 15, 2009 BarbaraAnne Helberg
What's in a color -- if the color is on a Thoroughbred race horse?
White On Legs Translates to Weakness?
Knowledgeable horsemen tend to be suspicious of a Thoroughbred who poses with white on his limbs. White legs, ankles, or pasterns can translate to troublesome, weak, or fragile bone structure, many horse racing experts claim.
Never mind that one of the two greatest Thoroughbreds of the 20th Century, Secretariat, was of the sweetest equine disposition possible and raced like a locomotive with three high white stockings adorning his four legs. The stunning white legs soon turned into a blur before the rivoted eyes of his adoring audiences in 1972 and 1973 as Secretariat raced in speedy, stamina-driven perfection during most of his competitions.
Secretariat's stockings were nearly knee- (right foreleg) and hock-high (both hind) on all three of his marked, sturdy legs. White was completely absent only on his left foreleg. Nicknamed Big Red, Secretariat was unquestionably one of the most endurance-blessed equine racing champions of his era.
No three-legged-white-stockinged phenom has been seen before, or since him. And the only other Derby horse to sport higher stockings on the same three legs as Secretariat's was 1893's Lookout.
What Are Normal Thoroughbred Coat Colors?
Thoroughbred colors generally fall into six official categories, with varying degrees of hue.
- Bay, commonly abbreviated as (b)
- Dark Bay or Brown (dkb/br)
- Chestnut (ch)
- Black (bl)
- Gray (gr)
- Roan (ro)
Who Is Brown, or Bay, or Is Not?
2008's Big Brown fell into the first category, while 2009's Quality Road is also a bay. The bay is distinguished by a brownish body and black "points", or (black) mane, tail, and lower legs. The color of a bay's body may range from yellowish tan to dark brown, or a deep, reddish mahogany.
A dark bay, or brown horse is separated in the color scheme by having hairs on the muzzle, or flank that are tan, or brown. 2009 Kentucky Derby hopefuls Pioneerof The Nile and Musket Man are in this category.
Two-time Horse of the Year (1972-1973) Secretariat, white stockings and all, was a distinct chestnut, as is Curlin, Horse of the Year in 2007 and 2008. This season's Giant Oak and Massone, new this week to the graded stakes earnings Derby Top Twenty qualifiers list, as well as qualified Desert Party, are chestnuts. This color is categorized by body tones varying from a dark liver to reddish gold, copper, and light yellows. A chestnut's mane and tail are brown, never black in total.
A black horse is usually unmistakably black, like the gorgeous filly Ruffian. Sometimes appearing brown in different daylight, or evening settings, the blacks are distinguishable by their slim black muzzle hairs.
Gray Thoroughbreds Common This Season
In the past, racing grays were more rare. In the last several years, however, many grays, normally called gray-roans (gr/ro) have appeared in the classics. Their coats are a mixture of gray and black hairs.
A plain roan may be a mixture of black, white, and yellow hairs, or a combination of black, white, and red hairs.
Northern Dancer, popularized by televised racing in the 1960s, was a gray roan. In 2009, two gray roan Derby contenders, The Pamplemousse and Old Fashioned, have gone off the trail with injuries.
However, Dunkirk, Hold Me Back, and Win Willy are grays who remain as Top Twenty Derby qualifiers.
The colorful Kentucky Derby is scheduled for May 2 at its 135-year location, Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
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