In thoroughbred horse racing, “Broke In Tangle” is a term used to describe what happens at the start of a race when a horse gets away awkwardly from the starting gate.
This occurs when either the horse itself breaks away poorly or when the ground breaks away under the horse’s feet, causing it to stumble or lose its footing at the start. As a result, it takes the horse some time to recover and find its best stride after leaving the gate.
The term is specifically used for starting gate incidents and is similar to other racing terms like “bobbled” or “stumbled.” When a horse breaks in a tangle, it typically means the horse has been compromised at the start and may have lost valuable ground or positioning that could affect its performance in the race.