In thoroughbred horse racing, “Closed Fast” means a horse is finishing the race with good speed, gaining lengths on the leaders.
This term describes a horse that demonstrates strong finishing ability in the latter portion of a race, making up significant ground on horses ahead of them. When a horse “closed fast,” it indicates they were running their best at the end of the race and covering ground quickly on the field.
“Closed Fast” is part of a family of similar race comments that describe late-race performance. It’s more emphatic than “Closed Gap” (gaining some ground on leaders through the stretch) and “Closed Willingly” (making up ground steadily through late stages). An even stronger version would be “Closed With A Rush” (moving fastest of all through late stages, gaining with every stride).
This race comment is particularly valuable for handicappers as it suggests a horse may have more ability than their finishing position indicates, especially if they were positioned far back early in the race. A horse that “closed fast” often demonstrates the kind of late speed that could be effective in future races, particularly if they get a better trip or more favorable pace scenario.