In thoroughbred horse racing, “dogs” are barriers or markers placed at specified distances from the inside rail to protect certain areas of the track. These are typically rubber traffic cones or wooden barriers used to preserve the racing surface.
Purpose and Usage
Dogs serve two main protective functions:
Track Preservation: On turf courses, dogs are placed to keep horses from damaging portions of the grass during training or when track conditions require it. On dirt tracks, they protect the inside strip when the track is wet, muddy, soft, yielding, or heavy.
Workout Management: Dogs are primarily used during morning workouts rather than actual races. When dogs are “up” (in place), horses must work further from the rail, which typically results in slower workout times since they cannot take advantage of the shorter distance along the inside rail.
Impact on Performance
When workout times are reported with the notation “dogs up,” readers should account for the fact that the horse worked at a disadvantage by being forced away from the optimal inside path. This context helps explain why certain workout times may appear slower than they would under normal conditions with full access to the rail.