Forced Out

Forced Out in thoroughbred horse racing describes a horse that is forced to race wide due to the fact that another horse is either getting out or bolting. This term indicates that the horse had to take a wider path around the track not by choice, but because of interference or movement from other horses.

This is different from horses that naturally drift wide on their own – “Forced Out” specifically indicates that another horse’s movement was the cause of the wide trip. It’s an important distinction for handicappers because it suggests the horse may have performed better with a cleaner trip and wasn’t responsible for the disadvantageous position.