‘Tis the season of fascinators, bow ties, bright colors, mint juleps, and betting on horses. Even though horse racing has dozens of races throughout the year, and tracks all across the country, the time of year ahead of the Triple Crown races is the most well-known and popular for horse racing enthusiasts.
There are many aspects of horse racing that attract people, but one annual commentary revolves around the names of racehorses. Usually unique, these names differ from your traditional animal names. Ahead of the 2023 Kentucky Derby, Horse.Bet, a horse betting offers comparison site, surveyed more than 1,000 Americans on racehorse names to find the best and the worst that may be racing in Louisville.
When it comes to your racehorse name, what might it be? Horse.Bet has also created a racehorse name generator for you to discover what your horse would be called if it was racing in this year’s Triple Crown races.
2023 Best and Worst Racehorse Names
Although only 20 horses will run in the 2023 Kentucky Derby, we asked Americans to rate the names of the top-ranking 25 horses. Respondents were asked to rate each name on a scale of 1 (the worst) to 5 (the best) in beauty, humor, and luck. We then took the average of the ratings for each horse’s name to tally an overall score.
When it comes to the best racehorse names in 2023, Confidence Game, Cyclone Mischief, Blazing Sevens, Sun Thunder, and Major Dude all top the list. Confidence Game scored the best with an overall score of 3.1, followed by Cyclone Mischief who scored 2.93 and Blazing Sevens who received 2.92.
Some of the worst horse names, overall, include Jace’s Road, Continuar, Verifying, Skinner, and Derma Sotogake.
When it comes to the most beautiful horse names, Angel of Empire had the highest score of 3.66, followed by Sun Thunder (3.24), Confidence Game (3.03), King Russell (2.57), and Lord Miles (2.85).
Some horse names have more of a comedic edge, such as Major Dude who scored a 3.81 in humor. Following Major Dude rank Cyclone Mischief (3.58), Rocket Can (3.4), Raise Cain (3.2), and Confidence Game (3.19).
When it comes to betting on horses, you may be inclined to pick a name on the possibility of luck. Some racehorse names may bring you more luck, and when we asked Americans which name appeared the luckiest, Blazing Sevens takes the lead with a 3.96 ranking. Other names that exude luck include Confidence Game (3.06), Sun Thunder (3), Hit Show (2.97), and Angel of Empire (2.96).
America’s 2023 Horse Racing Plans
How many Americans are planning on tuning in to the races in 2023? More than 1 in 6 are going to be placing bets in Triple Crown Horse Races, and nearly half of Americans are planning on watching these races.
For those placing bets this horse racing season, certain factors are more prominent when it comes to the “which horse do I put my money on” question.
The odds matter the most in horse betting, followed by the jockey, the horse’s trainer, the horse’s breeding, and its ranking going into the race. Other important factors include the horse’s age, its name, its owner, its sex, and its color.
What Is Your Racehorse Name?
Horse names can be beautiful, humorous, and unique, and it’s one of the facets of horse racing that spectators enjoy the most.
What would your name be if you owned a racehorse? Using our generator, find out by taking the word associated with the first letter of your first name and combining it with the word associated with the first letter of your last name. Our racehorse name for Horse.Bet, would be “Wayward Mystery.” Sounds like a winner’s name to us!
Methodology
In April 2023, we surveyed 1,003 Americans to get their feedback on the names of horses running in this year’s Kentucky Derby. Respondents were asked to scale each horse name from 1 (Worst) to 5 (Best) in factors of beauty, humor, and luck. Respondents were 48% female, 50% male, and 2% non-binary with an age range of 18 to 83 and an average age of 42 years old.
To create the horse name generator we collected the names of all the top-ranking horses in the spring from 2012-2022. The names were then put through a name randomizer to come up with the name options.
Fair Use
When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing Horse.Bet, an online horse racing betting portal with detailed reviews of Amwager, Twinspires, TVG, BetMGM, BetRivers, Borgata, bet365 and other sportsbooks.
Kentucky Derby 2023 Best Sites & Offers
| Date | Event | Location | Recommended Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-05 | 2024 Kentucky Derby Betting Offers & Best Bets | 700 Central Ave, Louisville, KY, 40208 | TVG |
- USDOTBETNew players only, 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Welcome offer not available in NY and DC. Full T&C apply.
- USBTRVAvailable in AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, LA, MI, IA, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV
- NJBETBRGTGambling site is legal in New Jersey, Pennsylvania
- CRB150New customers only. Bet Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
- SPA250
- BET200
- 250DMTC
- 100TVGNew customers only. New Jersey.
- USB365bet365 betting app and online sportsbook is live in AZ, CO, IA, IN, LA, NJ, NC, OH, and VA. New players only, 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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