Pacesetter: Horse that is runs in front.
Paddock (judge): Where horses are saddled and paraded before entering the racing surface; official in charge of paddock and saddling routine.
Parlay: A multi-race bet in which all winnings are subsequently wagered on each succeeding race.
Pari-mutuel(s): Form of wagering originated in 1865 by Frenchman Pierre Oller in which all money bet is divided up among those who have winning tickets, after taxes, takeout and other deductions are made.
Part wheel: Using a key horse or horses in different, but not all possible, exotic wagering combinations.
Past performances: A horse's racing record, earnings, bloodlines and other data, presented in composite form.
Photo finish: Result so close it's necessary to use the finish- line camera to determine the order of finish.
Pick (number): Type of multi-race wager in which the winners of all the included races must be selected, like in Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 6 and Pick 9.
Pill: Small numbered ball used in blind draw to decide post positions.
Pinched back: Horse forced back due to racing in close quarters.
Place (bet): Second position at finish; wager on a horse to finish first or second.
Placing judge: Official who posts order of finish in a race.
Pocket: Position in a race with horses in front and alongside.
Point(s) of call: Horse's position at various locations on the track noted on a chart, which vary with distance of a race. Pole(s): Markers at measured distances around the track designating the distance from the finish; the quarter-pole, for instance, is a quarter of a mile from the finish, not from the start.
Pony: Any animal that leads the parade of the field from paddock to starting gate; also a horse or pony that accompanies a runner to the starting gate.
Post parade: Horses going from paddock to starting gate past the stands.
Post position: A stall in starting gate from which a horse starts.
Post time: Designated time for a race to start.
Preferred list: Horses with prior rights to starting, usually because they have previously been entered in races that have not filled with the minimum number of starters.
Prep (race): A workout (or race) used to prepare a horse for a future engagement.
Pull(ed) up: To stop or slow a horse during or after a race or workout.
Purse: Total monetary amount distributed after a race to owners of the entrants who have finished in the top four or five positions.
Quinella: Wager in which the first two finishers must be picked in either order.
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