Why Thoroughbreds Celebrate Birthdays on January 1

Why Thoroughbreds Celebrate Birthdays on January 1

Ever wonder why all Thoroughbreds have the same birthday on the first day of the year? Every Thoroughbred in the Northern Hemisphere is considered another year older on January 1st while in the Southern Hemisphere the birthday celebration takes place on August 1st of every year.

No matter what day of the year a Thoroughbred horse is born, the newborn foal will be considered another year older on January 1st. Regulating the birthdays of Thoroughbreds alleviates any confusion because a horse is eligible for a race according to age.

Examples:
1) If a colt was born on March 22, 2010 he will be four-years-old on January 1, 2014.
2) If a filly was born on June 1, 2011 and wanted to compete in the 2014 Kentucky Oaks, which is a race in the first Saturday of May for three-year-old fillies, she would be able to compete because she is considered a three-year-old filly despite her June birthday.

All two-year-old Thoroughbreds registered with the Jockey Club must be named by February 1st in their second year of life. The owner of the Thoroughbred submits six names in order of preference. The Jockey Club has a strict list of rules when naming a racehorse, to see the rules click here.

Related Links:
What to wear to the races on New Year’s Eve
2013 Year In Review

Happy Birthday!