Rinaldo Del Gallo, III
By: Rinaldo Del Gallo, III
One of the odd things about the Razorback Handicap this weekend at Oaklawn is its name.
According to Wikipedia, “Razorback is a colloquial term in the United States and Australia for a type of feral pig.” Wikipedia also states razorback can also mean “the fin whale.” Wikipedia has a “disambiguation” page, but of all the possible uses of Razorback, a handicap race at Oaklawn is not mentioned.
There are three horses named Razorback—a filly from Argentina named RAZORBACK (ARG) M, 1996 {3-d}; a horse named RAZORBACK , 1977 {5-f}, and another horse named and a Japanese horse RAZORBACK (JPN) br. H, 2002 {14-b}, a grandson of Sunday Silence. All three of these horses were completely undistinguished on the racecourse and were without progeny. I am confident that no horse named “Razorback” was the cause for the race’s name.
So why “Razorback” for the name of the horse race? Wikipedia offers no reason in its description of the race. I do know that the Oaklawn racetrack is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, giving the source of the sprint race (Hot Springs.) So, as it turns out, the Razorbacks are the name of the University of Arkansas football team. According to Wikipedia, way back in 1909 they used to be the Cardinals.
“The Cardinals became the Razorbacks after Arkansas defeated LSU 7–0, and coach Bezdek told a group of reporters after the game that his team played like a ‘wild band of Razorback hogs.’ The name stuck, and the student body voted to change the mascot.” The mascot now is a raging, red feral hog. They do a “hog call” before the beginning of games—an old tradition. In 1910, the student body voted to change their name to the Razorbacks. Here is a great article on the subject.
How far is Hot Springs to the University of Arkansas? It is about a 3 hour and 50-minute drive.
There appears to be absolutely no connection between “razorback” and horse racing other than three obscure horses of absolutely zero note. It is clearly not the celebration of the name of a horse. It is not a nearby location. It is not the nickname of somebody in horse racing. It is the mascot of the state’s university sports teams, which is centered far away from the track itself.
I am of the opinion that the Razorback is a silly name for a race, especially a race of such a considerable purse. Perhaps it could be renamed the Old Rosebud, a horse that once had a race named after him at Oaklawn Park. Or it could be named the “Mystic Guide” after the horse that took the 2021 Dubai World Cup after winning the Razorback. Or it could be a race named after the state such as “The Natural State Stakes.” Or “The Cella Stakes,” after a family associated with race. Or, for some broader appeal, “The Little Rock Nine Stakes.” Maybe the “Bathhouse Row” stakes, for something local.
But the Razorback stakes makes little sense for me. Moreover, I suppose I would call a horse race “The Stupid Stakes” if it would get people to come. But the “Razorback Handicap” doesn’t have some type of cross-sport appeal to attract football fans. The Razorback Handicap is a race with a name that makes no sense and has little appeal, in my opinion. And if you are going to keep the name, at least have the darn hog call before the race.
