US Jockey Club orders Austrian Painter renamed over Hitler link
The two-year-old winner Austrian Painter must race under a new name after the US Jockey Club ruled the name was a reference to Adolf Hitler.
The registrar ordered the colt to become Merrylegs. The decision followed his debut victory — his first ever race — at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Monday. The Guardian
The Jockey Club said it opened the case after a formal complaint that the name was offensive. It determined that “Austrian Painter” is used online to discuss Hitler without naming him, in an effort to avoid content moderation filters. Under Rule 6.F.9.d, which bars names likely to be offensive or threatening, the registrar found the name ineligible.
The name is gone.
Owner and breeder Scott Herbertson had suggested on social media that the name referred to Gustav Klimt, the Austrian artist best known for the painting The Kiss. The Jockey Club did not accept that account. It also ordered that the colt’s full sister, a filly with the same mother and father named New Order, must be renamed.
The review began two days after the colt’s win, a timeline first reported by Horse Racing Nation. That victory came in a $38,500 race at Horseshoe Indianapolis, according to racing records. Racenet
It is not the first time the American registrar has forced a change. In 2019, a horse originally named Noose was renamed Scabbard after a similar order from the Jockey Club.
What makes this stand out is the tight control of names in racing. A Thoroughbred cannot run without a registered name, and owners must submit their choice for approval. That check happens before a horse reaches the track, but it can be revisited if a complaint raises a new concern.
