Racehorse Renamed Over Nazi Link
U.S. Jockey Club Renames Winning Racehorse Over Accidental Nazi References
Anonymous
The U.S. Jockey Club renamed the two-year-old racehorse Austrian Painter to Merrylegs after a complaint that the name was an online euphemism for Adolf Hitler. The horse had won its debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis, and the club said its registrar found the name ineligible under a rule barring names likely to offend or threaten on grounds including politics, religion and national origin. The Jockey Club also withdrew the name New Order, given to the horse’s yearling sister, because of its association with Nazi Germany’s plans for occupied Europe. Owner and breeder Scott Herbertson said Austrian Painter was named for artist Gustav Klimt and described New Order as a reference to his favorite band; the club said it reviewed the complaint before making its decision.
Key Points
1
Before “Austrian Painter” was accepted, other names reportedly submitted for the horse included “My Struggle,” an English translation of Hitler’s Mein Kampf, and “Braunau Star,” referring to Hitler’s birthplace.
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The Jockey Club’s decision came after the horse had already raced, an unusual step; the Guardian noted a previous renaming in 2019, when a horse called “Noose” was renamed “Scabbard” following a Jockey Club order.
3
The colt’s sire, Sleepy Eyes Todd, had also drawn controversy: the Paulick Report says the name was a derogatory nickname Donald Trump used for then-NBC analyst Chuck Todd, and that critics called “sleepy eyes” an anti-Semitic slur because Todd is Jewish.
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