Merrylegs officially won that 2-year-old maiden race at Horseshoe Indianapolis on Monday, but the real story is what that horse was *called* when it crossed the finish line. That horse, originally known as ‘Austrian Painter,’ just exposed a massive weakness in how thoroughbred names get approved, and honestly, it’s pretty disturbing.
The Name Game Blew Up on Social Media
When ‘Austrian Painter’ hit the track, it didn’t take long for social media to blow up with questions. People were immediately connecting the name to Adolf Hitler, who, yeah, was born in Austria and had an art background. Owner Scott Herbertson tried to shut it down fast, claiming on X that he named the horse after artist Gustav Klimt and declaring, “I’m not changing the name.” But the outcry was too loud. Just a day later, The Jockey Club, who keeps the official registry for American thoroughbreds and approves all these names, released a statement. They said a formal complaint got the ball rolling, a review happened, and boom: ‘Austrian Painter’ was gone, replaced by Merrylegs. Turns out, the name violated Rule 6.F.9.d, which bans names that “are likely to be offensive or threatening based upon factors including, but not limited to, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion, politics or sexual orientation.” And get this, ‘Austrian painter’ is apparently a pretty common online euphemism for Hitler to dodge censors. Wild, right?
The Truth About Those “Backup” Names
Herbertson’s whole “Gustav Klimt” explanation didn’t stand a chance once online sleuths dug a little deeper. The Jockey Club’s own database had the receipts: Herbertson submitted backup names for the horse. And those names? They were ‘My Struggle’ and ‘Braunau Star’. Seriously. ‘My Struggle’ is the English translation of “Mein Kampf,” Hitler’s infamous political manifesto. ‘Braunau’ is the Austrian town where Hitler was born. Herbertson, who’s known as a pro poker player and even placed 796th at the 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event, tried to explain away ‘Braunau Star’ by saying his grandfather was born there. But c’mon, the dots were connecting, and it got worse. His X account history shows some eyebrow-raising stuff, too. Back on May 19, his account replied to “whitehopebx” discussing an election, saying, “If he loses you. Might as well rename our country the jewnited states.” And on March 21, in response to a picture of a Confederate flag, he tweeted, “unfortunately no” when asked if he’d ever seen one in someone’s yard. His horses have made 561 starts and won $2.52 million since 2015, and his past horse names apparently never caused issues. But this isn’t just about one owner acting shady.
The Jockey Club Has To Do Better
This whole ‘Austrian Painter’ debacle is shining a harsh light on The Jockey Club’s name approval system. An industry source straight-up told Yahoo Sports, “This isn’t an uncommon problem.” That’s a huge statement. It’s not just some one-off. Horse racing is a sport with deep traditions, but also one that needs to evolve and catch up. When names like ‘Austrian Painter’ and its alarming backups can slip through, it’s a clear signal that the system is way behind. The question now is, what are they going to do about it? The sport can’t afford to have this happen again.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply