What does it mean when they say a horse "breezed"? Normally, the word breeze signifies a gentle wind. But in horse racing, the word means something else.

The term "breeze" is used in workouts. It helps clockers who time morning workouts describe the way a horse was moving during the work. When you read or hear a horse "breezed," the meaning changes based on where in the country it is used.

At Western tracks, like Santa Anita, "breezing" means the horse worked out with little to no encouragement from the rider. Most workouts at Western tracks get described as "handily" and not as "breezing." If a horse out West works "handily," it means the horse was asked by its rider for moderate effort. What is considered a moderate effort? Great question! A moderate effort is more than a horse would be asked for in a "breeze," but less effort than a horse would be asked for in an "all out" work. Now, you might ask, "What is an "all out" work?" Another great question! A work denotated as "all out" means the horse has extended itself to the utmost during a work.

Your mind might be "all out," trying to understand what I explained. So, let's break down the terms we discussed for workouts at Western tracks on a scale of least effort asked to most effort asked. "Breeze" - A horse working out with little to no encouragement from its rider.

* Breeze - A horse working out with little to no encouragement from its rider
* Handily - A horse working out with moderate effort from its rider.
* All Out - A horse working out that has extended itself to its utmost.

Simple. Right? No! Because at tracks in the Midwest and East, when clockers say "breezing," or "handily" those meanings change slightly. At a track like Belmont Park in New York, a "breeze" would mean a workout where the rider encouraged the horse to run. "Handily," on the other hand, would mean a workout where a horse was working with little to no encouragement from its rider.

Let's break down the terms we examined for workouts at Midwest and Eastern tracks on a scale of least effort asked to most effort asked.

* Handily - A horse working out with little to no encouragement from its rider.
* Breeze - A horse working out with moderate effort from its rider.

So there you have it. It's easy to explain when you understand it. But writing this article was far from a breeze!