Curious

Question
We were over at Delta Downs in LA and I just have a curiosity question.  When they brought the horses into the stall areas before the races, as they prepped them for the race, there was an official walking around and the personnel with the horse had to raise his/her  upper lip and they would look at it and then check off on the sheet.  What are they checking for?

Answer
Hi Kay:

The Horse Identifier was looking at the horses' tattoos - a series of letters and numbers peculiar to each animal.  This process ensures that each participant is, in fact, the horse they are supposed to be.  Throughout history, there have been incidents (some with criminal intent, aimed at cashing a bet) where the wrong horse (many do look alike) has been taken to the paddock for a race.  To eliminate this possibility, each horse has a foal certificate (papers) that includes identifying marks and the animal's tattoo number (usually tattooed onto the horse's upper lip when they turn two-years old, or just before they race).

Brad Adler
www.superthoroughbred.com