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© St. Petersburg Times, published May 4, 2002
Exact identification of horses is crucial in thoroughbred racing. Races are created to match certain qualities and types of horses, so the integrity of the sport could be compromised if impostors were entered in races against lesser competition.
Thoroughbred racehorses do not carry driver's licenses or Social Security cards, but their identities are well-documented by The Jockey Club.
Each registered thoroughbred is issued paperwork detailing its color (bay, black, chestnut, dark bay/brown, gray or roan) and markings, and a six-digit code (a letter signifying its age and a five-digit registration number) is tattooed on the inside of its upper lip. (Humans say they don't hurt.)
Each time a thoroughbred is entered, its trainer must present the track with paperwork for verification in the paddock.
It's Barbara Borden's job to ensure each horse is who it is supposed to be at Churchill Downs.
Surgical glove on right hand, she can be seen in the paddock peeling up lips and squinting at tattoos.
She has nabbed a few impostors, she said, but most turned out to be clerical errors from when the horses were first registered.