stretch runner

noun

1. an athlete or horse that is especially strong or fast in the final stage of a race.

Word History and Origins

Origin of stretch runner¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Chance for an upset: He is probably the strongest stretch runner, which would benefit him if Pharoah starts to tire.

From Los Angeles Times

He didn't always make it, of course, but that made little difference in California, where they love a come-from-behind stretch runner.

From Time Magazine Archive

No jockey is shrewder at rating a short-winded speed horse on the lead; few are more accomplished at sitting chilly on a stretch runner, picking the instant to make a move.

From Time Magazine Archive

Flying Paster was the best of the West, a dangerous stretch runner that had dominated California racing throughout the spring.

From Time Magazine Archive

It is just that the Derby promises to be a runaway race between two strapping chestnut colts�one an undefeated sprinter from the West, the other an erratic stretch runner out of the East.

From Time Magazine Archive