horseplayer

[ hawrs-pley-er ]

noun

1. a habitual bettor on horse races.

Word History and Origins

Origin of horseplayer¹

First recorded in 1945–50; horse + player

Example Sentences

Still, there are times when a horseplayer can look at the entries for a race and say beyond the shadow of doubt that one horse absolutely looks better on paper than all the others.

From Seattle Times

It does suggest, though, that voters lacking a depth of information – or the time to research it – are casting ballots like a horseplayer who quick-’caps the next race.

From Los Angeles Times

As a young man, he moved to Washington, where he became well-known in sporting circles as a bookmaker, horseplayer and boxing promoter who worked with fighters including Joe Louis and Billy Conn. He also owned a small piece of the original Washington Redskins after the team relocated to the city in 1937.

From Washington Post

But they also peppered Gramm, an avid horseplayer, with a question that in their eyes loomed large over this Triple Crown season: “Where’s Bob Baffert?”

From Wall Street Journal

So here we are in August asking a horseplayer’s most urgent question: “Who do you like?”

From New York Times