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Thoroughbred
Terms
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A
Action
Term used in describing
a horse's manner of running. ("Horse's action was
smooth and energy conserving.")
Acupuncture
A way of treating an
animal or human through the use of needles,
electrical current or moxibustion (heat and herbs)
to stimulate or realign the body's electrical
fields.
Added Money
Money racing
associations add to total purse of selected races,
which supplements nominations and other
entry/starting fees. Usually only in stakes races.
Added Weight
Additional weight a
horse is carrying beyond the race requirements.
Usually happens because the jockey exceeds the
stated limit.
Agent
Person contracted to
transact business for a stable owner or jockey, or
contracted to sell or buy horses for an owner or
breeder.
All Out
When a horse extends
itself to its fullest effort.
Allowance Race
Race for which the
racing secretary sets certain conditions to
determine weights to be carried based on the horse's
age, sex and/or past performance-..
Allowances
Weight reduction allowed
because of the conditions of the race or because an
apprentice jockey is on a horse. Weight reduction
females receive when racing against males, or that
three-year-olds receive against older horses.
Also-Eligible
Horse entered for a race
but not allowed to start unless other horses
scratch.
Anhydrosis
Horse's inability to
sweat when working or other increases in body
temperature. Also known as a "non-sweater." Most
commonly occurs when both the temperature and
humidity are high. Horses raised in temperate
regions and then transported to hot climates most
often develop this condition but even acclimated
horses can be at risk. Usually shows itself as
inability to sweat, increased respiratory rate,
elevated body temperature and decreased exercise
tolerance. Sometimes the condition can be reversed
if the horse is moved to a more temperate climate.
Apprentice Allowance
Weight concession given
to an apprentice rider: usually 10 pounds until the
fifth winner, seven pounds until the 35th winner and
five pounds for one calendar year from the 35th
winner. More rarely, a three-pound allowance is
allowed to a rider under contract to a specific
stable/owner for two years from his/her first win.
This rule varies from state to state. Apprentices do
not receive an allowance when riding in a stakes
race. All jockeys going from track to track must
have a receipt from the clerk of scales from their
track verifying the jockeys' most recent total
number of wins. Also known as a "bug," from the
asterisk used to denote the weight allowance.
Arthritis
Inflammation of a joint.
Arthroscopic Surgery
Surgery performed that
eliminates the need to open the joint with a large
incision in order to view the damaged area.
Artificial Breeding
Includes artificial
insemination or embryo transfer (transplants). Not
approved by the Jockey Club.
Atrophy
Waste away, usually used
in describing muscles.
Average-Earnings Index (AEI)
Breeding statistic that
compares racing earnings of a stallion or mare's
foals to those of all other foals racing at that
time. An AEI of 1.00 is considered average, 2.00 is
twice the average, 0.50 half the average, etc.
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B
Back at the Knee
Conformation fault. Leg
has a backward arc with center of arc at the knee
when viewed from side.
Barren
Describes a filly or
mare which was bred during last breeding season but
did not conceive.
Black Type
Boldface type, used in
sales catalogs to identify horses that have won or
placed in stakes races. Bold and all caps means a
stakes-winning horse.
Bleeder
Horse that bleeds from
lungs when small capillaries that surround air sacs
in the lungs rupture. Exact term is Exercise-Induced
Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH).
Although usually discovered by an endoscopic
exam after exercise, blood may be noticed coming
from the horse's nostrils. A common preventative
treatment is Lasix (furosemide).
Blister
A counter-irritant
causing acute inflammation. Inflammation increases
blood to the blistered area, thought to speed
healing in the original problem.
Bloodstock Agent
Broker who represents
purchaser or seller (or both) at a sale. Usually
agent works on commission, often five percent of
purchase price.
Blow-out
Short workout at
moderate pace, usually a day or two before a race.
Bone Spavin
Bony growth below hock
joint. Occurs as a result of undue concussion or
strain, causing a lameness.
Book
Group of mares bred to a
stallion in a given year. (If stallion has attracted
the farm's maximum number of mares, stallion is said
to have a Full Book.
Bottom Line
Thoroughbred's breeding
in the female (distaff) side.
Bowed Tendon
Tendonitis to the
Superficial Flexor Tendon (most common location)
below knee and running behind cannon bone. Usually
requires long layoff and can mean end of racing
career or significant limitations.
Bred/Breeder
Horse is considered
"bred" at place of birth. Breeder is owner of
dam at time of foaling.
Breeding Right
Right to breed one mare
to one stallion for one or more breeding seasons.
Breeze
Workout at a moderate
speed with less effort than handily.
Broodmare
Female (filly or mare)
that has been bred and used to produce foals.
Broodmare Prospect is a filly or mare that has
not yet been bred.
Bucked Shins
Inflammation of covering
of the front surface of the cannon bone. Young
horses are susceptible. Not career threatening, but
usually requires a layoff from training. (Called
bucked because of humped or bucked appearance on
the bone.)
Bullet
Best workout time for a
certain distance on a certain day. In the listings,
this fastest workout is marked by a printer's
"bullet."
Buy-back
Horse put through an
auction that did not reach seller's reserve and was
retained. (Consigner must still pay a fee to the
auction company based on a percentage of the
reserve.)
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C
Calk
A projection on the
heels of a horseshoe, similar to a cleat, on the
rear shoes of a horse to prevent slipping,
especially on a wet track. Also known as a
"sticker." Sometimes incorrectly spelled "caulk."
Cannon Bone
The third metacarpal
(front leg) or metatarsal (rear leg), also referred
to as the shin bone. The largest bone between the
knee and ankle joints.
Capped Hock
Inflammation of the
bursa over the point of the hock.
Carpus
A joint in the horse's
front leg. Common tern is knee.
Cast
A horse on its side or
back and wedged against a wall in a way that it
can't get up.
Caudal
Toward the tail.
Center of Distribution
The balance between the
speed and staying ability of a horse based on the
Dosage Profile.
Chef-de-Race
A list of quality sires
that pass on certain traits based on the Dosage
Profile theory.
Chestnut
1. Horse color from
red-yellow to golden-yellow. Mane, tail, and legs
(other than white markings) are same color as coat.
2. Irregular growths found on the inside of the
legs. Found just above the knees or below the hocks.
No two horses have been found to have the same
chestnuts and so they may be used for
identification. Also called "night eyes."
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Called COPD. A
hyperallergenic respiratory condition that involves
damage to the lung tissue, similar to human asthma.
Affected horses may cough, develop a nasal discharge
and have a reduced exercise tolerance. Respiratory
rate is increased and lung elasticity is diminished.
Chronic Osselet
Permanent build-up of
synovial fluid in a joint, characterized by
inflammation and thickening of the joint capsule
over the damaged area.
Claiming
Process by which a
licensed person may purchase a horse entered in a
designated race for a price set by race conditions.
When a horse has been claimed, its new owner assumes
title after the starting gate opens although the
former owner is entitled to all purse money earned
in that race.
Claiming Box
Box in which claims are
deposited before the race.
Classic
Describes distance. The
"Classic" distance in America is 1 1/4 miles. The
European classic distance is 11/2 miles.
Clerk of Scales
Official who weighs the
riders before and after a race to ensure proper
weight is (was) carried.
Climbing
When a horse lifts its
front legs abnormally high as it gallops, causing it
to run inefficiently.
Closed Knees
Condition when the
cartilaginous growth plate above the knee (distal
radial physis) has turned to bone. Indicates
completion of long bone growth and is one sign of
maturity.
Closer
Horse that runs best in
the latter part of the race, coming from off the
pace.
Coffin Bone
Major bone that is
within the hoof.
Coggins Test
Test named for its
developer, Dr. Leroy Coggins, to determine whether a
horse is a carrier of swamp fever.
Colic
Leading cause of death
in horses. Refers to abdominal pain. Sometimes colic
is a simple obstruction in the large colon,
sometimes a strangulation caused by a twist in small
or large intestine that shuts off food and blood
supply.
Colt
An ungelded (entire)
male horse four-years-old or younger.
Comparable Index (CI)
Average earnings of
progeny produced from mares bred to one sire when
these same mares are bred to other sires. A Cl of
1.00 is considered average, 2.00 is twice the
average, 0.50 half the average, etc.
Compound Fracture
Fracture where the
damaged bone breaks through the skin. Also known as
an "open" fracture.
Condition Book
Books produced by the
racing secretary that set the conditions of races to
be run at a certain racetrack.
Conditions
Requirements of a
particular race. This may include age, sex, money or
races won, weight carried and the distance of the
race.
Condylar Fracture
Fracture in the lower
knobby end (condyle) of the lower (distal) end of a
long bone such as the cannon bone or humerus (upper
front limb).
Conformation
Physical makeup of and
bodily proportions of a horse: how it is put
together.
Congenital
Present at birth.
Cooling Out
Restoring a horse to
normal temperature, usually by walking, after it has
become overheated during exercise. All horses that
are exercised are cooled out.
Coronary Band
Where the hair meets the
hoof. Also called the "coronet."
Cough
To expel air from the
lungs in a spasmodic manner. Can be a result of
inflammation or irritation to the upper airways
(pharynx, larynx or trachea) or may involve the
lower airways of the lungs (deep cough).
Coupled/Entry
Two or more horses
running as an entry in a single betting unit.
Cover
Single breeding of a
stallion to a mare. "The stallion covered 75 mares."
Cow Hocks
Conformation fault in
which the points of the hocks turn in.
Cracked Hoof
Vertical split of the
hoof wall.
Cranial
Toward the bead.
Creep Feeder
A feeding device that
allows the foal to eat but keeps its mother out.
Cribber
Horse that clings to
objects with its teeth and sucks air into its
stomach. Also known as a "wind sucker."
Crop
Number of foals by a
sire in a given year. Also a group of horses born in
the same year. Also, a jockey's whip.
Cryptorchid
A "unilateral
cryptorchid" is a male horse of any age that has one
testicle undescended. A "bilateral cryptorchid" is a
male horse of any age that has both testicles
undescended. (Horse called a ridgling.)
Cuppy
Term for a track
condition where surface is dry and loose and breaks
away under a horse's hooves.
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D
Dam
The female parent of a
foal.
Dam's Sire (Broodmare Sire)
Sire of a broodmare
(maternal grandsire of a foal).
Dark Bay or Brown
Color that ranges from
brown with areas of tan on the shoulders, head and
flanks, to a dark brown, with tan areas seen only in
the flanks and/or muzzle. The mane, tail and lower
portions of the legs are always black unless white
markings are present.
Declared
In the United States, a
horse withdrawn from a stakes race in advance of
scratch time. In Europe, a horse confirmed to start
in a race.
Deep Flexor Tendon
Present in all four
legs, but injuries most commonly affect the front
legs. Located on the back (posterior) of the front
leg between the knee and the foot and between the
hock and the foot on the rear leg. The function is
to flex the digit (pastern) and knee (carpus) and to
extend the elbow on the front leg and extend the
hock on the rear leg.
Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)
Joint problem that has
progressive degeneration of joint cartilage and the
underlying bone. Occurs most frequently in the
joints below the radius in the foreleg and femur in
the hind leg. Some of the more common causes include
repeated trauma, conformation faults, blood disease,
traumatic joint injury, subchondral bone defects (
OCD lesions) and excessive corticosteroid
injections. Also known as: osteoarthritis.
Derby
Stakes event for
three-year-olds.
Detention Barn
Barn where horses are
required to go until blood tests or urine samples
have been taken for testing. (See Spit Box)
Digital
Part of the limb below
the ankle joint. Includes the long and short pastern
bones and the coffin bone.
Digital Cushion
Area beneath the coffin
bone in the back of the foot that separates it from
the frog. Serves as a shock absorber for the foot.
Distaff Race
Race for female horses.
DMSO
Dimethyl sulfoxide, a
topical anti-inflammatory.
Dogs
Rubber traffic cones
placed at certain distances out from the inner rail,
when the track is wet, muddy, soft, yielding or
heavy, to prevent horses during the workout period
from churning the footing along the rail.
Dorsal
Toward the back or
spine.
Dorsal Displacement of the Soft
Palate
Condition in which the
soft palate, located on the floor of the airway near
the larynx, moves up into the airway. A minor
displacement causes a gurgling sound during exercise
while in more serious cases the palate can block the
airway. Sometimes known as "choking down," but the
tongue does not actually block the airway. The base
of the tongue is connected to the larynx, of which
the epiglottis is a part. When the epiglottis is
retracted, the soft palate can move up into the
airway (dorsal displacement.) This condition can
sometimes be managed with equipment such as a figure
eight noseband or a tongue tie. In more extreme
cases, surgery might be required.
Dosage
There are many Dosage
Theories, however, the one most commonly thought of
as Dosage is by Dr. Steven Roman. The system
identifies patterns of ability in horses based on a
list of prepotent sires, each of whom is a
chef-de-race. The Dosage system puts these sires
into one of five categories: brilliant,
intermediate, classic, solid and professional, which
quantify speed and stamina. Sires can be listed in
up to two chef-de-race categories. Each generation
of sires is worth 16 points, divided up by the
amount of sires, i.e., the immediate sire is worth
16 points while the four sires four generations back
are worth four points apiece.
Dosage Index (DI)
Mathematical reduction
of the Dosage profile to a number reflecting a
horse's potential for speed or stamina. The higher
the number, the more likely the horse is suited to
be a sprinter. The average Dosage index of all
horses is about 4.0.
Dosage Profile
Listing of Dosage points
by category. Used to develop the Dosage index.
Driving
Horse that is all out to
win and under strong urging from its jockey.
Drop Down
Horse meeting a lower
class of rival than it had been running against.
Dwelt
Extremely late in
breaking from the gate.
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E
Eased
A horse that is gently
pulled up during a race.
Endoscope
Instrument used to
inspect a hollow organ or body cavity.
Engagement
Stakes nomination, a
jockey's riding commitment
Entire
An ungelded horse.
Entry Fee
Fee paid by an owner to
enter a horse in a stakes race.
Entrapped Epiglottis
Condition in which the
thin membrane lying below the epiglottis moves up
and covers the epiglottis. The abnormality may
obstruct breathing. Usually treated by surgery to
cut the membrane.
Entry
Two or more horses
running under the same owner; sometimes trained by
the same trainer. These become a single betting
unit.
Epiphysitis
Inflammation in the
growth plate at the ends of the long bones (such as
the cannon bone). Symptoms include swelling,
tenderness and heat. Although the exact cause is
unknown, contributing factors seem to be high
caloric intake (either from grain or a heavily
lactating mare) and a fast growth rate.
Equipment
Added racing equipment,
such as bandages, bar shoe, blinkers, hood, nose
band, shadow roll, tongue tie.
Estrus
Heat. Associated with
ovulation. Estrous cycle: Time between consecutive
ovulations.
EVA (Equine Viral Arteritis)
Highly contagious
disease characterized by swelling in the legs of all
horses and swelling in the scrotum of stallions. Can
cause abortion in mares and can be shed in the semen
of stallions for years after infection.
Evenly
Neither gaining nor
losing position during a race.
Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage
Bleeding
Experimental Free Handicap
Year-end projection of
the best North American two-year-olds of the season,
put together by a panel, under the auspices of The
Jockey Club.
Extended
Running at top speed.
Extensor Tendon
Tendon that extends the
knee joint, ankle joint, pastern and foot and flexes
the elbow. The muscles begin above the knee and
attach to the coffin and pastern bones.
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F
Fault
Weak points of a horse's
conformation.
Fetlock
Joint located between
the cannon bone and the long pastern bone.
Filly
Female horse
four-years-old or younger.
Firing
Medical treatment used
on a horse's legs to encourage healing by increasing
circulation. Method involves numbing the leg and
creating a number of pin-sized holes in the leg with
a hot electrically heated tool. Also known as pin
firing.
Fissure
Longitudinal crack in
bone, which is only through the surface of the bone.
Flatten Out
A very tired horse that
slows considerably, dropping its head on a straight
line with its body.
Float
Dental procedure in
which sharp points on the teeth are filed down.
Foal
Baby horse.
Foal Heat
First time a mare comes
into season after giving birth, about nine days
afterward.
Foal Sharing
Arrangement between
owner of a stallion share or season and broodmare
owner to breed them and to share the foal.
Founder
See laminitis.
Founding Sires
The Darley Arabian,
Byerly Turk and Godolphin Barb. Every Thoroughbred
must be able to trace its parentage to one of the
three founding sires.
Frog
V-shaped, pliable
support structure on the bottom of the foot.
Full Brother, Fill Sister
Horses that have the
same sire and dam.
Furlong
One-eigbth of a mile,
220 yards, 660 feet.
Furosemide
Medication used in the
treatment of bleeders, commonly known under the
trade name Lasix or Salix, which acts as a diuretic,
reducing pressure on the capillaries.
Futurity
Race for two-year-olds
in which the owners make a continuous series of
payments over a period of time to keep their horses
eligible.
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G
Gait
Footfall pattern of a
horse in motion. Thoroughbreds have four natural
gaits-walk, trot, canter and gallop. Thoroughbreds
compete at a gallop.
Gap
The opening in the rail
where horses enter and leave the racetrack.
Gastric Ulcers
Ulceration of a horse's
stomach. Often causes symptoms of abdominal
distress.
Gate Card
C card, which the
starters issue, stating that a horse is properly
schooled in starting gate procedures.
Gelding
Male horse that has been
neutered by having both testicles removed.
Get
Offspring of a sire.
Girth
Elastic and leather band
that passes under a horse's belly and is connected
to both sides of the saddle.
Grab a Quarter
Injury to the back of
the hoof or foot caused by a horse stepping on
itself. A very common injury during racing.
Generally, the injury is minor.
Graded Race
A system of race
classification, established in 1973, for select
stakes races in North America. These are denoted by
Roman numerals I, II, or III. They care capitalized
when used in a race's title. (Similar to the
European Group Races.)
Grandam
A horse's second dam.
Grandsire
A horse's grandfather
Gravel
Infection of the hoof
resulting from a crack in the white line (the border
between the insensitive and sensitive laminae). An
abscess usually forms in the sensitive structures
and eventually breaks at the coronet as the result
of the infection.
Gray
Horse color where the
majority of the coat is a mixture of black and white
hairs. The mane, tail and legs may be either black
or gray unless white markings are present.
Grayson-jockey Club Research
Foundation
Charitable organization
devoted to equine medical research.
Green Osselet
Inflammation and
swelling in the fetlock joint of young horses,
particularly on the front of the joints where the
cannon and long pastern bones meet.
Groom
Person who cares for a
horse in a stable. Known as a lad or girl in
Britain.
Group Race
European system of
classifying select races, similar to North American
graded races. Denoted by Arabic numerals 1, 2, or 3.
Capitalized when used in a race's title.
Growth Plates
Located at the end of
long bones where they grow in length.
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H
Half-brother, Half-sister
Horses out of the same
dam but by different sires. Horses with the same
sire and different dams are not considered
half-siblings in Thoroughbred racing.
Hand
Four inches. A horse's
height is measured in hands and inches from the top
of the shoulder (withers) to the ground, e.g., 15.2
hands is 15 hands, 2 inches. Thoroughbreds typically
range from 15 to 17 hands.
Handicap
1) Race for which the
track handicapper assigns the weights to be carried.
2) To make selections on
the basis of past performances.
Handily
1) A work (usually in
the morning) with maximum effort.
2) A horse racing well
within itself, with little exertion from the jockey.
Handle
Amount of money wagered
in the paramutuels on a race, a program, during a
meeting or for a year.
Hand Ride
Urging a horse with the
hands and not using the whip.
Hard Boot
Term for a well-traveled
breeder. Usually connotes a breeder or trainer whose
methods may be considered old-fashioned--"Whose
boots are caked with mud and therefore hard."
Heel Crack
Crack on the heel of the
heel Also called a "sand crack."
Hematoma
Blood-filled area
resulting from injury.
Hock
Large joint just above
the shin bone in the rear legs. Corresponds to the
level of the knee of the front leg.
Homebred
Horse bred by its owner.
Hoof
Foot of the horse.
Horse
When reference is made
to sex, a horse is an ungelded male five-years-old
or older.
Horsing
Behavior of a mare in
heat.
Hot Walker
Person who walks horses
to cool them out after workout or races.
Hung
Horse that does not
advance its position in a race when urged by the
jockey.
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I
Icing
When a horse is stood in
a tub of ice or ice packs are applied to the legs to
reduce inflammation and/or swelling.
Impaction
Type of colic caused by
a blockage of the intestines by ingested materials
(constipation).
Impost
Weight carried or
assigned.
In Foal
Pregnant mare.
In Hand
Running under moderate
control, at less than top speed.
Insensitive Laminae
Layer just under the
wall of the hoof. Similar to the human fingernail.
It is an integral structure that helps to attach the
hoof wall to the underlying coffin bone.
In the Money
Horse that finishes
first, second or third.
Isolation Barn
Facility used to
separate sick horses from healthy ones.
ITW
Intertrack wagering.
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J
Jail
Requirement that a horse
which has been claimed that next runs in a claiming
race must run for a claiming price 25 percent higher
for the next 30 days.
Jockey Club
Organization dedicated
to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and
racing. The Jockey Club serves as North America's
Thoroughbred registry, responsible for the
maintenance of "The American Stud Book," a register
of all Thoroughbreds foaled in the United States,
Puerto Rico and Canada; and of all Thoroughbreds
imported into those countries from jurisdictions
that have a registry recognized by The Jockey Club
and the International Stud Book Committee.
Jockey Fee
Fee paid to rider for
competing in a race.
Jog
Slow, easy gait.
Jumper
Steeplechase or hurdle
horse.
Juvenile
Two-year old horse.
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K
Key Horse
In wagering, a single
horse used in multiple combinations in exotics.
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L
Lactic Acid
Organic acid normally
present in muscle tissue, produced by anaerobic
muscle metabolism as a by-product of exercise. An
increase in lactic acid causes muscle fatigue,
inflammation and pain.
Laminae
Part of the hoof. (See
insensitive laminae and sensitive laminae.)
Laminitis
Inflammation of the
sensitive laminae of the foot. There are many
factors involved, including changes in the blood
flow through the capillaries of the foot. Many
events can cause laminitis, including ingesting
toxic levels of grain, eating lush grass, systemic
disease problems, high temperature, toxemia,
retained placenta, excessive weight-bearing as
occurs when the opposite limb is injured, and the
administration of some drugs. Laminitis usually
manifests itself in the front feet, develops
rapidly, and is life-threatening. In mild cases,
however, a horse can resume a certain amount of
athletic activity. Laminitis is the disease that
caused the death of Secretariat. Also known as
"founder."
Lasix
See furosemide.
Lateral
Toward the side and
farther from the center. Pertains to a side.
Lathered (up)
See washed out.
Length
Measurement
approximating the length of a horse, used to denote
distance between horses in a race.
Ligament
Band of fibrous tissue
connecting bones, which serve to support and
strengthen joints and to limit the range of motion.
Lunge
1) Horse rearing and
plunging.
2) Method of exercising
a horse on a tether ("lunge line").
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M
Magnetic Therapy
Physical therapy
technique using magnetic fields. Low-energy
electrical field created by the magnetic field
causes dilation of the blood vessels and tissue
stimulation. Magnetic therapy may be used on soft
tissue to treat such injuries as tendonitis or bony
injuries such as bucked shins.
Maiden
1) A horse or rider that
has not won a race.
2) A female that has
never been bred.
Maiden Race
Race for non-winners.
Mare
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