Racing & Pari-Mutuel
Course and distance
Course and distance (CD) on a racecard means a horse has previously won over the same course and distance before.
Key points
- CD is a form abbreviation, not a numeric measure; it indicates past performance at that specific track and trip12.
- On a racecard, C means course winner, D means distance winner; CD means the horse has won that exact course and distance before13.
- In betting materials, CD is a form shorthand used to assess runners, not a bet type itself13.
Common questions
Where this term is used
Not the same as
- Horse racing betting — a broader topic covering all types of bets on horse races, whereas CD is a specific form abbreviation used within racecards
Related terms
Racing
Trifecta
A bet that requires picking the first three finishers in exact order.
Racing
Furlong
A unit of distance used in horse racing, equal to one-eighth of a mile.
Racing
Tote placepot
A pool bet where you pick a placed horse in each of six nominated races.
Racing
Exacta
A bet that requires picking the first two finishers in exact order.
Racing
Tote betting
A pari-mutuel betting system where all stakes are pooled and odds are calculated after the race.
Racing
Greyhound racing cards
Racecards for greyhound racing, which may use similar form abbreviations.
Sources
- Reading The Form | Racing Explained thejockeyclub.co.uk Defines CD as course-and-distance winner on racecards.
- Form (horse racing) en.wikipedia.org Explains CD as a form abbreviation for course and distance winner.
- Racecard - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Describes how course and distance abbreviations appear on racecards.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.