US Jockey Club orders Austrian Painter renamed after ruling name referenced Adolf Hitler

The US Jockey Club has ordered the racehorse Austrian Painter to be renamed after ruling the animal’s name was a reference to Adolf Hitler, the club said on Wednesday. The horse won its debut at the Horseshoe Indianapolis track on Monday.

Hitler, who was born in Austria, was a professional artist in Vienna before the first world war. People often use the term “Austrian Painter” online to discuss Hitler without naming him in order to avoid content moderation filters. Scott Herbertson, the horse’s owner and breeder, appeared to suggest on social media that the name was a reference to Austrian artist Gustav Klimt.

The Jockey Club said it had received a complaint about the name and began an investigation. “Earlier this week, the Registry was notified through a formal complaint that the name was offensive, and we immediately began a review. The Registrar determined that the name is ineligible under Rule 6.F.9.d, which prohibits names that ‘are likely to be offensive or threatening based upon factors including, but not limited to, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion, politics, or sexual orientation,’” the Jockey Club said in a statement on Wednesday. “We take these matters seriously and appreciate that they were brought to our attention.”

The Jockey Club said Austrian Painter's full sister, New Order, must also be renamed. “New order is my favoured band you lune,” Herbertson wrote on social media. As well as the well-known British rock band, New Order can refer to Nazi Germany’s plan for an occupied Europe.

The Jockey Club has ordered horses to be renamed before. Those orders have usually addressed racist references. In 2019, a horse called Noose was renamed Scabbard after an order from the Jockey Club.

The Jockey Club said Austrian Painter would now be known as Merrylegs and that the required renamings followed the formal complaint and review announced on Wednesday.