What does pull up mean in horse racing

When a horse is pulled up in a race it means that the jockey has decided that the horse is not capable of carrying on and that it would be detrimental to the animal to continue.

Contrary to what some will have you believe jockeys care a great deal for the horses they ride which apart from anything else are probably worth a great deal of money.

If a horse is distressed, feels like it may have an injury or is just out of energy and not capable of keeping up with the pace the jockey will pull the horse up. They will stop the horse and take it back to the stables.

For betting purposes a horse that is pulled up is a loser and any bets are lost.

This is different to a horse that is withdrawn before the start, a withdrawn horse will result in the stake returned for any bets made on it and a rule 4 deduction on the eventual winner.