A US horse racing authority orders a change of name for a racehorse previously known as Austrian Painter after a complaint that the name referenced Adolf Hitler. The Jockey Club reviews the allegation and rules that the name should not be used as-is, so the horse is renamed Merrylegs.
The horse’s name comes under scrutiny after it wins its debut on Monday at Horseshoe Indianapolis racecourse. Coverage notes that Adolf Hitler was born in Austria and had worked as an artist, including in Vienna, before leading the Nazi Party. One outlet also reports that people use the phrase “Austrian Painter” online as a way to refer to Hitler without naming him directly.
Outlet reports largely align on the sequence: a complaint is filed, the Jockey Club investigates, and a renaming is ordered. They differ mainly in emphasis—some foreground the race and timing, while others provide more background on why the phrase is considered a coded reference.
