NOT wanting to start anything derogatory, just asking a question 
How likely or unlikely is it that a TB will be registered as dk brown or bay if they are really black? This is mere curiosity. I have been looking at Niagara Causeway, thinking, phenotypically he looks black to me ( even in person) but is registered as dk brown/bay. I know the genetics of the colors, I guess what I am asking is, when the bigger farms get these foals, how likely are they to care that the foal might be black and go through the pains of registering them as black versus saying âwell, theyâre not chestnut or gray so bay or brown they are!â. Any people with experience here ( I know if you are breeding for color youâll care, but for the non color) please pipe in 
Highly likely. TB race breeders donât care about colour and register horses by looks and not by DNA-testing their colourâŠ
The following is The Jockey Clubâs definition;
Black: The entire coat of the horse is black, including the muzzle, the flanks, the mane, tail and legs, unless white markings are present.
The only 2 colors The Jockey Club will scrutinize when a foal registration is submitted are Black and White. I think it would be very unlikely that a breeder would be allowed to register either of these colors without a JC representative verifying.
This is the link to the JCâs rules and regs, color is in section IV
http://www.jockeyclub.com/registry.asp?section=3#two
Highly likely to be black and registered dark bay/brown, not because they donât care about color, but because their self-made definition of black is not reality, as gumtree talks about.
There are absolutely true black horses - E?aa - who have âbrownâ hairs as a result of even mild sun fading.
I do think, since black IS a recognized color, that if a breeder cared enough to get the horse color tested and prove that his âbrownâ or âdark bayâ horse is really black, the JC might change it.
I have a mare who I consider to be black but registered her and her two black foals as dark bay. They all get a brown muzzle in the winter so therefore donât meet the definition of black even though they are definitely black to the eye.
MY (non-TB) seal brown mare is registered as black due to what I believe to be her original ownerâs wishful thinking.
I have a black TB mare that is registered as Black on her papersâŠI did not register her. I also have a black TB mare registered as BayâŠ
SH:)
Panoramic was registered as dark bay/brown. He was 100% black - no question about it
2 TB mares I had in recently were also dark bay/brown on their papers and both were 100% black. No doubt at all in my mind
None had brown tones anywhere. Everything was black in that very âblue blackâ kind of way âŠ
Hereâs one whose color was obviously registered incorrectly. Her name is Helynaâs Dreaming and she is registered with the Jockey Club as âdark bay or brownâ but sheâs not dark and her tail is nearly blonde!?!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=363350573742448&set=a.363350553742450.84931.355399697870869&type=3&theater
My black tb mare by Way West is registered as dk bay. I had her tested and she is definitely black. Way West is also a black registered as a bay.
My foundation Thoroughbred mare was registered as black and had some foals that I would consider black, but with a few brown hairs on the nose, played it safe and registered as dark bay/brown. I do agree, that some are obviously black and registered otherwise.
PennyG
Sea Accounts is registered as dark bay/brown and thereâs no doubt that heâs black.
Very likely.
Charing Hounds - that mare is âwild bayâ and is registered correctly 
That tail should also darken over time. Many bays have flaxen tails early on âŠ
Like the others have all saidâŠVERY likely!! Horses that ARE registered black may not have gone to racing careers. The horse can go through breaking, training, months of race preparation as âblackâ, but when the TB âIdentifierâ goes to tatoo him and finds ONE red/brown hair they will go through the whole, lengthy process of returning his papers to the JC to change the description on his JC foal papers!! From a race horse breeding standpoint, it is not worth the hassle/risk to check the âblackâ box!!!
[QUOTE=TrueColours;6748684]
Charing Hounds - that mare is âwild bayâ and is registered correctly
That tail should also darken over time. Many bays have flaxen tails early on âŠ[/QUOTE]
But TC, even if âbayâ is the correct color why would she be registered as âdarkâ bay or brown (though âwild bayâ sounds right AND she IS wild! :lol:)?
Do you think her tail is really likely to turn âblackâ as the JC color standards define? Sheâs a coming 5 yr old and her tail color hasnât changed since I first saw her as a 2 year old.
It seems as though there should be another color option like bay/ sabino factor or something? I donât know or understand color genetics well enough to make a valid argument one way or another but I just canât wrap my head around Helyna being called a dark bay/brown. :o
Hereâs another shot of her:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=363350783742427&set=a.363350553742450.84931.355399697870869&type=3&theater
[QUOTE=crosscreeksh;6748890]
Like the others have all saidâŠVERY likely!! Horses that ARE registered black may not have gone to racing careers. The horse can go through breaking, training, months of race preparation as âblackâ, but when the TB âIdentifierâ goes to tatoo him and finds ONE red/brown hair they will go through the whole, lengthy process of returning his papers to the JC to change the description on his JC foal papers!! From a race horse breeding standpoint, it is not worth the hassle/risk to check the âblackâ box!!![/QUOTEIT
Agreed! Totally!
[QUOTE=crosscreeksh;6748890]
Like the others have all saidâŠVERY likely!! Horses that ARE registered black may not have gone to racing careers. The horse can go through breaking, training, months of race preparation as âblackâ, but when the TB âIdentifierâ goes to tatoo him and finds ONE red/brown hair they will go through the whole, lengthy process of returning his papers to the JC to change the description on his JC foal papers!! From a race horse breeding standpoint, it is not worth the hassle/risk to check the âblackâ box!!![/QUOTE]
Agreed. Totally.
I have and have had a number of âbrownâ TBs who at first glance look black, but they are definitely âbrownâ.
I also have one TB mare, registered as âblackâ and there is no question that she is black, especially when you see her next to the brown ones. 
She is in foal to A Fine Romance (brown) so it will be interesting to see what colour that one is.
But why? What is so strange/bad/weird about black that itâs a major drama if one gets registered black and it isnât?
