Dark-Horse Candidate

Etymology:

• This expression holds three major origins and all are associated with the horse racing of early 19th century. Its first origin is linked with the racing contest, where a dark house was a fast runner whose speed was kept undisclosed (dark) till the race started and in the end this dark horse won unexpectedly. Its second origin is interrelated with a fact that often an owner of a faster horse coloured its hair black as a cover earlier than a big race. Its third origin is associated with the act of specific American horse trader who deceived people by disguising his fast black stallion as a common saddle horse. He rode the horse into town, prepared for a race, took bets on his horse and always won the race.