What is a Horse Race?
Horse race is a sport in which a team of jockeys ride horses to win races. It is a popular spectator sport, with some of the world’s most famous tracks and events, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Many people bet on the outcome of a horse race, and winnings are shared amongst the bettors. The sport also contributes to the economy of many countries and is a major tourist attraction.
The first recorded horse race took place in 1674, and a century later the sport was well established in the United States. It became even more popular in the 19th century with the development of a betting pool known as pari-mutuel, in which bettors share the total amount bet plus a percentage of profit for management.
During the Civil War, the popularity of horse racing grew, and Union officials promoted thoroughbred breeding because cavalrymen needed fast horses to fight the Confederates. During this time, races often reflected sectional issues, pitting horses from the North against those from the South. In 1823, a match race between the Northern Champion Eclipse and the Southern Sir Henry at Union Course in Long Island drew an estimated seventy thousand spectators, some of whom traveled more than five hundred miles to attend.
In modern times, a race is run over a flat track or over obstacles, and each horse must have a pedigree to qualify to compete. The pedigree identifies the horses’ parents and determines their breed. In most horse races, the winners are awarded a large prize called a purse. The horses’ pedigrees also help decide whether they are suited to the race, and the trainer and jockey must decide how much risk to take with each horse.
A horse must be at least three years old to compete in a flat race, and must have completed a year of jumping before entering the steeplechases. The grueling training regimen required for these races can lead to injuries, which are common, and horses that are not able to complete the race must be euthanized.
A spate of deaths in recent years, particularly 30 at Santa Anita in California in 2019, has prompted a series of safety reforms and new protocols for the care of horses. Researchers are working to develop a screening tool that would identify which horses are most likely to suffer from fatal injuries. In the meantime, every injured or deceased horse undergoes a detailed necropsy and thorough review of contributing factors by veterinarians, interviews with stakeholders, and public records.
