A horse race is a sporting event in which horses compete against each other to be the first to cross a finishing line. Betting on horse races is a popular activity at many racetracks, and accumulator bets are common among fans. There are a variety of different types of bets, including betting to win, place and show.
In the United States, the Triple Crown series is comprised of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. These three races are considered the most difficult for a horse to win. However, in the past, a number of horse races have been won by horses with no apparent chance of winning.
A jockey is the person who rides a horse during a horse race. He or she is responsible for steering the horse through turns and jumping any hurdles that may be present. A jockey is also required to maintain a safe distance from other horses, and must keep the horse under control at all times.
The sport of horse racing dates back thousands of years, and the early races were often match races between two or at most three horses. These matches were usually governed by agreements, or contracts, between the owners of each horse. A horse owner who withdrew from a match commonly forfeited half of the purse or later the entire prize. Disinterested third parties, called keeper of the match books, recorded these agreements. In 1729, Newmarket keeper John Cheny began publishing An Historical List of All the Horse-Matches Run (1729). This became the foundation for the later Racing Calendar.
As the sport of horse racing evolved, so did the types of horses that were used to compete in it. In the beginning, horses were mainly native breeds that were trained for hunting and gathering tasks. As the sport of horse racing grew, the use of imported breeds increased and Thoroughbreds were developed.
Thoroughbreds are bred to be fast, and their ability to sprint is what makes them so valuable to the horse racing industry. However, despite the glamorous veneer of horse races, the truth is that the industry is full of abuse and neglect. Behind the scenes, horses are subjected to gruesome injuries, breakdowns and even slaughter.
Growing awareness about the dark side of the industry has helped to improve conditions for horses, and PETA is committed to continuing to expose the abuse that occurs in the breeding and training of these animals, as well as their transport to foreign slaughterhouses.
The Racing TV results section brings you the fastest results from today’s UK and Irish races, plus selected French, US and Hong Kong Dubai fixtures. The results pages display the finishing order of each horse, along with expert analysis and video replays. The site also includes detailed information about the horses and their trainers. Also, you can find out more about the medication regulations in each country. These rules include commonly used medicines, and how many hours “out” a horse must be before taking these substances on race day.