The sight of sleek thoroughbreds galloping down the track has entranced spectators since the days when riders wore barebacks and hitched their mounts to chariots. Today, it’s still a beautiful spectacle that attracts bettors of all kinds — and captivates those who don’t bet but still love to watch a good horse race. A day at the races can be a wonderful escape that also includes top dining options and other attractions.
Horse racing is a global sport that has been practiced in many civilizations for centuries. It has become a major business, with stakes as high as millions of dollars. It has also entered the realm of myth and legend, with Thoroughbreds starring in movies such as Seabiscuit, Secretariat and Ben-Hur. In the US, horse racing is a multibillion-dollar industry with over 300 tracks.
A horse race is a type of horse competition in which competitors compete for the highest placing among several horses. Generally, the horse with the most points wins. However, the race may be won by a horse with fewer points. This type of race is common in the United States and other parts of the world.
There are a number of different types of horse races, including those for jockeys, drivers and owners. These races are called flat horse races and can be run over a variety of distances, from five to twelve furlongs (1.0 to 2.4 km). Horses participating in these races must be purebred to meet the requirements set forth by the state or country in which they race.
In most flat horse races, horses are allocated a certain amount of weight to carry for fairness in the race. These weights are determined by the racing secretary or track handicapper and based on the horses’ ages, genders and/or past performances. There are also allowances, which are reductions in the assigned weights that allow better-quality horses to have a chance at winning.
One of the most popular types of horse racing is harness racing, where Standardbreds vie to pull their driver’s cart across the finish line first. This is a great sight to see, but the sport has not garnered as much public attention as the thoroughbred horse race.
Harness racing has its own share of controversy, though. Some people have expressed concerns about the pain and suffering of the horses involved. The physical strain on the horse can cause them to have problems with their joints, and the unnatural training can lead to mental and emotional issues. This can result in repetitive behavior such as cribbing, biting on their gates and self-harming.
For many outsiders, the exploitation of horses in the horse race industry is another reason to demand reform or even ban animal racing altogether. The recent death of Havnamelt, a Preakness favorite, has drawn additional attention to the cruelty of the sport. A postmortem examination revealed that the horse had severe osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease and bone cysts, or holes in the bones. The injury may have been caused by the injection of corticosteroids and other drugs that the horse was given to prepare for its race.