Horse Racing

Horse racing is a classification of sports that involves multiple jockeys riding horses throughout a standardized length of track competitively. The races may also involve the horses pulling a conveyance in which a driver is seated. The sport is amongst the most ancient and the format that it may take has largely varied. Some of the variations include obstacle courses, varying distances, restricting breeds that compete, varying the gaits (the ways in which the horse moves), and varying the track surfaces.

The popularity of the sport has changed over the centuries. In modern day horse racing, the majority of interest generated by the sport comes from the gambling community. This also plays an important role for the economic sustainability of the sport. The sport features a variety of popular series that are held around the world at various points of the year.

Today there a number of regulating bodies around the world including the North American Jockey Club, the Jockey Club of Britain, and the Horseracing Regulatory Authority. The majority of the National Jockey Clubs are members of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. Together they oversee the sport and maintain a Racing Calendar of Events.

Origins and History

Thoroughbred racing in the United States may be traced back as far as 1665. The royal governor of New York, Richard Nicolls, gave authorization for the first known track at Hempstead, Long Island. Over the following century, a number of race courses were commissioned and the Jockey Club was established in 1750 to facilitate better management and development of the sport. It was also responsible for the creation of rules, racecourse sanctions, and race naming, as well as the recording of the pedigrees of all the racing thoroughbreds. This was initially done through the General Stud Book, which was commissioned by the Jockey Club. In 1868, the American Stud Book was inaugurated, followed by the establishment of the American Jockey Club in 1894.

In other parts of the world, the sport may be traced even further back. As early as before 1000 BCE, the Greeks invented a game whereby horses pulled two-wheeled carts or chariots. Horse racing was formalized as a sport at the 33rd Olympiad in 664 BCE. At this stage, the carts and chariots were removed and men began riding the horses directly as jockeys. During the twelfth century, English knights would return home from the Crusades, bringing along with them Arab horses. The Arab stallions would then be bred with English mares to produce a breed that possessed higher levels of endurance and speed. The new breed would become known as Thoroughbreds and would be the targets of private wagers that were placed on races between them.

Over time, the need for stamina decreased as emphasis was shifted to racing over shorter distances with younger horses. Many of the classic modern day races were established in the eighteenth century, including the Epsom Derby, the Epsom Oaks, and the St. Leger, all founded between the years of 1776 to 1780. Development of technology and improvement of transport systems in the nineteenth century greatly increased the viewing access of the general public. Many of the more popular newspapers began providing a higher volume of coverage to horse racing. Consequently, a significant rise was observed in the volume of bets being placed on races. Following this trend, professional bookmakers (persons taking bets) were introduced to the sport. As this happened, higher standards of discipline, order, and integrity were introduced by the Jockey Club to ensure that prosperous development continued in the sport.

Rules and Regulations

The sport may be enjoyed in several popular forms including flat racing, jump racing/steeplechasing (known as National Hunt Racing in the UK), endurance racing, and harness racing (controlled trot/pace usually with pulling a two-wheeled cart called a sulky). Each style features a unique rules and horse breeds that define them.

In flat racing, the races are usually done over distances of between 440 yards and 2.5 miles. Short races are typically referred to as sprints. Jump racing may be categorized as either steeplechasing or hurdling, depending on the size and type of obstacles that are being jumped. In the United States, a distance of 4 miles is typical for Steeplechase events. Endurance races in the United States are usually either 50 miles or 100 miles. It is categorized into various sections. The racers may be provided with maps or GPS waypoints that show the route, compulsory stopping positions, and naturally occurring obstacles.

On the day before a given race, the eligibility of each racer is checked to ensure that they meet the requirements for that race. Before the start of a race, each jockey weighs out and proceeds to the paddock where they receive instructions from the horse trainers. The riders and horses are then mounted up after each horse is checked, after which they proceed together to the racetrack in a parade. Here, they are inspected by the race officials (stewards) and perform a brief warm up gallop. The horses are then led into stalls behind a starting gate, which is electronically opened at the start of the race. While the race is in progress, patrol judges and stewards remain alert for racing violations. They are assisted by video cameras. This becomes useful when the race is close, and in such cases the results are not announced until they are evaluated using the final photograph.

Upon completion of the race, jockeys must weigh in and be confirmed to possess the correct weight. At this point, an owner, trainer, or jockey whose mount was interfered with may claim foul against another horse or jockey. Once stewards declare the finish official, the payoffs are displayed on a totalizer. Urine tests are then carried out on winning horses as well as a sample of the field. Should any illegal substances be discovered, the race results may be altered on the payment of the purses (money provided by commercial sponsors and stake fees of owners) but not on the bets.

Strategy and Tactics

In racecourses that involve quarter-mile sprinting, American jockeys created a riding technique using a shortened stirrup and a crouching posture. This style became known as the "American seat." The technique was subsequently incorporated as a standard for all distances worldwide. With the development of longer elliptical racetracks, jockeys began placing a new focus on training to control the pace of their horses. Due to the fact that thoroughbred horses are generally only able to run for a quarter-mile at their top speed, it became essential to understand what pace to select. This pace would then be increased to a carefully timed burst of top speed in order to give the jockey the maximum advantage.

Another crucial strategy rests in the feeding and exercise regimes under which the horses are maintained. The trainer then aims to pace the development of the horse in order that it reaches its peak development by race day. Equally important is that jockeys be appropriately chosen to suit the horse, and also that the horse be entered into suitable races.

Professional Leagues and Series

A number of the professional leagues and classic series were started in the 1700s and 1800s. Featured in these are the American Triple Crown Series, the British Classics and Triple Crown Series, and the French Classics.

The American Triple Crown Series is comprised of the Belmont Stakes (1867), the Preakness Stakes (1873), and the Kentucky Derby (1875). The Series features races between three-year-old thoroughbreds of which colts (young male horses) should weigh 126 pounds and fillies (young female horses) should weigh 121 lbs. The Kentucky Derby is held on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs in Lexington, Kentucky. The distance of the race is 1.25 miles. The race is the first leg of the Triple Crown Series and is considered to be the "most exciting two minutes in sports" in the United States. The race is also known as "the run for the roses" because of the blanket of roses draped over the winner.

The Preakness Stakes is run on the third Saturday of May at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The track is made of dirt and is 1.186 miles in length. It is the second leg of the series. The Belmont Stakes takes place each June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race features a 1.5-mile track and is called "the Test of the Champion" and "the Run for the Carnations" and is the third and final stage of the American Triple Crown. It is rare for a horse to win all three races in the same year, which adds to the excitement of the Triple Crown.

The British Classics are the St. Leger Stakes (introduced in 1776), the Epsom Oaks (1779), the Epsom Derby (1780), the 2,000 Guineas Stakes (1809) and the 1,000 Guineas Stakes (1814). They are restricted to three-year-old horses. The 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas Stakes take place annually at the end of April or the beginning of May and occur at the Rowley Mile in Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile. The 2,000 Guineas Stakes represents the opening leg of the British Triple Crown Series and is the first race of the year. The 1,000 Guineas Stakes happens on the Sunday following the 2,000 Guineas stakes and is the first of two races featuring fillies only. The Oaks Stakes takes place every year in early June at the Epsom Downs racecourse in Surrey over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs, and 10 yards. (In horse racing, a furlong is an eighth of a mile.) It represents the third of Britain’s five classics that are held during the season.

The Derby Stakes, commonly referred to as the Derby (pronounced "darby"), takes place in early June each year at Epsom Downs and has a track length of 1 mile, 4 furlongs, and 10 yards. The event is considered to be "Britain’s richest horserace" and the most prestigious of the five classics. The race represents the second leg of the Triple Crown Series. The St. Leger Stakes takes place in September of each year in Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs, and 132 yards. It is the oldest of the five classics and has the longest distance. It is the final leg of the English Triple Crown.

Other popular series include the French classics, which consist of the Prix du Jockey Club (1836), the Grand Prix du Paris (1863), and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (1920).

Popularity

For spectators, part of horse racing’s popularity comes from gambling on the races. Bookmaking was banned in almost all states in the early 1900s. By 1908 a mere twenty-five tracks were still in operation. Later that year, pari-mutuel betting (a system where all bets are placed together in a pool) was introduced for the Kentucky Derby. This introduction rejuvenated the sport. Legislation was then developed to legalize pari-mutuel betting. The popularity of the sport grew throughout World Wars I and II before declining again in the 1950s and 60s. It fluctuated throughout the following decades, gaining popularity again in the 1970s before once again falling in the 1980s.

Today, in America placing wagers on race outcomes is the primary source of entertainment of the sport and is the reason the sport has survived professionally. In the pari-mutuel system, a standard percentage, generally 14 percent to 25 percent of the overall quantity wagered is taken out for racing purses, track operating costs, and taxes. The total sum remaining is used to pay dividends on winning bets.

Because of its association to gambling, horse racing was not viewed as family entertainment. Beginning the late 1980s, racetrack owners have worked to make their venues family-friendly, attracting a new kind of spectator and new generations or race goers.

Bibliography

"Animals in Sports—The Roots Of Animal Sports." Library Index. Net Industries, 31 Mar. 2010. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

Carter, John. The History of Horse Racing: First past the Post. London: Lorenz, 2013. Print.

Finley, Bill. "The Divergence of Two Great Sports." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 2 March 2016.

"Horse Racing." Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

"The History of Great British Racing." Great British Racing. Great British Racing, 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

"The History of Horse Racing." The History Of Horse Racing. Acorn, 13 July 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

"The History of Horse Racing." HorseRacing.com. HorseRacing.com, 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

"Horse Racing History." History of Horse Racing. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

"International Federation of Horseracing Authorities." International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, 19 Jan. 2016. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

Longrigg, Roger. The History of Horse Racing. New York: Stein, 1972. Print.

Nalick, David. Getting Down: An Unveiling of the Horse Racing Industry: Its Insiders, Workers, Patrons, and Me. Bloomington: AuthorHouse, 2013. Print.

"Racing UK." History of Horse Racing. Omniture Incorporated, 5 June 2009. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

"Sport of Kings." American Museum of Natural History. American Museum of Natural History, n.d. Web. 2 March 2016.