A horse race is a competition in which horses run against each other in an effort to finish first. The sport has a long history and has been practiced in ancient civilizations including Ancient Greece, Rome, Babylon, Syria, and Arabia. In addition, horse races play an important role in myth and legend, such as the contest between the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. Modern horse racing has become a global industry. The popularity of the sport is fueled by betting, which provides both excitement and suspense to spectators as well as a source of income for owners and trainers. The sport is also a major source of entertainment for people around the world, with events such as the Kentucky Derby and Melbourne Cup often being called “the races that stop a nation.”
While betting has been a mainstay in horse racing for as long as the sport has existed, the game’s enduring traditions go beyond wagering on who will win or lose. Attending a horse race is an event in its own right, with a sense of elegance and pageantry that draws millions of fans from all corners of the globe. Spectators will often don fashionable clothing and accessories, with hats being a particular highlight of the scene at high-profile events like Royal Ascot and the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby, known as the Run for the Roses, is particularly popular for its festive atmosphere, with bettors donning extravagant hats while sipping mint juleps.
The first organized horse races were match races between two or at most three horses, with the owner providing the purse. The rules were simple: if an owner withdrew, his or her bets would be forfeited, and the agreement was recorded by disinterested third parties who became known as keepers of the match books. One such keeper, John Cheny, published An Historical List of All Horse-Matches Run (1729), which became the foundation for the British Racing Calendar.
Today’s horse races feature larger fields with more competitors, and eligibility rules are established for each event based on factors such as age, sex, birthplace, previous performances, and the qualifications of riders. The most prestigious races are termed conditions races, and they offer the highest purses. In these races, horses are allocated weight to carry for fairness, with allowances given for younger horses or females competing against males.
Horses are forced to endure tremendous physical stress during a horse race, and the injuries they sustain can have devastating effects. One study found that 3 thoroughbreds die every day in North America from catastrophic injuries during a race, and many of those injuries are preventable with better track safety and training practices. Furthermore, horses are often pushed beyond their limits, and they can suffer from the side effect of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), which causes bleeding in the lungs. To combat this, horses are often given cocktails of legal and illegal drugs to mask the injury and improve performance.