Horse racing is an ancient sport with a long and distinguished history. It was practiced in Ancient Greece, Rome, Babylon, Syria, Egypt, and other civilizations. The sport is also a central figure in myth and legend. A race is a competition where horses run against each other on a flat track with the winner determined by the first horse to cross the finish line. In the US, there are several types of horse races and betting options. The most popular are bet to win, place, and show. Bet to win is the safest way to bet while betting on a horse to come in second or third place will yield lower payoffs on average.
The modern form of flat horse racing originated in England in the 17th century with the development of the Thoroughbred breed of purebred equine, which has a distinctively strong hindquarters that enable it to gallop at high speed. Early races were match contests between two or at most three horses. But pressure by the public eventually produced events with larger fields of runners. Eligibility rules were developed based on the age, sex, birthplace, and previous performance of horses.
To be eligible to run a horse must have a pedigree that shows it is an individual of the specified breed and has qualified riders (jockeys). In order for a rider to qualify, he or she must have won at least one race in the previous year. In addition, a horse must be able to complete the distance of the race in a specific time or have been accepted by a stewards panel as having a reasonable chance of winning.
In some countries, the sex, age, and birthplace of a horse are the only factors that can be used to determine its eligibility to run in a particular race. The race stewards are responsible for monitoring the safety and fairness of each race. They can impose disqualification penalties on jockeys or reprimand them for committing rule violations. The race stewards may also inspect the starting gate, monitor the horses as they start and finish, and examine urine and saliva samples for the presence of prohibited drugs.
The number of horses that die during and after a race is unknown, but estimates range in the thousands due to the lack of industry regulation, record keeping, transparency, and willingness to address horse welfare. The death of Eight Belles in the 2008 Kentucky Derby prompted an outpouring of grief and anger from fans, but even as improvements are underway in horse racing’s treatment of injured and sick horses, it remains difficult to stop a sport that has for centuries relied on animals that have delicate feet and legs and can weigh twelve hundred pounds.