There’s just something about the majestic horse that’s enthralled human beings for thousands years. Whether it’s the gentle giants’ grace and beauty or their ability to help humans get big jobs done – or both – humans and horses have gone hand-in-hand throughout history. In addition their more utilitarian functions, horses have also been greatly appreciated for their ability to race. In fact, horse racing has been and remains a big attraction.
The roots of horse racing date back to about 4,500 BC when nomads from Central Asia first learned to domesticate the gentle beasts. Known for their grace, agility and speed, horses were naturals for use in competition. In the past, horse racing was a sport of kings and nobility. Knights and their noble steeds would race, training for battle and long-distance runs.
Nowadays, horse racing is a big business that centers on a lucrative industry that rakes in millions and millions of dollars through the placement of bets. Modern horse racing is one of the few forms of legalized gambling and it’s one that’s enjoyed by people around the globe.
Horse racing is such a big sport, in fact, that figures from the late 1980s show that more than 56 million people attended racing events and bet more than $9 billion on their favorites. The numbers have only climbed from there!
Thoroughbred horse racing is by far the most popular of the types of horse racing that involves wagering. But what are thoroughbreds and why are they so fun to watch and bet on?
Thoroughbreds basically are a special breed of horse that traces its ancestry back to specific horses. Thoroughbreds are primarily horses that have Arabian descent that have been bred specifically for ability to carry weight while maintaining speed over extended distances. Sleek, beautiful and fast, thoroughbreds are born to run and run well. To be considered competitive stock, thoroughbreds must maintain a strict pedigree, as well.
The tradition of horse racing in America and elsewhere runs deep, especially with the thoroughbreds. American thoroughbred horse racing has long been a popular sport with winning horses becoming household names. With four-legged heroes such as Citation, Secretariat and Seattle Slew to champion the way, the American sport of thoroughbred racing is well established and followed.
In America the big thoroughbred races center around three particular events – the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. Horses that can win all three races in a single year are deemed “Triple Crown” winners and are celebrated in much the same manner as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback would be. Very few horses can pull off wins in all three arenas.
So, what is the draw of horse racing?
That answer depends on the spectator in question. But, for many, it’s the thrill of the race itself, rooting for a favorite horse and the chance to rake in big on bets. Some, however, simply enjoy watching the incredible spectacle of the beautiful and large animals race around the track with a level of grace a ballerina could only hope for. Whatever the draw, horse racing is a sport that runs deep in tradition and is loved by millions.
Watch the video related to horse racing
I Don’t Own the Movie. … horses hidalgo “part 1″ gallop endurance race cowboy “trick horse” action comedy drama fights
Help answer the question about horse racing
So do people really just go to watch horse racing to gamble?That is all it seems to me.
One funny incident where I saw this guy bet on every horse. He said that way he is guaranteed to win ( ya no shit). But I always heard its also tradition to bet 2 dollars every time you go as well, this is probably the reason for being able to get a ton of 2 dollar bills at horse racing tracks.
Well I am just wondering.
Later.
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As I always say, there's a village missing it's idiot somewhere and they can usually find them trolling on here. They think that if they repeatedly ask the same question and rave their PETA misinformation, that someone might actually end up agreeing with them. Let's hope not!
Most owners actually don't make money racing.
Only about 70% of all Thoroughbreds ever get to the races, and only about 55% of all Thoroughbreds ever win a race. It costs about $25,000, give or take a few thousand, to keep a horse in training for a year; more for the major racing centers like New York or Southern California, less for tracks away from the major population centers. roughly 10-15% of all Thoroughbreds earn enough money during the course of a year to cover their training expenses.
Some owners can recover the residual value of their horse at the end of its racing career by selling, but most racehorses– particular male racehorses– have residual value that is low or even zero at the end of their racing careers.
Basically, most people who are in racing are in it for the excitement, the fun, the competition; and the hope that maybe they'll be the one to strike it rich with a horse like Mine That Bird– or one of his relatives. It's the hope of getting that one special horse, plus the love of racing in general, that keeps people going.
Its people like you, that pissin' an moanin', that ruin the world…………………..
You can go to the site for the Daily Racing Form at it should answer your questions also at any track the program will have instructions inside the cover explaining how to read the form and also how to make all wagers including the exotics.
Hi,
A jockey has a very dangerous job, but a very important one. He must guide the horse in the correct way as to know how his horse runs, and performs during a race. It is his responsibility to get his horse in the correct position, and know how to guide him through traffic going at very high speeds while the rest of the field is fighting to do the same. Jockey error has played a huge roll in injuries to other jockey's and horses. The horse does the running, but it is up to the jockey to know how fast the horse runs, and when to ask the horse for his best without compromising. So the roll of a jockey is very important. Without a jockey it would be like racing a car with no driver. Hope this explains it to you.
I think this gives a good explanation of the definition of the various track conditions:
http://www.ultimatecapper.com/track-conditions.htm
That said, it's important to note that because there is no standard for track composition in terms of sand, silt, clay, loam, organic matter, and every track is different, each track plays differently. To cite one example, the track at Aqueduct has a high sand content because the dates run at Aqueduct are typically the wettest times of the year. So the track superintendent finds it beneficial to have a lot of sand in the track to assure fast drainage. The result is that when there has been a lot of rain, the main track at Aqueduct can be like a wet beach– it packs down and gets harder. You may get faster times on such a track than when the surface is rated "fast".
Churchill Downs historically has had a high clay content in the track surface, with the result that the track can be very cuppy at best of times ("cuppy" means that when a horse strides on it, the hoofprint forms a "cup" on the surface of the track; it has depth, and it holds its shape rather than immediately crumbling) and can be really sticky and tiring when it gets wet.
A lot depends, too, on how the track superintendent deals with rainfall. At Santa Anita and Hollywood Park in the pre-synthetic days, the superintendents had enough time in most cases to get out the heavy roller equipment and "seal" the track before rain came. Basically when they seal the track, they're rolling and compacting the surface so that instead of water penetrating and making the track muddy down deep, the water just runs off the surface and drains away. Of course, the problem with this is that even when they opened the track surface in preparation for the day's racing, there was some compaction and the track would tend to get harder. During some of our rare wet winters, the track superintendent would sometimes have to close the track to exercise in order to do deep harrowing and conditioning of the subsurface and base after the track had been repeatedly sealed.
With synthetic surfaces, I think everyone, including the people who manufacture and install them, is still on a learning curve of what has to be done to keep the track consistant and safe in all kinds of weather.
From a handicapping standpoint, the important thing to remember is that each track is unique, and that you have to become familiar with what the weather conditions do to the the individual track surface.
You need to go to a reputable trainer and tell him you're interested in buying a horse. Tell him how much you've got to spend and he'll do the rest. He might have a horse in his yard that's already for sale or he might go out and buy one for you.
Don't go buying horses over the internet!
The flat trainer Richard Hannon has had some good successes with cheaply bought horses in the past. He trains in Wiltshire.
http://richardhannonracing.tv/
Don't forget you'll have to contribute towards the horse's training expenses every week so the more people involved the cheaper it will be.
i don't like the gambling, the horse race is alright, mainly only good in the Kentucky Derby when you are really rooting for a horse to get the triple crown
http://www.xpressbet.com
You have to sign up, but it's completely free. There's no fees for watching or betting. And they have like 60 tracks you can watch. It's a great service.
Several tracks have their own broadcasts on their website, but xpressbet is great because you can get all the tracks in one place and place a bet if you'd like.