What is a Horse Race?

A horse race is a contest in which horses are driven at top speed around a track. It’s one of the oldest and most famous sports, with a long history in many cultures. In the early days, bettors would cheer for their favorite by name or number; today, most fans cheer for a horse’s performance or for its chance to win the big prize. Often, longshots can win the race and give bettors a pay day. Seabiscuit, for example, was a crowd-pleaser who connected with many horse racing fans and brought new attention to the sport.

The sport of horse racing is governed by rules established by the Jockey Club, which oversees Thoroughbred breeding and racing in the United States. These rules set standards for race distances and types, require that a horse be examined after each race for signs of injury, and prohibit the use of drugs to improve performance.

Races are run over both dirt and turf (grass) surfaces. Individual flat races range from 440 yards to four miles. Short races are called sprints and are seen as tests of acceleration; longer races are known as routes or staying races, and are viewed as tests of stamina.

In a horse race, the jockey mounts a horse in order to guide it around the course. The jockey uses the aid of a whip to signal when the horse is to accelerate and slow down, to turn left or right, and to adjust the speed and direction of the horse’s stride. The rider also controls the horse’s speed by shifting his weight around on the saddle.

During the pandemic, when many sports leagues shut down, horse racing thrived. TVG, an all-racing channel included in many cable packages, raked in millions of dollars. Newcomers poured in, eager to bet and watch a good race.

In racing, a horse’s performance in a race is measured using handicapping tools. The most popular handicapping tool assigns a numerical value to each race the horse runs, so that different horses can be objectively compared. A horse’s speed figure can also be referred to as a Beyer number.

Horse racing is a dangerous sport and, even though injuries are relatively common, deaths in the industry remain a serious problem. After a particularly devastating incident in 2008, when Eight Belles collapsed and was put down after her race, public opinion began to shift toward banning horse racing. In response, a number of state legislatures banned wagering on the sport. The bans were lifted only after voters approved ballot measures. The horse racing industry, however, found ways to address public concerns about safety and fairness to bettors.