A horse race is a contest in which two or more horses are pulled by jockeys. Bettors place wagers on the horses to win, show (finish first or second), or place (finish in any order). Other popular bets are the daily double, the exacta, and the quinella. Each horse has a number that is assigned to it by the stewards when the race starts. If two or more horses cross the finish line simultaneously, a photo finish may be declared.
The first race was run in 1734 and drew thousands of spectators. The winner, a mare named Selima, had a stripe of white down her face and moved with a hypnotic smoothness that inspired the crowd to cheer and shriek in unison. The racing industry’s claim that horses are “born to run and love to compete” bears no resemblance to the way horses behave on the racetrack.
When journalists cover elections by focusing mainly on who’s winning or losing instead of the policy issues at stake, they engage in what is called horse race coverage and the public suffers as a result, according to a growing body of research. This collection of research was updated on Oct. 23, 2023 with new work on third-party political candidates, probabilistic forecasting and TV news coverage of the election.
Among the most famous of these horse races is the Triple Crown, which requires a racer to win three major stakes races in a row. It is not an easy task, but the reward—as much as $2,000,000 for a winner—is immense. The sport also has a rich history in the United States and throughout the world.
Some horse racing experts argue that a horse’s physical condition can be an indicator of its fitness for the race. If a horse is too tall or leggy, it may not be able to handle the rigors of running at top speed. Other indicators include the length of a horse’s stride, how often it moves its head, and whether it shows signs of fatigue near the end of a race.
Despite these challenges, the sport continues to grow worldwide and attracts huge audiences on television, in casinos, and at live events. In addition, the ubiquity of online betting has helped make horse racing more accessible to casual bettors.
The most important factor in a horse’s ability to win is its ability to run fast. Horses that can race well on the turf course (a grass-covered track) usually have the best chance of winning. The fastest breed of horse is the Thoroughbred, which can reach speeds of up to 60 mph.
Most horse races in the United States and many around the world are handicapped, which means that bettors can place a bet on the odds that one or more of the horses will win. There are also other types of wagers, such as the daily double, the exacta, and a pick six. However, many horse owners choose to skip these types of bets in favor of a more lucrative proposition bet, such as a straight bet on the winner of a race.
