A horse race is a contest of speed and stamina between a group of horses. One of the oldest sports in the world, it has evolved from a primitive contest of skill between two animals to a multibillion-dollar spectacle involving thousands of horses and sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment. Its basic concept, though, has changed very little over the centuries. The winner is the horse that crosses the finish line first.
The earliest races were match contests between just two or three horses. Pressure from the public, however, produced open events with larger fields of runners. Eligibility rules were developed based on age, sex, birthplace and previous performance. Then came dash racing, in which a horse had to win only a few feet of distance for victory. Thus, the rider’s skill and judgment became far more important in achieving a winning result.
Despite these improvements, the sport has been losing fans and money. In 2021, a report commissioned by the Jockey Club warned that it could be “overtaken by other forms of entertainment.”
In the past, some people were so determined to cheat the system that they used dangerous drugs to make their horses run faster. Today, those people are still around, but they are a minority. The majority of racing enthusiasts are honorable. They know the industry is more crooked than it should be, but they still won’t give their all to fix it.
When bettors watch a horse walk through the walking ring before a race, they look for rippling muscles and a bright coat. A horse that balks – a sign of anxiety or anger – will be a poor choice to bet on. A horse that is ill or has been injured may also be in poor condition and shouldn’t be entered in a race.
During the actual race, spectators look at the tote board, where odds for each horse are posted. Then the race begins, and bettors place their bets on which horse they think will win. If the horse they bet on wins, they receive a payout. If the horse they bet against wins, they lose their money.
The result of a race is not official until the horses come off the track. Then the stewards and patrol judges, aided by a special camera, check the horses for rule violations and photograph the finish. The stewards also examine the horses’ saliva and urine for illegal substances.
Racing insiders love to dismiss PETA, but they shouldn’t confuse hostility toward the organization with rejection of its work. Virtually no one outside of the industry cares how PETA gets its video of abuse; they only care about whether the video contains valid evidence of exploitation and cruelty. If the video does, reforms will follow. If not, the future of horse racing will continue to decline, and many of the nation’s most beloved horses will die a slow death.