Horse racing

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This article is about the sport. For other uses, see Horserace
(drinking game), Horse race
(politics), or Race Horse, clipper
ship

This article may require cleanup to meet
Wikipedia's quality
standards. Please improve this article if you can. The talk page may
contain suggestions. (March
2008)

Horse racing at Arlington Park,
2007

Steeplechase racing at Deauville

Harness Racing in Adelaide

Horse Racing is an equestrian sport that has been practiced for
millennia. It is inextricably associated with gambling. The common sobriquet
for Thoroughbred horse
racing is The Sport of Kings.

Horse racing is an equestrian sport and major international industry, watched
in almost every nation of the world. There are three types: "flat" racing; steeplechasing, i.e. racing
over jumps; and harness
racing, where horses trot or pace while pulling a
driver in a small, light cart known as a sulky.[1]
A major part of horse racing's economic importance lies in the gambling
associated with it,[2]
an activity that in 2008 generated a world-wide market worth around US$115
billion.[3]

Contents

1 History

2 North America

2.1 History

2.1.1 Thoroughbred racing
in the United States

2.1.2 Endurance
racing

2.1.3 Quarter horse
racing

2.2 Major
racetracks

2.3 Types of
racing

2.4 Race length and track
surface

2.4.1 Thoroughbred
racing

2.4.2 Endurance
racing

2.4.3 Quarter Horse
racing

2.5 Horse breeds and muscle
structure

2.5.1 Thoroughbred

2.5.2 Arabian
Horse

2.5.3 Quarter
Horse

2.6 Training

2.7 Important
races

2.8 Betting

2.9 Canada

3 Australia

4 Mauritius

5 New Zealand

6 South
Africa

7 Europe

7.1 Ireland

7.2 France

7.3 Italy

7.4 Great
Britain

8 Asia

8.1 Hong
Kong

8.2 Malaysia

8.3 Singapore

8.4 India

8.5 Japan

8.6 Mongolia

8.7 Pakistan

8.8 South
Korea

8.9 United Arab
Emirates

8.10 People's Republic of
China

9 Pedigree

10 Betting

10.1 Types of
bets

10.2 Betting
Exchanges

11 Criticism

12 Dangers

13 See also

14 References

15 External
links

[edit]
History

Historically, equestrians honed their skills through games and races.
Equestrian sports provided entertainment for crowds and honed the excellent
horsemanship that was needed in battle. Horse racing of all types evolved from
impromptu competitions between riders or drivers. All forms of competition,
requiring demanding and specialized skills from both horse and rider, resulted
in the systematic development of specialized breeds and equipment for each
sport.[4]

Chariot racing was
one of the most popular ancient Greek, Roman
and Byzantine sports. Chariot racing
was often dangerous to both driver and horse as they frequently suffered serious
injury and even death, but generated strong spectator enthusiasm. In the ancient Olympic
Games, as well as the other Panhellenic Games, the
sport was one of the most important equestrian events. In mythology, horse
racing was also a part of myth and legend, such as the contest between the
steeds of the god Odin and the
giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology.

The popularity of equestrian sports through the centuries has resulted in the
preservation of skills that would otherwise have disappeared after horses
stopped being used in combat.[4]

[edit]
North America

[edit]
History

Race at Churchill
Downs

Horse racing in the United States and on the North American continent dates
back to 1665, which saw the establishment of the Newmarket course on the Salisbury Plains
section of what is now known as the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York. This
first racing meet in North America was supervised by New York's colonial
governor, Richard
Nicolls. The area is now occupied by the present Nassau County, New
York, region of Greater Westbury and East
Garden City. The South Westbury section is also (appropriately) known as
Salisbury.

[edit]
Thoroughbred
racing in the United States

In 1665, the first racetrack was constructed on Long Island. It is the oldest
thoroughbred race in North America. The American Stud Book
was started in 1868, prompting the beginning of organized horse racing in the United States. There were
314 tracks operating in the United States by 1890; and in 1894, the American
Jockey Club was formed.[5]
The anti-gambling sentiment prevalent in the early 20th century led almost all
states to ban bookmaking. Bookmaking is the
process of taking bets, calculating odds, and paying out winnings. This nearly
eliminated horse racing altogether. When parimutuel betting
was introduced in 1908, the racing industry turned around.[6]
Horse racing flourished until World War II. The sport did not regain popularity
in the United States
until horses began to win the Triple
Crown. The Triple Crown is a series of three races, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes.[5]

[edit]
Endurance racing

Endurance racing began
in California around 1955,
and the first race marked the beginning of the Tevis Cup[7]
This race was a one-hundred-mile, one-day-long ride starting in Squaw
Valley, Placer County, and ending
in Auburn. Founded in
1972, the American Endurance Ride Conference was the first national endurance
riding association[8]

[edit]
Quarter horse racing

The first records of Quarter Horse
races dated back to 1674 in Henrico County, Virginia. Each race consisted
of only two horses and they raced down the village streets and lanes.

[edit]
Major racetracks

Major horse racetracks in the U.S. were opened

at Saratoga
Race Course, Saratoga
Springs, New York in 1863;

at Pimlico Race
Course, Baltimore, Maryland in
1870;

at Churchill
Downs, Louisville,
Kentucky, opened in 1875;

at Belmont Park,
Elmont, New York
(just outside New York City on Long Island) in 1905.

at Fairmount Park
Racetrack, Collinsville,
Illinois in 1925.

at Hialeah
Park Race Track, Hialeah, Florida in
1925.

at Santa Anita
Park, in the San
Gabriel Valley community of Arcadia,
California, in the Los
Angeles area, in 1934.

at Keeneland Race
Course, Lexington, Kentucky, opened for racing in 1936

at Del Mar
Racetrack Del Mar, California, opened in 1937

at Hollywood Park
Racetrack Inglewood, California, opened in 1938

Belmont Park is part of the western edge of the Hempstead Plains. Its mile
and a half main track is the largest dirt Thoroughbred race course in the world,
and it has the sport's largest grandstand.

In March 2009, Magna Entertainment Corp., the owner of Pimlico Race Course,
filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after defaulting on a US$40 million
loan.[9]

The latest major horse track opened in the US was the Meadowlands
Racetrack opened in 1977 for Thoroughbred racing. It is the home of the Meadowlands Cup.

Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has its own Hall
of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Hall of Fame honors remarkable
horses, jockeys,
owners and trainers.

[edit]
Types of racing

A horse race at Del
Mar

The style of racing, the distances and the type of events vary significantly
by the country in which the race is occurring, and many countries offer
different types of horse races.

In the United States, Thoroughbred flat races are run on surfaces of either
dirt, synthetic or turf; other tracks offer Quarter Horse
racing and Standardbred horse
racing, or combinations of these three types of racing surfaces. Racing with
other breeds, such as Arabian horse racing, is found on a limited basis.
American Thoroughbred races are run at a wide variety of distances, most
commonly from 5 to 12 furlongs (0.63 to 1.5 mi; 1.0 to 2.4 km); with this in
mind, breeders of Thoroughbred race horses attempt to breed horses that excel at
a particular distance (see Dosage Index).

[edit]
Race length and track
surface

[edit]
Thoroughbred racing

Flat racing is the
most common form of Thoroughbred racing. The track is typically oval in shape
and the race is based on speed and stamina. Within the general category of
Thoroughbred flat racing, there exist two separate types of races. These include
conditions races and
handicap races. Condition
races are the most prestigious and offer the biggest purses. Handicap
races assign each horse a different amount of weight to carry based on their
ability.[10]
Beside the weight they carry, the horse is also influenced by its closeness to
the inside barrier, the track surface, its gender, the jockey, and the trainer.
A typical Thoroughbred race is run on dirt, synthetic or turf surfaces.
Viscoride and Polytrack are synthetic substitutes. Thoroughbred races vary in
distance, but are usually somewhere between five and twelve furlongs. A furlong is a distance
measurement equal to one eighth of a mile, 220 yards[11]
or 201.168 metres.

[edit]
Endurance racing

The length of an endurance race varies greatly. Some are very short, only ten
miles, while others can be up to one hundred miles. There are a few races that
are even longer than one hundred miles and last multiple days.[12]
These different lengths of races are divided into five categories: pleasure
rides (10–20 miles), non-competitive trail rides (21–27 miles), competitive
trail rides (20–45 miles), progressive trail rides (25–60 miles), and endurance
rides (40–100 miles in one day, up to 150 miles in multiple days).[8]
Because each race is very long, the tracks are almost always just dirt.

[edit]
Quarter Horse
racing

When Quarter Horse racing began, it was very expensive to lay a full mile of
track so it was agreed that a straight track of four hundred meters, or one
quarter of a mile would be laid instead.[13]
It became the standard racing distance for Quarter Horses and inspired their
name. With the exception of the longer, 870-yard (800 m) distance contests,
Quarter Horse races are run flat out, with the horses running at top speed for
the duration. There is less jockeying for position, as turns are rare, and many
races end with several contestants grouped together at the wire. The track
surface is similar to that of Thoroughbred racing and usually consists of dirt
or a synthetic surface.

[edit]
Horse breeds and
muscle structure

Muscles are just bundles of stringy fibers that are attached to bones by
tendons. These bundles have different types of fibers within them and horses
have adapted over the years to produce different amounts of these fibers. Type
IIb fibers are fast twitch fibers. These fibers allow muscles to contract
quickly resulting in a great deal of power and speed. Type I fibers are
slow-twitch fibers. They allow muscles to work for longer periods of time
resulting in greater endurance. Type IIa fibers are in the middle. They are a
balance between the fast twitch fibers and the slow-twitch fibers. They allow
the muscles to generate both speed and endurance. Type I muscles are absolutely
necessary for aerobic exercise because they rely on the presence of oxygen in
order to work. Type II muscles are needed for anaerobic exercise because they
can function without the presence of oxygen.[14]

[edit]
Thoroughbred

There are three founding sires that almost all Thoroughbreds can trace back
to: the Darley
Arabian, the Godolphin,
and the Byerly Turk, named after
their respective owners, Thomas Darley, Lord
Godolphin, and Captain Robert Byerly.[15]
All were taken to England where they were mated with racing mares. Thoroughbreds
come in many different colors, all of which are recognized by the Jockey Club.
However, the most prevalent include bay, chestnut, black, brown,
and gray. Thoroughbreds range in height, and are measured in hands (a hand being four
inches). Some are as
small as 15 hands while others are over 17 hands. Thoroughbreds can travel
medium distances at fast paces, requiring a balance between speed and endurance.
They possess more Type IIa muscle fibers than the Quarter Horse or Arabian. This
type of fiber allows them to propel themselves forward at great speeds and
maintain it for an extended distance.

[edit]
Arabian Horse

The Arabian Horse was prevalent in societies as early as 1500 B.C. The
Bedouin Tribe in Arabia specifically bred these
horses for stamina, so they could outrun their enemies. It was not until 1725
that the Arabian was introduced into the United States.[16]

The Arabian Horse is primarily used in endurance racing. They must be able to
withstand traveling long distances at a moderate pace. Arabians have an
abundance of Type I fibers. Their muscles are able to work for extended periods
of time. Also, the muscles of the Arabian are not nearly as massive as those of
the Quarter Horse, which allow it to travel longer distances at quicker
speeds.

[edit]
Quarter Horse

The Quarter Horse was prevalent in America in the early 17th century. These
horses were of mainly Spanish origin until the English horses were brought over.
The native horse and the English horse were bred together, resulting in a very
compact muscular horse. At this time, they were mainly used for chores such as
plowing and cattle work. The Quarter Horse was not recognized as an official
breed until the formation of the American Quarter Horse Association in 1940.[17]

In order to be successful in racing, Quarter Horses needed to be able to
propel themselves forward at extremely fast paces. The Quarter Horse has much
larger hind limb muscles than the Arabian, which make it much less suitable for
endurance racing.[18]
They also have more Type IIb fibers, which allow the Quarter Horse to accelerate
rapidly.

[edit]
Training

The conditioning program for the different horses varies depending on the
race length. Genetics, training, age, and skeletal soundness are all factors
that contribute to a horse’s performance.[19]
The muscle structure and fiber type of horses depends on the breed, therefore
genetics must be considered when constructing a conditioning plan. A horse’s
fitness plan must be coordinated properly in order to prevent injury or
unnecessary lameness. If these were to occur, they may negatively affect a
horse’s willingness to learn.[19]
Sprinting exercises are appropriate for training two-year-old racehorses, but
they are mentally incapable of handling too many of them.[19]
A horse’s skeletal system adapts to the exercise they are receiving. Because the
skeletal system does not reach full maturity until the horse is at least four
years of age, young racehorses often suffer multiple injuries.[19]

[edit]
Important races

The traditional high point of US horse racing is the Kentucky Derby. Together,
the Derby, the Preakness
Stakes run at Pimlico Race Course
in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Belmont Stakes held at Belmont Park on Long
Island, form the Triple
Crown of Thoroughbred Racing for three-year-olds. They are all held early in
the year, throughout May and the beginning of June. In recent years the Breeders' Cup races, run
at the end of the year, have challenged the Triple Crown events as determiners
of the three-year-old Champion. The Breeders' Cup is held at a different track
every year; the 2008 edition was held at Santa Anita. It also has an important
effect on the selection of other annual Champions. The corresponding
Standardbred event is the Breeders' Crown. There are also a Triple
Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers and a Triple
Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters, as well as an Arabian Triple Crown
consisting of Drinkers of the Wind Derby in California, the Texas Six Shooter
Stakes, and the Bob Magness Derby in Delaware.

Thoroughbred and Arabian fillies have their own "Triple" series, commonly
referred to as The Triple Tiara. While there is some disagreement over which
three races make up the Triple
Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, the Arabian list is more formal and consists
of Daughters of the Desert Oaks in California, the Texas Yellow Rose Stakes, and
the Cre Run Oaks in Delaware.[20]

[edit]
Betting

American betting on horse racing is sanctioned and regulated by the state the
racetrack is located in. Simulcast betting almost always exist across state
lines with no oversight except the companies involved through legalized parimutuel gambling.
A takeout, or "take", is removed from each betting pool and distributed
according to state law, among the state, race track and horsemen. On average, 17
percent is withheld from win, place and show pools, with 83 percent being
returned to the winning players.

[edit]
Canada

The most famous horse from Canada is generally considered to be Northern Dancer, who
after winning the Kentucky
Derby, Preakness and Queen's Plate in 1964 went on to become the most
successful Thoroughbred sire of the 20th century; his two-minute-flat Derby was
the fastest on record until Secretariat in 1973. The only challenger to his
title of greatest Canadian horse would be his son Nijinsky II, who is the last
horse to win the English Triple
Crown. Woodbine
Racetrack in Toronto, home of the Queen's Plate, Canada's
premier Thoroughbred stakes race, and the North America Cup,
Canada's premier Standardbred stakes race, is the only race track in North
America which stages Thoroughbred and Standardbred (harness) meetings on the
same day. The Pattison Canadian International has the largest purse of any
Canadian horse race.

[edit]
Australia

Main articles: Thoroughbred
racing in Australia and Harness racing
in Australia

Tambo Valley Picnic Races,
Victoria, Australia 2006

Horse racing in Australia was founded during the early years of settlement
and the industry has grown to be among the top three leading Thoroughbred racing
nations of the world.[21]
The world famous Melbourne
Cup, the so-called race that stops a nation, has recently attracted
many international entries. In country racing, records indicate that Goulburn
commenced racing in 1834.[22]
Australia's first country racing club was established at Wallabadah in 1852 and
the Wallabadah Cup is still held on New Year's Day (the current racecourse was
built in 1898).[23]

In Australia, the most famous racehorse was Phar Lap (bred in New Zealand),
who raced from 1928 to 1932. Phar Lap carried 9st 12 lb (62.5 kg) to
win the 1930 Melbourne Cup. Australian steeplechaser Crisp is remembered for
his battle with Irish champion Red Rum in the 1973 Grand National. In
2003–2005 the mare Makybe
Diva (bred in the United Kingdom) became the only racehorse to ever win the
Melbourne Cup three
times, let alone in consecutive years. In harness racing, Cane
Smoke had 120 wins, including 34 in a single season, Paleface Adios became a
household name during the 1970s, while Cardigan Bay, a
pacing horse from New Zealand, enjoyed great success at the highest levels of
American harness racing in the 1960s. More recently, Blacks A Fake has won four
Inter Dominion
Championships, making him the only horse to complete this feat in Australasia's
premier harness race.[24]

Competitive endurance riding commenced in Australia in 1966, when the Tom
Quilty Gold Cup was first held in the Hawkesbury district, near Sydney, New South Wales. The
Quilty Cup is considered the National endurance ride and there are now over 100
endurance events contested across Australia, ranging in distances from
80 km to 400 km.[25]
The world's longest endurance ride is the Shahzada 400 km Memorial
Test which is conducted over five days travelling 80 kilometres a day at St
Albans on the Hawkesbury
River, New South
Wales. In all endurance events there are rigorous vet checks, conducted
before, during and after the competition, in which the horses’ welfare is of the
utmost concern.[26]

[edit]
Mauritius

On 25 June 1812, the Champ de Mars racecourse was inaugurated by The
Mauritius Turf Club which was founded earlier in the same year by Colonel Edward
A. Draper. The Champ de Mars is situated on a prestigious avenue in Port Louis,
the Capital City and is the oldest racecourse in the southern hemisphere.
The Mauritius Turf Club is the third oldest active turf club in the world.

Undeniably, racing is one of the most popular sports in Mauritius now pulling
regular crowds of 20,000 people and over to the only racecourse of the
island.

A high level of professionalism has been attained in the organisation of
races over the last decades preserving the unique electrifying ambiance
prevailing on race days at the Champ de Mars.

Champ de Mars has four classic events a year such as: Duchess of York Cup,
Barbe Cup, Maiden Cup and the Duke of York Club.

Most of the horses are imported from South Africa but some are also acquired
from Australia, United Kingdom and France.

The island of Mauritius situated in the Indian Ocean not far from the very
large island of Madagascar.[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]

[edit]
New Zealand

Main articles: Thoroughbred
racing in New Zealand and Harness racing
in New Zealand

Racing is a long-established sport in New Zealand, stretching back
to colonial times.

Horse racing is a significant part of the New Zealand economy which in 2004
generated 1.3% of the GDP. The indirect impact of
expenditures on racing was estimated to have generated more than $1.4 billion in
economic activity in 2004 and created 18,300 full-time equivalent jobs. More
than 40,000 people were involved in some capacity in the New Zealand racing
industry in 2004. In 2004, more than one million people attended race meetings
in New Zealand.[35]
There are 69 Thoroughbred and 51 harness clubs licensed in New Zealand.
Racecourses are situated in 59 locations throughout New Zealand.

The bloodstock industry is important to New Zealand, with the export sale of
horses – mainly to Australia and Asia – generating more than $120 million a
year. During the 2008-09 racing season 19 New Zealand bred horses won 22 Group
One races around the world.[36]

Notable racehorses from New Zealand include Cardigan Bay, Carbine, Nightmarch, Sunline, Desert Gold and Rising Fast.[37][38]
Phar Lap and Tulloch were both bred in New
Zealand but did not race there. The most famous of these is probably Cardigan
Bay. Stanley Dancer
drove the New Zealand bred horse, Cardigan Bay to win $1 million in stakes in
1968, the first harness horse to surpass that milestone in American history.[39]

[edit]
South Africa

Horse racing is a popular sport in South Africa that can be traced back to
1797. The first recorded race club meeting took place five years later in
1802.[40]
The national horse racing body is known as the National
Horseracing Authority and was founded in 1882. The premier event, which
attracts 50,000 people to Durban, is the Durban July
Handicap, which has been run since 1897 at Greyville
Racecourse. It is the largest and most prestigious event on the continent,
with betting running into the hundreds of million rand. However, the other
notable major races are the Summer Cup, held at Turffontein
Racecourse in Johannesburg, and The J
& B Met, which is held at Kenilworth race track in Cape Town.

[edit]
Europe

[edit]
Ireland

Ireland has a rich history of horse racing; point to
pointing originated there and even today, jump racing (National Hunt
racing) is more popular than racing on the flat. As a result, every year
Irish horse racing fans travel in huge numbers to the highlight event of the
National Hunt calendar, the Cheltenham Festival,
and in recent years Irish owned or bred horses have dominated the event. Ireland
has a thriving Thoroughbred breeding industry, stimulated by favourable tax
treatment. The world's largest Thoroughbred stud, Coolmore Stud, has its
main farm there (in addition to major operations in the U.S. and Australia).
Notable Irish trainers include Dermot Weld, John Oxx and Aidan O'Brien. Notable
jockeys include Kieren
Fallon, Michael
Kinane, Johnny
Murtagh, Ruby Walsh
and Tony McCoy. The
multiple Gold Cup winner Best Mate also hails from
Ireland, while the great Red
Rum was bred there, before moving across the Irish Sea to be trained. Arkle, rated the greatest
steeplechaser of all time, was bred and trained in Ireland and became a national
hero through his exploits. The legendary racemare Dawn Run was another famous
Irish champion. Vincent
O'Brien who trained horses at Ballydoyle in Tipperary, was
one of the most successful trainers of all time, in both National Hunt racing
and on the flat. Champion racehorses trained by Vincent O'Brien on the flat
include Nijinsky II, Sir Ivor, Ballymoss, Alleged, The Minstrel and El Gran Senor.

[edit]
France

See also: List of
French flat horse races, Category:Horse
racing in France, and French
flat racing Champion Jockey

France has a mature horse racing industry. The race with the largest
international following is the Prix de l'Arc de
Triomphe held at Longchamp
Racecourse, with a prize of 4 million Euro (approx US$5.2 million), making
it the richest race in Europe and the second richest turf race in the world
after the Japan Cup. It is run on the 1st Sunday in October. The Grand Prix de Paris
is also held at Longchamp but is run in mid July. The other two French Classic
Races are Prix du
Jockey Club (the French Derby) and the Prix de Diane both held in
June at Chantilly
Racecourse.

[edit]
Italy

The Palio di Siena
(known locally as Il Palio), the most famous palio in Italy, is a horse race held twice each
year on July 2 and August 16 in Siena, in which the horse and
rider represent one of the seventeen Contrade, or city wards. A
magnificent pageant precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators
from around the world.

See also: List of horse
races in Italy

[edit]
Great Britain

Main article: Horseracing in
Great Britain

See also: Horseracing in
Scotland

Eclipse legendary
undefeated British racehorse

In Great Britain, there are races which involve obstacles (either hurdles or
fences) called National Hunt
racing and those which are unobstructed races over a given distance (flat racing). Many of the
sport's greatest jockeys, most notably Sir Gordon Richards have
been British. British racing has rules that stop the jockey using the whip too
much, such as: they are not allowed to raise their whip over their shoulder so
stopping them hitting the horse too hard.

Races are not referred to as Race 1, Race 2, etc., but by the starting time.
For instance, the "1:35" or the "3:10". Each race may also have a name, which
may include a sponsor's name, associated with it. The sport is regulated by the
British
Horseracing Authority.

[edit]
Asia

[edit]
Hong Kong

Happy Valley
Racecourse in Hong Kong at night

The British tradition of horse racing left its mark as one of the most
important entertainment and gambling institutions in Hong Kong. Established as
the Royal Hong Kong
Jockey Club in 1884, the non-profit organisation conducts nearly 700 races
every season at the two race tracks in Happy Valley and
Sha Tin. The sport
annually draws millions of dollars of tax revenue. Off-track betting is
available from overseas bookmakers.

[edit]
Malaysia

In Malaysia, horse racing was introduced during the British colonial era and
remained until today as gaming activities. There are three race courses in
Malaysia, namely Penang
Turf Club[1], Perak Turf Club and
Selangor Turf Club
[2]. Horse racing is a legal form of gambling within the Turf
Club and betting is only available in the turf club. Racing in Malaysia and
Singapore is conducted and governed under the Rules of the Malayan
Racing Association[3]. Horse racing
gambling in Malaysia is operated and organized by Pan
Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd[4]

[edit]
Singapore

Horse racing was introduced to Singapore by the British during the colonial
era and remained one of the legal forms of gambling after independence. It
remains a highly popular form of entertainment with the local Singaporean
community till this date. Races are typically held on Friday evenings, Saturdays
and Sundays at the Singapore Turf Club
in Kranji. Horse racing has also left its mark in the naming of roads in
Singapore such as Race Course Road in Little India
where horse racing was first held in Singapore and Turf Club Road in Bukit Timah where Singapore
Turf Club used to be before moving to its current location in 1999.

[edit]
India

In India, four Turf Authorities conduct horse racing. The Mahalaxmi
Racecourse in Mumbai conducts horse racing from November to April.

[edit]
Japan

Nakayama Racecourse
in Funabashi, Japan

Japan conducts more than 21,000 horse races a year in one of three types:
flat racing, jump racing (races over hurdles), and Ban'ei Racing (also called
Draft Racing).

There are a total of thirty racetracks in Japan. Ten of these tracks are
known as "central tracks", where most of Japan's top races are conducted. Races
at these ten tracks are conducted by the Japan Racing
Association (JRA), which operates under the oversight of the Japanese
government. The remaining twenty tracks are operated by municipal racing
authorities and run under the affiliation of the National
Association of Racing (NAR). Two tracks, Sapporo Racecourse
and Chukyo
Racecourse, run separate meetings under either JRA or NAR jurisdiction.

The JRA purse structure is one of the richest in the world. As of 2007[update], a typical JRA maiden race for three year olds
carries a purse of ¥9.55 million (about US$83,000), with ¥5 million (about
US$43,000) paid to the winner. Purses for graded stakes races begin at around
¥75 million (about US$650,000).

Japan's top stakes races are run in the spring and autumn. The country's most
prominent race is the Grade 1 Japan Cup, a 2,400 m (about 1½
mile) invitational grass race run every November at Tokyo Racecourse for a
purse of ¥530 million (about US$5.4 million), currently the richest turf race in
the world. Other noted stakes races include the February Stakes, Takamatsunomiya
Kinen, Yasuda Kinen,
Takarazuka Kinen, Arima Kinen, and the Tenno Sho races run in the
spring and fall. The Satsuki Sho, Tokyo Yushun, and Kikuka Sho comprise the
Japanese Triple
Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

Japan's top jump race is the Nakayama Grand Jump,
run every April at Nakayama Racecourse.
Instead of running over a large course as is the case in other countries, the
course for the 4,250 m (about 2⅝ mile) Nakayama Grand Jump follows a twisted
path on the inside portion of Nakayama's racing ovals. The race carries a purse
of ¥170 million (about US$1.4 million).

The top jockey in Japan is Yutaka Take, who is a
multiple champion in his homeland and regularly rides Japanese horses in stakes
races around the world. Yutaka Take was the regular jockey for Deep Impact, JRA's
two time Horse of the Year (2005–06).

The US racehorse Sunday
Silence had remarkable success as a sire in Japan, as the number one sire
for about 10 years, with progeny winning the Japan Cup many times, the Hong Kong
Vase and the Melbourne Cup.

[edit]
Mongolia

Usually Mongolian horse racing takes place during Mongolia's Independence
Day. Mongolia does not have Thoroughbred horse racing. Rather, it has its own
Mongolian style of horse racing in which the horses run for at least a distance
of 25 kilometers.[41]

[edit]
Pakistan

Horse races are held in Pakistan at four different clubs. In Lahore at Lahore Race Club,
Rawalpindi at Chakri, in Karachi at Karachi Race Club and
in Gujrat at Gujrat Race Club.

[edit]
South Korea

Horse racing in South Korea traces back to May 1898, when a foreign language
institute run by the government included a donkey race in its athletic rally.
However, this type of racing was sponsored for entertainment purposes only. No
betting was conducted. It was in 1920s that "Modern Horse Racing" involving a
betting system made its debut. In 1922, the Chosun Racing Club, the nation's
first-ever authorized horse racing club, was established to make horse racing
more systematic and better organized. In 1923, the pari-mutuel betting system
was officially adopted for the first time in Korea. The Sinseol-dong racecourse
opened in 1928 and incorporated racing clubs were allowed to have their own
racecourses.

Finally in 1933 a decree on horse racing was promulgated. Under the decree,
only incorporated racing clubs were entitled to conduct horse racing. The Chosun
Horse Racing Authority was also established in 1933 to coordinate and control
incorporated racing clubs across the nation and ensure consistency in their
administration.

In 1945, the Chosun Horse Affairs Authority was renamed to the Korea Racing
Authority, and efforts were made to restore the national identity in horse
racing. However, the Korean War which broke in 1950 resulted in great turmoil
for Korean society, thus undermining the development of horse racing. Worse yet,
during the three-year war, racecourses were requisitioned for military training
and horse racing came to an abrupt halt.

To keep the tradition of horse racing alive, the Korea Racing Authority
worked out a plan to reestablish the racecourse at Ttuksom in Seoul. The
construction, which began during the war, was completed in May 1954. With its
dedication, horse racing resumed, and the newly constructed Ttksom racecourse
served as the hub of Korean horse racing until it was relocated to the modern
racecourse in Gwacheon in 1989.

Pari-mutuel bets were tallied manually until 1984. The inefficient management
of pari-mutuel betting system was a major stumbling block to broadening the fan
base. To overcome this fundamental obstacle, the computerized pari-mutuel
betting system was established in 1984, and at the same time, horse racing came
to be televised in color, both on-&off-course. These two measures have
played a decisive role in boosting attendance and turnover. For instance, in
1984, turnover and attendance increased at 67% and 58%, respectively, from the
previous year.

To form a link in the chain of the program to make the most of the Olympic
facilities, the government designated the KRA as the organization exclusively
responsible for providing the Olympic Equestrian Park. Accordingly, the KRA
secured 280 acres (1.1 km2) of the land in Gwacheon area on the
southern outskirts of Seoul, and began its construction in 1984 till 1988. After
the Olympics, the Park was converted into racing facilities named Seoul Race Park and the
first race was held on September 1, 1989. With the opening of the Seoul Race
Park, the 36-year-long era of the Ttuksom Racecourse came to an end and the
nation's horse racing continued to make great strides.

As part of the efforts to preserve the ponies native to Jeju Island, which
has been designated as Natural Monument No. 347, the KRA began the construction
of the 180-acre (0.7 km2) Jeju Racecourse at the foot of Mt. Halla in
October 1987. Three years later in October 1990, the Racecourse opened for pony
racing.

As an effort to raise racing quality and promote horseracing nationwide, the
KRA started to construct the new thoroughbred racecourse in Busan, the second
largest city in South Korea. The racecourse opened in September 2005. The
stellar growth of Korean racing and KRA's internationalization efforts have
drawn the international attention since the beginning of the 2000s. Led by this,
in October 2002, the Asian Racing Federation decided to designate South Korea as
the host of the 30th Asian Racing Conference in May 2005. Also, in June 2004,
the International Cataloguing Standards Committee included Korea as one of the
Part III countries, and decided to add seven South Korean Grade Races to the
Blue Book list starting from 2005.

[edit]
United Arab Emirates

The big race in the UAE is the Dubai World Cup, a race
with a purse of six million dollars, making it the largest purse in the
world.

The Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, reported to be the world's largest race
track, is scheduled to open on March 27, 2010 for the Dubai World Cup race. The
race track complex contains two tracks with seating for 60,000, a hotel,
restaurants, theater and museum.

There is no parimutuel betting in the UAE as gambling is illegal.[42]

[edit]
People's Republic of
China

Horse racing was banned in the People’s Republic of China in 1949, but
reappeared on a small scale in the 1990s. In 2008, the China Speed Horse Race
Open in Wuhan was organized as a step towards legalizing both horse racing and
gambling on the races. Illegal gambling is widespread so the reintroduction of
commercial racing may be an attempt to generate revenue on legal gambling.[43]

[edit]
Pedigree

For more details on this topic, see Horse breeding.

While the attention of horse racing fans and the media is focused almost
exclusively on the horse's performance on the racetrack, or for male horses
possibly its success as a sire, little publicity is given to brood mares. Such
is the case of La
Troienne, one of the most important mares of the 20th century to whom many
of the greatest thoroughbred champions, and dams of champions, can be
traced.

In most horse races, including both flat and steeplechases, the pedigree of
the horse is one of the things that allow it to race: the horse must have a sire
(father) and a dam (mother) who are purebred individuals of whatever breed is
racing.[citation
needed] For example, in a normal harness race, the horses sire and
dam must both be pure Standardbreds. The only exception to this is in Quarter
Horse racing where an Appendixed Quarter Horse may be considered eligible to
race against (standard) Quarter Horses. An appendixed Quarter Horse is a horse
who has either one Quarter Horse parent and one parent of any other eligible
breed (such as Thoroughbred, the most common Appendixed cross), or both parents
are registered Appendixed Quarter Horses, or one parent is a Quarter Horse and
one parent is an Appendixed Quarter Horse. The designation of "Appendixed"
refers to the addendum section, or Appendix, of the Official Quarter Horse
registry. AQHA also issues a "Racing Register of Merit" which allows a horse to
race on Quarter Horse tracks, but not be considered a Quarter Horse for breeding
purposes (unless other requirements are met).[44]

A stallion who has won many races may be put up to stud when he is retired.
Embryo transfer
technology (only allowed in some breeds) has brought changes to the traditions
and ease of breeding.

Pedigrees of some stallions are recorded in Weatherbys Stallion Book
and pedigrees of recent Stakes race winners can be found on sites such as the-racehorse.com. Thoroughbred pedigrees are at: Australian Stud Book and Thoroughbred pedigree database: Pedigree
Query

[edit]
Betting

Main articles: Gambling, Parimutuel gambling,
and Mathematics
of bookmaking

Betting on the Favorite, an 1870 engraving

At many horse races, there is a gambling station, where gamblers can stake
money on a horse. Gambling on horses is prohibited at some tracks; the
nationally renowned Colonial Cup Steeplechase in Camden, South
Carolina, is known as one of the races where betting is illegal, due to a
1951 law. Where gambling is allowed, most tracks offer Parimutuel betting
where gamblers' money is pooled and shared proportionally among the winners once
a deduction is made from the pool. In some countries, such as UK, Ireland and
Australia, an alternative and more popular facility is provided by bookmakers who
effectively make a market in odds. This
allows the gambler to 'lock in' odds on a horse at a particular time (known as
'taking the price' in the UK). Parimutuel gambling on races also provides
not only purse money to participants but considerable tax revenue, with over
$100 billion wagered annually in 53 countries.[45]

[edit]
Types of bets

Main article: Glossary
of bets offered by UK bookmakers

In North American racing, the three most common ways to bet money are to win,
to place, and to show. A bet to win, sometimes called a "straight" bet, means
that you stake money on the horse, and if it comes in first place, the bet is a
winner. In a bet to place, you are betting on your horse to finish either first
or second. A bet to show wins if the horse finishes first, second or third.
Since it is much easier to select a horse to finish first, second or third than
it is to select a horse just for first, the show payoffs will be much lower on
average than win payoffs.

In Europe, Australia and Asia, betting to place is different since the number
of "payout places" varies depending on the size of the field that takes part in
the race. For example, in a race with seven or less runners in the UK, only the
first two finishers would be considered winning bets with most bookmakers. Three
places are paid for eight or more runners, whilst a handicap race with 16
runners or more will see the first four places being classed as "placed". (A
show bet does not exist in the North American sense.)

The term "Each-Way" bet is used everywhere but North America, and has a
different meaning depending on the location. An each-way (or E/W) bet sees the
total bet being split in two, with half being placed on the win, and half on the
place. Bettors receive a payout if the horse either wins, and/or is placed based
on the place criteria as stated above. The full odds are paid if the horse wins,
(plus the place portion), with a quarter or a fifth of the odds (depending on
the race-type and the number of runners) if only the place section of the bet is
successful. In the UK some bookmakers will pay for the first five (some
independent firms have even paid the first six) for a place on the Grand National. This
additional concession is offered because of the large number of runners in the
race (maximum 40). Occasionally other handicap races with large fields (numbers
of runners) receive the same treatment from various bookmakers, especially if
they are sponsoring the race. The rough equivalent in North America is an
"across the board" bet, where equal bets on a horse are set to win, place and
show. Each portion is treated by the totalizator as a separate bet, so an
across-the-board bet is merely a convenience for bettors and parimutuel clerks.
For instance, if a $2 across-the-board bet (total outlay of $6) were staked on a
horse which finished second, paying $4.20 to place and $3.00 to show, the bettor
would receive $7.20 on what is essentially a $6 wager.

[edit]
Betting Exchanges

In addition to traditional betting with a bookmaker, punters are able to both
back and lay money on an online betting exchange.
Punters who lay the odds are in effect acting as a bookmaker. The odds of a
horse are set by the market conditions of the betting exchange which is dictated
to by the activity of the members.

[edit]
Criticism

Organized groups dedicated to protecting animals, such as the Humane
Society of the United States and People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, target some horse sports with claims
of animal cruelty. Horse
racing and rodeo are most
commonly targeted,[citation
needed] due both to their high visibility and to the level of
stress and potential physical dangers to the equines involved.[citation
needed] Criticism of horse racing and its practices runs a wide
gamut,[vague]
however; while some may consider even fairly drastic discipline of horses
non-abusive, others may consider abuse to be anything done against the will of
the animal in question. Some people may consider poor living conditions abusive,
while others might consider riding abusive.

Some behaviors and activities are widely criticized as abusive by people
within the horse industry, even if not illegal as a matter of public law, while
others are so widely condemned that they have been outlawed at the federal
level[where?]
and violations can incur criminal penalties.[citation
needed]

In 2009, animal
rights group PETA released undercover video of
alleged abuses of former race horses at a slaughterhouse in Kumamoto, Japan. The group states that
20,000 horses, including former Thoroughbred race horses, were killed in 2008 in
Japan for use as human and pet food.[46]

[edit]
Dangers

Jockey Tony McCoy falls from a
horse.

There are many dangers in horse racing for both horse and jockey: a horse can
stumble and fall, or fall when jumping an obstacle, exposing both jockey and
horse to the danger of being trampled and injured.

Anna Waller, a member of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the
University of North Carolina, co-authored a four-year-long study of jockey
injuries and stated to the New York Times that "For every 1,000 jockeys you have
riding, over 600 will have medically treated injuries." She added that almost
20% of these were serious head or neck injuries. The study reported 6,545
injuries during the years 1993–1996.[47]
More than 100 jockeys were killed in the US between 1950 and 1987.[48]

Horses also face dangers in racing. 1.5 horses die out of every 1000 starts
in the US. The U.S. Jockey Club in New York estimates that about 600 horses died
at racetracks in 2006. The Jockey Club in Hong Kong reported a far lower figure
of .58 horses per 1000 starts. There is speculation that drugs used in horse
racing in the US which are banned elsewhere are responsible for the higher death
rate in the US.[49]

[edit]
See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Horse
racing

Horse racing
portal

Australian
and New Zealand punting glossary

Equestrian
property

Harness
racing

Horse
trainers

Fully Automatic
Time

Length (horse
racing)

List of horse
racing tracks

List of
jockeys

[edit]
References

^ Edwards,
The Encyclopedia of the Horse, pp. 332–337

^
Campbell, National Gambling Impact Study Commission Final Report, p.
111

^
Global betting stable, but some countries suffer
recession

^ a
b
Olsen, "In the Winner's Circle", Horses Through Time, p. 105

^ a
b
"History of Horse Racing." WinningPonies.com. 7 April
2009.

^ Burton,
Bill. "History of Pari-mutuel Betting". About.com. 7 April
2009

^ "Endurance Horse Racing". HorseRacing.com. The Horse Racing
Channel. 8 April 2009

^ a
b
"Endurance Riding". Equiworld.net. 8 April 2009.

^ Md. Horse Tracks On the Block After Bankruptcy Filing

^ "Thoroughbred Flat Horse Racing - The Sport of Kings".
HorseRacing.com. The Horse Racing Channel. 14 March 2009

^ "Furlong". Wikipedia 9 March 2009. 8
April 2009

^ "Endurance Riding" Equiworld.net. 8 April 2009

^ "Quarter Horse Racing" HorseRacing.com. The Horse Racing
Channel. 13 March 2009

^ "What Makes a Quarter Horse Different from a Thoroughbred"?
Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. 8 April 2009

^ "Thoroughbred Breed Information" The Ultimate Horse Site. 8
April 2009

^ "History of the Arabian Horse" Essortment.com 8 April
2009

^ "Quarter Horse History" Essortment.com 8 April 2009

^ Crook,
T.C., et al. "Comparative Anatomy and Muscle Architecture of Selected Hind
Limb Muscles in the Quarter Horse and Arab. " Journal of Anatomy February 2008: 144-152. Academic Search
Complete EBSCO. University of
Arizona Library, Tucson, AZ. 4 March 2009

^ a
b
c
d
Gibbs, P.G., G.D. Potter, B.D. Nielsen, D.D. Householder, and W.
Moyer. Scientific Principles for Conditioning Race and Performance Horses.
Publication. Texas A&M University Department of Animal Science Equine
Sciences Program. 29 April 2009

^ arabianracincup.com

^ "Racing Fact Book". Australia Racing Board. 2007–2008. p.
72. http://www.australianracingboard.com.au/factbook/07_08_factbook/arbFinalBook.PDF. Retrieved 2009-06-17.

^
Barrie, Douglas M., Turf Cavalcade, Halstead Press, Sydney, 1960

^ Wallabadah

^ Inter Dominion Hall of Fame: Blacks A Fake Retrieved
2010-5-21

^ Endurance Riding Retrieved 2010-12-7

^ Shahzada Retrieved 2010-12-7

^ BBC News

^ Mauritius Villas and Hotels

^ Mauritius Island Online

^ The Mauritius Turf Club

^ Billetterie - Otayo Maurice

^ asianracing.org Asian Racing Federation

^ Champ de Mars
Racecourse

^ bigpond.com

^ Briefing for Incoming Minister Racing October 2005 p.8

^
Racetrack Sires 2009, June/August, 2009, Record season for the New Zealand
breed, p.52

^
de Bourg, Ross, The Australian and New Zealand Thoroughbred, Nelson,
West Melbourne, 1980, ISBN 0 17
005860 3

^
Digby, John; "Thoroughbred Families and Sires of Australian and New Zealand",
AJC & VRC, 2002

^ Stanley Dancer and Cardigan Bay

^ "Horse racing in South Africa". http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/sports/horseracing.htm.

^ Mongolian horse racing

^ "World's Biggest Horse Track". January 28, 2010. http://www.telovation.com/articles/worlds-biggest-horse-track.html. Retrieved 28 January 2010.

^ ChinaDaily.com (December 1, 2008). "Horse racing back on Wuhan courses".
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/cdaudio/2008-12/01/content_7256560.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-21.

^ http://www.aqha.com/association/registration/pdf/racingrules_09.pdf

^
NTRA Wagering Technology Working Group in
conjunction with Giuliani Partners LLC (2003-08). "Improving Security in the United States Pari-Mutuel Wagering
System: Status Report and Recommendations" (PDF). National Thoroughbred
Racing Association Web Site. National Thoroughbred Racing Association. http://www.ntra.com/content/WTWG_final_report.pdf. Retrieved 2008-02-17.

^ PETA. "Slaughterhouses: Where Racehorses Go to Retire". https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2103. Retrieved 2009-06-08.

^ On Horse Racing; Recent Spills Underline Dangers of the
Sport

^ Safety and Health in the Horse Racing Industry

^ Danger Out of the Gate What's Behind the High Rate of Deaths
Among U.S. Racehorses?

[edit]
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