What is a Horse Race?
A horse race is an event in which one or more horses compete. It involves a horse and rider following a predetermined course and jumping hurdles. If a horse wins the race, the winner will receive prize money, usually split between the first, second and third place finishers. Horse racing rules vary depending on the country and organization.
Races can be divided into several categories, such as handicap races and allowance races. In a handicap race, the weight of each horse is adjusted to its age. Two-year-olds carry less weight than five-year-olds. In addition, fillies receive a sex allowance. Weight penalties are also given for individual horses’ past performance.
Horse racing has a long and distinguished history. It has been practiced by ancient civilizations in many different countries. For example, archeological records suggest that horse racing took place in ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, Babylon, and Syria. This shows that horse racing is an important part of culture and mythology around the world.
Organized horse racing in North America began in the colonial era when the British took over New Amsterdam in 1664. Col. Richard Nicolls set up organized races in the colonies and laid out a two-mile course on the plains of Long Island. He named the course Newmarket after the famous British racecourse. He also introduced prizes such as a silver cup for the best horses. This tradition continued until the Civil War when speed became the goal of competition.
Apart from the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, there are a number of other popular horse races around the world. The most prestigious and famous of them is the Triple Crown. The Derby is a mile and a half long race on turf. It requires speed and stamina to win. The race is the most important one in the Southern Hemisphere.
In the United States, there are over 700 unrestricted races with purses of $75,000 and above. Among these, 464 races have been graded for 2016. In the United States, 109 were graded as Grade 1, 133 were graded as Grade 2, and 261 were graded as “non-grade.” This class of race is considered the best in the world and has a purse of millions of dollars.
To be eligible to compete in a horse race, the horse must be owned by a person who can afford to maintain the horse. Besides this, the owner must not enter a horse that is an inferior breed. In addition, the horse must be registered as bona fide. There are penalties for rough riding, which is illegal.
The Queen herself will be at the Derby. She will be attending the race to celebrate her 60th birthday, and Prince Harry will also be there to celebrate her royal status. In fact, the Queen will be the guest of honor at the race.