What You Should Know Before You Go to a Horse Race
Horse racing is one of the most exciting sports to watch. Not only are the horses jumping hurdles and running at high speeds, but they are competing for trophies. It is a sport that can bring you a lot of cash. But there are some things you should know before you go.
Firstly, there are three types of races: course, route and sprint. A sprint is a flat race, usually only one turn, whereas a route race is a longer distance and usually has two turns. The track can be either natural or artificial.
In the early 1700s, the racing industry in England and France had already started to develop. In America, the first jockey club was formed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1734. Wealthy country gentlemen would usually ride their own horses to the racetrack.
By the mid 1700s, race tracks were well established in England. One of the best places to see a horse race was Mount Airy, an estate in Virginia, which became a racing hotspot. Many of the famous racers’ horses were stabled in the vicinity, although some were walked.
A stewards’ report of the “greatest” horse race of the day in the Annapolis Maryland Gazette referred to a horse-to-horse showdown between Virginia’s Selima and Maryland’s Tryal. Selima was a bay mare with a white star on her forehead. During her youth, she had shown great racing prowess. However, her time elapsed was a mere eight minutes, whereas the winner’s time was a whopping four miles.
Another tidbit of trivia about this race was that it was the first preternaturally gifted horse to cross the Atlantic Ocean. This was a real accomplishment in and of itself.
In the era, the average handicapping weight was 140 pounds. The scale was based on age, gender, and the time of year. Typical features of the era included a jockey, riding tack, and a lucky number.
It was also the most expensive horse race of the era. William Byrd, owner of a Thoroughbred named Tryal, put up $500 in Spanish pistoles, a hefty sum at the time. He was a gambler and wanted to impress his cronies with his new purchase.
Although the Mongol Derby is considered the longest horse race in the world, it is not the oldest. In fact, the longest recorded horse race was an eight-day event in 1665, and it is a record that was not broken until Bob Long won a six-mile race in New York in 2007.
While the Mongol Derby is probably the most well-known and best-documented race of the day, it is far from the most impressive. Other notable races of the day include the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. For the most part, today’s best American horses do not run the distance.
But the most important thing to learn about a horse race is that it is a fun and exciting game. If you are a fan, don’t miss out on your chance to be a horse jockey!