Intro to Horse Racing

One of the lesser known sports in the country, but it is one of the most interesting and dynamic. Most sports leagues only have around 30 teams to root for, but there are around 30,000 different horses running that you can pull for! It is my favorite sport, stemming from my horsey background, and I want to give y'all an introduction to what all this sport has to offer!

{Side note: Most of my information is coming from a brochure from The Jockey Club, called Thoroughly Thoroughbred, which can be found here.}

The Horses

There are various forms of horse racing, most notably Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse. I know most about the Thoroughbred industry, and that is the biggest in America, so that is the one I'll be focusing on. A Thoroughbred is a breed of horse, like a beagle is a breed of dog. Thoroughbreds are typically tall and lanky, thin but well-muscled and they had their origins in the late 1600s. All modern racehorses trace their ancestry back to one of three foundation stallions: the Godolphin Arabian, the Byerly Turk, and the Darley Arabian. 80% of racehorses trace back to Eclipse, a grandson of the Godolphin Arabian. They can run upwards of 40 miles per hour and their heavily muscled hindquarters act as the engine of the horse, pushing it forward. 

Tiznow, a wonderful example of a Thoroughbred

The Names

Racehorses names are some of the most unique in the horse world. Some come from pop culture, some come based on pedigree. They can only have 18 characters, including spaces, so they are quite often smashed together. Some of my favorites are:

-Hoof Hearted (say it five times fast, watch this video, and you'll find out why)

-Sotally Tober (clever)

-Fuss Fuss Fuss (out of {meaning, his mother} Nag Nag Nag)

-Arrrrr

-Maythehorsebewithyou

-Fiftyshadesofhay

-Odor in the Court (by {his father} Judge Smells)

-Upset (he beat the great Man O'War to tarnish MOW's perfect race record - quite an appropriate name)

The Jockeys

Jockeys are the men and women who ride racehorses. They typically are smaller and weigh under 115 lbs. They wear silks in colors established by the owners to tell the horses apart while they are running. Silk are one of the most fun parts of racing, as they add vibrance and color to the scene.

The Races

The major spring championships - the American classics - are over now. The Kentucky Derby (the best known race in the US) was run, as it always is, on the first Saturday in may. The Preakness is run two Saturdays after the Derby and the Belmont is run three Saturdays after the Preakness. Those three races make up the Triple Crown. The last horse to win the TC was Affirmed, back in 1978. There have been 12 TC winners in history.

The summertime stakes races are great, though, as you get to see many of the horses who ran in the classics earlier in the year. They also serve as prep races for the Breeders' Cup World Championship races in early November. The BC caps off the year with 14 races of different divisions where the best world come together to run.

Some television providers have TVG, a racing station that televises live racing from around the country, so if you are interested check that out! Other channels featuring major races this year are:

-June 8 | The Belmont Stakes | NBC | 5:00

-July 27 | Jim Dandy Stakes | NBCSN

-August 3 | The Whitney Handicap| NBC

-August 10 | Four Star David Stakes | NBC

-August 11 | Saratoga Special | NBCSN

-August 17 | Alabama Stakes | NBCSN

-August 24 | Travers Stakes | NBC

-August 31 | Woodward Stakes | NBCSN

-November 1-2 | The Breeders' Cup World Championships | NBCSN / NBC

If you have any questions about horse racing or the Thoroughbred industry, please contact me!

XX,

Taylor