A horse race is a contest of speed or stamina between two horses that is a form of athletic competition. The sport has evolved from ancient chariot races to modern day spectacles with throngs of fans and countless bettors, but the basic concept remains unchanged: a horse that finishes first is declared the winner. The culture and traditions of horse racing are steeped in time-honored customs that capture the spirit of human and equine spirit.
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses held annually on the first Sunday in June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race is the third and final leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing. The race is often referred to as The Test of the Champion, The Run for the Carnations, and the Longest Day of the Year. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57.5 kg), while fillies are allowed 121 pounds (55 kg).
Horse races have a long history of attracting bettors, both wealthy heiresses and ordinary people. The majesty of the horses’ power and beauty draws people to the grandstands, where they can enjoy the excitement and camaraderie of the crowd while betting on their favorite horse. In addition to the betting, the prize money for winning a race provides an incentive for people to attend and support the sport.
While the popularity of horse racing has declined in recent years, it is still a multibillion-dollar industry with a global presence. Unfortunately, the sport’s profits are often at the expense of the horses themselves. Racehorses are forced to endure grueling training regimens, drug abuse, injuries, and broken bones. Many end their careers in foreign slaughterhouses.
In the United States, horse racing is regulated at the state level rather than federally. State-level regulation has led to a patchwork of rules that have given individual owners tremendous power over the horses they own and race. Some races, called claiming races, allow any licensed person to purchase a running horse at a predetermined price before the race begins, leaving the previous owner with little control over where the horse ends up afterward. This method of transferring ownership has been criticized as callous and cruel.
When journalists cover elections by focusing primarily on who is ahead or behind in the horse race—what’s known as horse race coverage—voters, candidates and the news industry itself suffer, a growing body of research suggests. This collection of research, assembled by Denise-Marie Ordway of the Journalist’s Resource project at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, looks at how a focus on horse race reporting has affected the quality of journalism.