A horse race has entranced spectators for millennia, and the spectacle remains as compelling now as it was in ancient Greece, when chariots pulled by mighty steeds carried athletes and warriors into battle. Today’s horse races are a more refined affair, with sleek and elegant race horses gracing the track in colorful silks and jockeys slipping on leather stirrups to guide them at speeds up to 45 miles per hour. But beneath all the glamour is a dark side: The sport is plagued by doping and gambling addiction, and the death toll from the most violent crashes on record.
A popular handicapping ranking, developed by author Andrew Beyer, assigns a numerical value to each runner in a race based on their finishing time and track conditions. It is a key element in making betting decisions.
The sport is also rife with corruption and fraud, including illegal drug use by horses and their riders and match-fixing by corrupt bookmakers. A number of high-profile cases have recently made headlines, including the arrests of a former New York state governor, a prominent horse breeder and a longtime racetrack executive.
In the world of horse racing, there are many different terms that race fans should know. Some of these are obvious, such as WIN-PLACE-SHOW, in which players place bets on a horse to win, place and show. Other terms are more obscure, such as BREAKAGE, which refers to the amount of money paid out in winning bets after pari-mutuel payoffs are rounded down to the nearest nickel or dime. Breakage is typically divided between the track and state, breeding or other funds in varying proportions.
TRAILER-A person who transports horses and manages their care. A trainer may be an independent contractor or part of a stable owned by someone else.
SPRINT-A race that is less than a mile and has two turns. PRIZE MONEY-Money added to the basic track payout to reward winners of races in addition to nomination, eligibility, entry and starting fees.
BIRTHPLACE-Place of birth of a race horse.
POLE-Marker at the end of a race that marks one-quarter of a mile. COLOR-Female or male horse.
TRACK BIAS-Path of the racing surface that favors certain running styles or positions, such as those who take the lead and those who run in the middle.
TURN-A segment of a racecourse requiring the horse to make a specific number of bends or curves. BROKEN-Injury that affects a horse’s ability to run straight.
Most horses, pushed hard to their limit, will bleed from the lungs during exercise or a race, a condition called exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. To combat this, most horses are given a cocktail of legal and illegal drugs designed to mask injuries and enhance performance. Then they are retired to a pasture or slaughtered, their flesh often sold for dog food or glue. A very few, however, are rescued and returned to the racetrack for a second chance at glory. Despite these hardships, horse racing continues to attract tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans.