Post by Kate on Jun 24, 2009 23:05:11 GMT -5
This article is copyright Kate, 2009, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. This was originally written as part of my special project in fall 2008.
Horse Racing 101: An Introduction to "The Sport of Kings"[/b]
Racing has captivated man’s attention since the beginning. Whether it was the foot races organized in prehistoric times, or the car races of modern day, man has a competitive nature. It’s only natural that this would extend to riding as well. Horse racing has been around for millennia, but it began to appear in modern form in the fifteenth century, when King Henry VII began breeding racehorses as part of a method of improving his cavalry. His program went through mixed results for the next fifty years until his granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth I, began to focus on improving it. Infusing Arabian blood with the native stock, meticulously recording pedigrees, and culling out horses not fit for racing or cavalry purposes, left the royal stables in considerably better shape. Her successors continued the improvements until 1647, when Oliver Cromwell’s forces captured the royal stables. Cromwell sold most of the mares, keeping less than a hundred for the purposes of breeding lighter, faster cavalry horses with. Cromwell passed several laws prohibiting racing, and ruined the pedigree records for many horses. Noblemen who were Royalists, supporters of the king, were forced into the countryside or to flee England entirely, and continue with breeding horses for hunting and racing until Charles II assumed the throne.
Charles reestablished racing, often attending races at Newmarket and even occasionally riding his own horses in the races. It was due to his influence that racing became known as “The Sport of Kings.” By the time of his death in 1685, his stud farms were producing horses who were known for being “thorough bred” for racing, and Arabians were being imported into England on a regular basis, including the Byerly Turk, Darley Arabian, and Godolphin Arabian, the founding sires of the Thoroughbred breed. Within a few years after his death, noblemen were actively competing to see who could produce the best racehorses. His successors, King William III and Queen Anne, were also proponents of horse racing, with Queen Anne establishing the racetrack at Ascot in 1711. By the time George I, a German who was unfamiliar with English racing, assumed the English throne, horse racing had been thoroughly established and continued to be popular. The breed was truly established when James Weatherby published “An Introduction To The General Stud Book” in 1791. This record of pedigrees brought the Thoroughbred horse forward as a legitimate, organized breed.
Of course, other events were happening in America. Cromwell’s seizure of the government caused some wealthy families to go to America. In 1730, a son of the Darley Arabian, Bulle Rock, was imported to America, starting the trend of breeding horses for racing. However, the Revolution wiped out much of the effort and the horses, and racing had to start all over again. As American racing struggled, however, things were happening in England that would affect both countries. Edward Stanley, twelfth Earl of Derby, suggested a race for fillies, to be run over a mile and a half at Epsom, and to be named the Oaks, after his estate near Epsom. The Epsom Oaks was first run in 1779, and continues to be run today. It has had a continuing impact on the sport, as races for three-year-old fillies continue to be known as “Oaks,” such as the Kentucky Oaks and the Coaching Club American Oaks. The race was so successful that Lord Derby and Sir Charles Bunbury, a senior member of the Jockey Club, decided to hold a similar race for three-year-old male horses, and a coin toss was held to determine who the race would be named after. Ironically enough, the first running of the Epsom Derby was won by Sir Bunbury’s horse Diomed, who would become an influential sire. A descendent of Diomed’s, Aristides, would win the first running of the Kentucky Derby in 1875.
In America, racehorse breeding continued to increase, especially after settlers found their way to Kentucky. Most settlements had a “Race Street” that was a long, flat stretch, suitable for racing horses down. By 1832, Lexington and Louisville both boasted mile-long racetracks. However, the Louisville track, the Oakland Race Course, eventually shut down due to an inconvenient location. Its successor, the Woodlawn Race Course, suffered the same problem. In 1863, despite the Civil War, Saratoga Racetrack opened in Saratoga Springs, New York, and seven years later, Pimlico opened in Baltimore, MD. In 1875, the Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Association opened. Although the new racetrack was run by Lutie Clark, and had been originally envisioned by him, it was financially supported by Henry and John Churchill. Clark was not a well-liked man, and locals began to derisively refer to the racetrack as “Churchill’s downs,” as a way to poke fun at Clark and remind him who was really in charge of the track. In 1883, the press began to use the name, and Churchill Downs is probably the most famous racetrack in the United States today. In 1894, the Jockey Club, the governing body of American Thoroughbred racing, was formed. 1905 saw the opening of Belmont Park, in Elmont, NY. In the 1930s, racing made it to California, with Santa Anita opening in 1934 and Del Mar opening in 1937.
But what about the technical aspects of racing? What distinguishes one race from another, and what makes one horse great while another one is barely able to run? Horse racing has four basic levels of racing, with some sublevels. Maiden races are for horses who have not yet won a race. Claiming races are the next step up. One feature of claiming races is that all the horses in the race are for sale for the price mentioned in the race’s title. If the race is listed as “Claiming $30,000” for example, all horses are available to be bought for $30,000. Anyone interested can submit a claim before the race, and at the end of the race, they own the horse, in whatever condition it’s in. Not all horses run in claiming races. A good trainer will recognize when a horse is of high quality and will put it in the next level of racing, allowance races. Allowance races will attempt to put horses on equal footing with one another by setting conditions, such as “non-winners of two this year” (for horses who have not won two races in the year) or adjusting the weight a horse carries to the performance it has put in during the year. Most horses will never make it past this level of competition, but those who do have made it to the stakes levels.
There are four levels of racing known as stakes racing; ungraded, Grade III, Grade II, and Grade I. Horses may skip a level, or they might not be able to successfully compete past a certain point, but the ultimate goal is to make it to Grade I. All the major races are Grade I races.
Of course, there are also terms used for the different races. A handicap is a race where horses are assigned weight to carry based on ability and performance history. The ideal handicap race would be one where every horse finished at the exact same time. A juvenile race is for a horse who is two years old. A futurity is a race for a three-year-olds. A derby is a race for three-year-olds as well, while an oaks is limited to three-year-old fillies. A distaff is limited to fillies and mares only.
Once you have the race terms down, you need to know what the distances and surfaces are. The standard racetrack is a mile around, although some, such as Belmont, can be longer. It will usually be composed of two tracks. The outer track will be dirt, although dirt tracks are being replaced with synthetic tracks in many places. The inner track will be grass, for turf races. In the United States, most races are run over dirt or synthetic surfaces. In Europe, horses tend to race on the grass. But what is a synthetic surface? It’s generally a mixture of wax-coated sand and rubber particles, designed to keep the track in better condition during wet weather and to be safer for the horses. Horses tend to run slower on it, which causes turf horses to do better on it than traditional dirt horses. 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin faced his only defeats in 2008 when he ran on a turf course and on a synthetic course.
Distances tend to be divided into two types. Sprints are under a mile, and will generally run around one turn. Routes are a mile and over, and will generally run around both turns. Races are measured in furlongs, which is an eighth of a mile. Races between nine and twelve furlongs are generally considered “classic distances,” as many of the major races tend to be between those lengths.
It should also be noted that Thoroughbreds, while being the primary breed of racehorse, are not the only breed. Quarter Horses, Paints, Appaloosas, and Arabians all commonly race. Standardbreds also race, although they race in harness, with small carts known as “sulkies” behind them. However, Thoroughbred racing is by far the most popular type of horse racing.
As far as some other miscellaneous terms go; the finish is called the wire. At one point, a wire strung over the track marked the finish line. While most tracks no longer have actual wires, the term has stayed to indicate the finish. At one point, the prize money was hung in a purse from the wire, which is why the prize money in racing today is still known as the purse. To place first, second, and third, is known as win, place, and show, respectively. But what are you trying to win?
The ultimate goal in horse racing is to win the major races. The three biggest races are the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, also known as the Triple Crown. Only eleven horses have won the Triple Crown, and the last to do so was Affirmed, in 1978. Within the last twelve years, however, we’ve seen more near-misses than ever before. Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), Charismatic (1999), War Emblem (2002), Funny Cide (2003), Smarty Jones (2004), and Big Brown (2008) have all won the Derby and Preakness, only to lose the Belmont. Some were near-misses, like Real Quiet losing the Belmont in a photo finish. Some were more drastic, such as Big Brown being eased and coming in last.
There is also the Breeders’ Cup, “the world’s richest day in sports.” Recently expanded to two days, the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships involves races over dirt or synthetic surfaces and turf for horses of all ages and genders over many distances. The highlight is the Classic, a ten-furlong (one and a quarter miles) race over dirt for horses three and older. With a purse of $5,000,000, it is the richest race in the world, and quite often a factor in determining the winner of the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.
What are the Eclipse Awards? They’re the top awards in American, given out yearly. Named after Eclipse, a racehorse in the late 1700s who would go on to become one of the most influential sires in the breed, and voted on by members of the press, the Eclipse Awards are presented to top horses in categories depending on age, gender, and the surface they’ve run on. The award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor in racing.
Horse racing is a fascinating sport, but it can also be a tragic one. As a result of changes made in the way horses were sold, with the focus being on selling racehorses as yearlings, before they’ve even seen a track, the demand increased for horses who are quicker to mature and look better in the sale ring. This has been detrimental, because it’s affected the bone structure of the horses being bred. Horses are increasingly light-boned, which causes problems when they race. The switch from the traditional dirt track to a synthetic track was in response to the number of injuries and fatalities occurring. In May 2008, Eight Belles died when she broke both front ankles, cooling down after the Kentucky Derby. This was followed in June by Big Brown, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, coming in last in the Belmont after his trainer voluntarily took him off a minor steroid. In response, steroid use is rapidly becoming banned throughout the sport, with Kentucky, New York, and the Breeders’ Cup outlawing the use of any form of steroids. Medication use is also beginning to be restricted, so that horses feeling minor pain can’t cause themselves injury if their symptoms are masked by painkillers. This all results in a very interesting time for the sport, as changes are being brought into place to make it a safer, better event.
In conclusion, horse racing is a fun sport that showcases the speed, athleticism, strength, and beauty of the horse. Whether you prefer to become involved professionally, place the occasional bet, or just watch, horse racing is a sport that is easy to get involved in and to be excited about.
Works Cited
"About.com Horse Racing." 18 Dec. 2008 <http://horseracing.about.com/>.
"The History of the Kentucky Derby." Call To The Derby Post. 18 Dec. 2008 <http://www.derbypost.com/>.
McClelland, Edward. "Horse Racing's Plastic Surgery." Slate. 12 Apr. 2007. 18 Dec. 2008 <http://www.slate.com/id/2164047/>.
Horse Racing 101: An Introduction to "The Sport of Kings"
Racing has captivated man’s attention since the beginning. Whether it was the foot races organized in prehistoric times, or the car races of modern day, man has a competitive nature. It’s only natural that this would extend to riding as well. Horse racing has been around for millennia, but it began to appear in modern form in the fifteenth century, when King Henry VII began breeding racehorses as part of a method of improving his cavalry. His program went through mixed results for the next fifty years until his granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth I, began to focus on improving it. Infusing Arabian blood with the native stock, meticulously recording pedigrees, and culling out horses not fit for racing or cavalry purposes, left the royal stables in considerably better shape. Her successors continued the improvements until 1647, when Oliver Cromwell’s forces captured the royal stables. Cromwell sold most of the mares, keeping less than a hundred for the purposes of breeding lighter, faster cavalry horses with. Cromwell passed several laws prohibiting racing, and ruined the pedigree records for many horses. Noblemen who were Royalists, supporters of the king, were forced into the countryside or to flee England entirely, and continue with breeding horses for hunting and racing until Charles II assumed the throne.
Charles reestablished racing, often attending races at Newmarket and even occasionally riding his own horses in the races. It was due to his influence that racing became known as “The Sport of Kings.” By the time of his death in 1685, his stud farms were producing horses who were known for being “thorough bred” for racing, and Arabians were being imported into England on a regular basis, including the Byerly Turk, Darley Arabian, and Godolphin Arabian, the founding sires of the Thoroughbred breed. Within a few years after his death, noblemen were actively competing to see who could produce the best racehorses. His successors, King William III and Queen Anne, were also proponents of horse racing, with Queen Anne establishing the racetrack at Ascot in 1711. By the time George I, a German who was unfamiliar with English racing, assumed the English throne, horse racing had been thoroughly established and continued to be popular. The breed was truly established when James Weatherby published “An Introduction To The General Stud Book” in 1791. This record of pedigrees brought the Thoroughbred horse forward as a legitimate, organized breed.
Of course, other events were happening in America. Cromwell’s seizure of the government caused some wealthy families to go to America. In 1730, a son of the Darley Arabian, Bulle Rock, was imported to America, starting the trend of breeding horses for racing. However, the Revolution wiped out much of the effort and the horses, and racing had to start all over again. As American racing struggled, however, things were happening in England that would affect both countries. Edward Stanley, twelfth Earl of Derby, suggested a race for fillies, to be run over a mile and a half at Epsom, and to be named the Oaks, after his estate near Epsom. The Epsom Oaks was first run in 1779, and continues to be run today. It has had a continuing impact on the sport, as races for three-year-old fillies continue to be known as “Oaks,” such as the Kentucky Oaks and the Coaching Club American Oaks. The race was so successful that Lord Derby and Sir Charles Bunbury, a senior member of the Jockey Club, decided to hold a similar race for three-year-old male horses, and a coin toss was held to determine who the race would be named after. Ironically enough, the first running of the Epsom Derby was won by Sir Bunbury’s horse Diomed, who would become an influential sire. A descendent of Diomed’s, Aristides, would win the first running of the Kentucky Derby in 1875.
In America, racehorse breeding continued to increase, especially after settlers found their way to Kentucky. Most settlements had a “Race Street” that was a long, flat stretch, suitable for racing horses down. By 1832, Lexington and Louisville both boasted mile-long racetracks. However, the Louisville track, the Oakland Race Course, eventually shut down due to an inconvenient location. Its successor, the Woodlawn Race Course, suffered the same problem. In 1863, despite the Civil War, Saratoga Racetrack opened in Saratoga Springs, New York, and seven years later, Pimlico opened in Baltimore, MD. In 1875, the Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Association opened. Although the new racetrack was run by Lutie Clark, and had been originally envisioned by him, it was financially supported by Henry and John Churchill. Clark was not a well-liked man, and locals began to derisively refer to the racetrack as “Churchill’s downs,” as a way to poke fun at Clark and remind him who was really in charge of the track. In 1883, the press began to use the name, and Churchill Downs is probably the most famous racetrack in the United States today. In 1894, the Jockey Club, the governing body of American Thoroughbred racing, was formed. 1905 saw the opening of Belmont Park, in Elmont, NY. In the 1930s, racing made it to California, with Santa Anita opening in 1934 and Del Mar opening in 1937.
But what about the technical aspects of racing? What distinguishes one race from another, and what makes one horse great while another one is barely able to run? Horse racing has four basic levels of racing, with some sublevels. Maiden races are for horses who have not yet won a race. Claiming races are the next step up. One feature of claiming races is that all the horses in the race are for sale for the price mentioned in the race’s title. If the race is listed as “Claiming $30,000” for example, all horses are available to be bought for $30,000. Anyone interested can submit a claim before the race, and at the end of the race, they own the horse, in whatever condition it’s in. Not all horses run in claiming races. A good trainer will recognize when a horse is of high quality and will put it in the next level of racing, allowance races. Allowance races will attempt to put horses on equal footing with one another by setting conditions, such as “non-winners of two this year” (for horses who have not won two races in the year) or adjusting the weight a horse carries to the performance it has put in during the year. Most horses will never make it past this level of competition, but those who do have made it to the stakes levels.
There are four levels of racing known as stakes racing; ungraded, Grade III, Grade II, and Grade I. Horses may skip a level, or they might not be able to successfully compete past a certain point, but the ultimate goal is to make it to Grade I. All the major races are Grade I races.
Of course, there are also terms used for the different races. A handicap is a race where horses are assigned weight to carry based on ability and performance history. The ideal handicap race would be one where every horse finished at the exact same time. A juvenile race is for a horse who is two years old. A futurity is a race for a three-year-olds. A derby is a race for three-year-olds as well, while an oaks is limited to three-year-old fillies. A distaff is limited to fillies and mares only.
Once you have the race terms down, you need to know what the distances and surfaces are. The standard racetrack is a mile around, although some, such as Belmont, can be longer. It will usually be composed of two tracks. The outer track will be dirt, although dirt tracks are being replaced with synthetic tracks in many places. The inner track will be grass, for turf races. In the United States, most races are run over dirt or synthetic surfaces. In Europe, horses tend to race on the grass. But what is a synthetic surface? It’s generally a mixture of wax-coated sand and rubber particles, designed to keep the track in better condition during wet weather and to be safer for the horses. Horses tend to run slower on it, which causes turf horses to do better on it than traditional dirt horses. 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin faced his only defeats in 2008 when he ran on a turf course and on a synthetic course.
Distances tend to be divided into two types. Sprints are under a mile, and will generally run around one turn. Routes are a mile and over, and will generally run around both turns. Races are measured in furlongs, which is an eighth of a mile. Races between nine and twelve furlongs are generally considered “classic distances,” as many of the major races tend to be between those lengths.
It should also be noted that Thoroughbreds, while being the primary breed of racehorse, are not the only breed. Quarter Horses, Paints, Appaloosas, and Arabians all commonly race. Standardbreds also race, although they race in harness, with small carts known as “sulkies” behind them. However, Thoroughbred racing is by far the most popular type of horse racing.
As far as some other miscellaneous terms go; the finish is called the wire. At one point, a wire strung over the track marked the finish line. While most tracks no longer have actual wires, the term has stayed to indicate the finish. At one point, the prize money was hung in a purse from the wire, which is why the prize money in racing today is still known as the purse. To place first, second, and third, is known as win, place, and show, respectively. But what are you trying to win?
The ultimate goal in horse racing is to win the major races. The three biggest races are the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, also known as the Triple Crown. Only eleven horses have won the Triple Crown, and the last to do so was Affirmed, in 1978. Within the last twelve years, however, we’ve seen more near-misses than ever before. Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), Charismatic (1999), War Emblem (2002), Funny Cide (2003), Smarty Jones (2004), and Big Brown (2008) have all won the Derby and Preakness, only to lose the Belmont. Some were near-misses, like Real Quiet losing the Belmont in a photo finish. Some were more drastic, such as Big Brown being eased and coming in last.
There is also the Breeders’ Cup, “the world’s richest day in sports.” Recently expanded to two days, the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships involves races over dirt or synthetic surfaces and turf for horses of all ages and genders over many distances. The highlight is the Classic, a ten-furlong (one and a quarter miles) race over dirt for horses three and older. With a purse of $5,000,000, it is the richest race in the world, and quite often a factor in determining the winner of the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.
What are the Eclipse Awards? They’re the top awards in American, given out yearly. Named after Eclipse, a racehorse in the late 1700s who would go on to become one of the most influential sires in the breed, and voted on by members of the press, the Eclipse Awards are presented to top horses in categories depending on age, gender, and the surface they’ve run on. The award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor in racing.
Horse racing is a fascinating sport, but it can also be a tragic one. As a result of changes made in the way horses were sold, with the focus being on selling racehorses as yearlings, before they’ve even seen a track, the demand increased for horses who are quicker to mature and look better in the sale ring. This has been detrimental, because it’s affected the bone structure of the horses being bred. Horses are increasingly light-boned, which causes problems when they race. The switch from the traditional dirt track to a synthetic track was in response to the number of injuries and fatalities occurring. In May 2008, Eight Belles died when she broke both front ankles, cooling down after the Kentucky Derby. This was followed in June by Big Brown, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, coming in last in the Belmont after his trainer voluntarily took him off a minor steroid. In response, steroid use is rapidly becoming banned throughout the sport, with Kentucky, New York, and the Breeders’ Cup outlawing the use of any form of steroids. Medication use is also beginning to be restricted, so that horses feeling minor pain can’t cause themselves injury if their symptoms are masked by painkillers. This all results in a very interesting time for the sport, as changes are being brought into place to make it a safer, better event.
In conclusion, horse racing is a fun sport that showcases the speed, athleticism, strength, and beauty of the horse. Whether you prefer to become involved professionally, place the occasional bet, or just watch, horse racing is a sport that is easy to get involved in and to be excited about.
Works Cited
"About.com Horse Racing." 18 Dec. 2008 <http://horseracing.about.com/>.
"The History of the Kentucky Derby." Call To The Derby Post. 18 Dec. 2008 <http://www.derbypost.com/>.
McClelland, Edward. "Horse Racing's Plastic Surgery." Slate. 12 Apr. 2007. 18 Dec. 2008 <http://www.slate.com/id/2164047/>.
