A horse race is a sporting event in which horses compete for prizes. They are usually ridden by jockeys, who guide the horses along a track and over hurdles. These races often feature famous horses and are contested internationally.
Among the best known horse races are the American Triple Crown (Belmont Stakes, Preakness Stakes, and Kentucky Derby). There are also many other prestigious international horse racing events around the world.
Some of these races are open to amateurs only, while others may require a licence from the organizer. If you’re interested in a particular race, you can use the search tool on the right of this page to find out more information about it.
The racing season is always busy. There are often a number of major meetings taking place in the course of one week. You can find out which are on the cards and see a full calendar of all the important races here.
If you’re a Timeform Premium subscriber, you’ll have access to even more information to help you make better informed decisions and bet more confidently. We offer an in-depth look at every horse race including analysis and tips, as well as fast results on our website as soon as the winner passes the post.
Horse racing began in England when breeders sought to create faster and leaner equines that would win more races. This led to the establishment of a new horse breed that was largely responsible for the sport’s rise in popularity.
For a while, the horse racing industry was rife with doping and the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs. These drugs were largely hidden behind a curtain of regulatory laxity, but they weren’t going away. They were merely becoming more difficult to hide and, as a result, the people who developed them grew one step ahead of regulators, who often weren’t able to catch them before they were used.
As a result, there were many cases of trainers cheating by using drugs to boost their horses’ performance. The drugs ranged from painkillers to anti-epilepsy products, growth hormones, blood doping and much more.
A few years ago, a video was released showing the alleged abuse of these drugs by some of the sport’s most famous and prestigious racehorses. The footage was filmed by PETA, the animal rights group.
The video sparked a furor within the horse racing industry, and a call for reform from insiders. It prompted the Times to take the story seriously, and it helped fuel a movement that has engulfed the industry.
This movement, in turn, has fueled an outcry from the general public. Among the issues being raised are concerns about doping, drugged horses and cruelty to animals by trainers and jockeys.
Doping in horse racing is an ongoing problem and the industry must take steps to address it. If the racing industry wants to continue being a money-making business, it must act responsibly and enforce the rules of the game.