A horse race is a close contest of speed between horses, whether ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies and their drivers. It is a fast and exciting sport, as well as one of the oldest sports on record.
It is not known when organized horse races first began, but they were well established by the seventh century bce in the Olympic Games of ancient Greece. The ancient Romans also held chariot and mounted races. Horse racing became a popular form of public entertainment in many other parts of the world during this period.
By the 18th century, rules were developed to govern the selection of horses for racing. The age, sex, birthplace, and other physical qualities of the horses were considered, as well as their previous performances. The number of horses in a race was limited to ensure the quality of the competition. In order to ensure the safety of the horses, the rules also required riders to be trained to be competent on a variety of horse breeds and racing surfaces.
The races are typically run over distances of between 440 yards (400 m) and four miles (6 km). Shorter races are called sprints, while longer races are known as routes in the United States or as “staying races” in Europe. In general, sprints require a high level of acceleration, while routes are seen as tests of stamina.
Horses are able to achieve such great speeds because they have an abundance of slow-twitch muscle fibers that allow them to work for long periods of time without the need for oxygen. Thoroughbreds have particularly large amounts of these muscle fibers, allowing them to run faster and for longer than other types of horses.
As the horses moved through the backstretch, they were drenched in pinkish light and moving with a hypnotic smoothness. War of Will was hugging the inside, with McKinzie and Mongolian Groom a half length behind him. Then, at the top of the stretch, Vino Rosso made a powerful move on the outside. A few yards could make the difference between a win and a loss in a dash race, and the rider had to use skill and judgment in coaxing it out of his mount.
Santa Anita officials and Breeders’ Cup management had promised that the equine athletes would be protected from doping, which had become widespread in racing in recent years. Powerful painkillers designed for humans bled into the race preparation, and the testing capacity of racing officials was not keeping pace with the availability of new drugs. Those who broke the rules faced only minimal penalties.