Horse race is a type of horse competition where participants bet on the outcome. The sport has a long history and is practiced in many cultures around the world. It is often associated with national pride and is a popular activity amongst the upper classes. The game is played on dirt, grass, or synthetic all-weather tracks.

A thoroughbred horse that has won a significant amount of races is known as a champion. The most well-known champion is Secretariat, who is widely considered to be the greatest American racehorse of all time. He is known for winning the 1973 Triple Crown and setting records that stood for years. Secretariat also won several other significant races in his career and was a favorite of millions of fans.

Despite the romanticized facade of Thoroughbred racing, the sport is plagued with injuries and drug abuse, and horses are routinely killed. Horses used for racing are forced to sprint, often with whips and electric shock devices, at speeds that cause severe injuries, such as hemorrhaging in the lungs. Hundreds of horses are killed every year in this sport. In the wild, horses love to run and move fast. However, in the context of human-made races, they want to run as a group and keep each other safe.

The horse racing industry is at a critical crossroads, insider after insider told me. If the sport makes any more mistakes, the public’s will to subsidize it could evaporate and the entire enterprise could collapse. It’s already down to a fraction of its historic size.

While horse racing isn’t popular with most of the general population, its proponents say it stimulates a multibillion-dollar equine economy, from local breeders and trainers to farmers who grow carrots and hay. Purses, which are the money paid to winners, are enormous. At Yonkers last fiscal year, they totaled $600 million. Of that, about 60 million was paid out in winners’ purses and a few million went to support local charities, including Faraldo’s group.

But a large chunk of the money was used to support state government gambling activities, which is what critics call an inverted pyramid of vice. Proponents of the sport cite this as evidence of the industry’s effectiveness, as the profits help fund other forms of gambling and, in turn, provide jobs. In addition, they argue, the billions generated by racing help pay for things that the state otherwise might not subsidize, such as highways and public schools.