Horse racing is a sport steeped in tradition and elegance, with long-held values and time-honored customs that have drawn fans and admirers from around the world. It is a sport that requires both speed and stamina and is a test of both human and animal courage.

A horse race is a competition between horses that takes place on a flat track and over distances ranging from 1 mile to 2 1/2 miles. The most prestigious races in the world are run over distances of this nature, including the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Melbourne Cup, Japan Cup, and Epsom Derby. These races are not only a test of speed, but also of endurance, as the longer distances require more stamina than shorter ones.

In its earliest form, horse racing consisted of match races, in which two or at most three horses competed against each other for a fixed prize, called the purse. Bets were placed on the outcome of the match, with any owner who withdrew forfeiting half of the purse or later all of it. These agreements were recorded by disinterested third parties, who became known as keepers of the match book. A well-known compilation of match races was published by John Cheny as An Historical List of All the Horse-Matches Run (1729).

The first organized race in America took place in 1664, with British colonials establishing the sport by laying out a 2-mile course on Long Island (now New York City) and offering a silver cup for the best horse in each season. Before the Civil War, American Thoroughbreds were judged on their stamina rather than their speed. The best examples of these were horses such as Eclipse, whose legendary winning streak was reputed to have been born on the same day that a solar eclipse took place. Approximately 90% of today’s Thoroughbreds can trace their ancestry back to Eclipse.

Modern-day racing is regulated by federal and state laws, as well as the rules of each individual racetrack. The most important regulations pertain to age, health, and safety. The minimum age for a horse to begin training or race is five years. The skeletal system of the horse is not fully mature at this point, so it is unprepared for the stresses of competing on a hard surface at high speeds. As a result, one study has found that one horse in 22 dies from injuries sustained during a race.

A post-mortem examination of the fatally injured Havnameltdown revealed that he had severe bone changes, including osteoarthritis and bone cysts. These conditions are not uncommon in racing horses, and the implication is that the use of steroids and sedatives during training contributed to his injury. The case has sparked a fierce debate between animal rights advocates and racing industry defenders. Some critics have argued that the media’s focus on horse race coverage is a significant contributing factor in the decline of popular interest in the sport. The debate has even engulfed academics who study the relationship between news coverage and public opinion.