The first horse races were held in Ancient Greece. In fact, they are thought to be one of the earliest forms of gambling. Audience members would place bets on the racers and celebrate their winnings or commiserate their losses after the end of the event.
Horse racing is a huge part of the modern betting scene, and it has a great deal of rich traditions which have evolved throughout the years. These vary from track to track, and can be seen in audience members’ clothing, conduct, and choice of drink.
Today, we still enjoy the thrill of watching horses run around a track, being directed by talented jockeys. These are some of the biggest horse races worth knowing about. Consider looking out for some of these events when you are planning your betting. This can allow you a better understanding and appreciation of the racers as well as their history.
The Kentucky Derby
Firstly, the Kentucky Derby is one of the most famous horse races in the world, and it’s also one of the richest. It takes place at Churchill Downs venue in Louisville, KY every year on the first Saturday in May, and has been running since 1875.
There are two weeks’ worth of festival celebrations in the area, which ends with the Kentucky Derby race. The track itself is one and-a-quarter miles long in total, and it is the first leg of the iconic Triple Crown in the horse racing calendar.
Some of the most impressive thoroughbreds have been seen racing at Churchill Downs throughout the years. These include the iconic Secretariat, who sired many generations of high achieving race horses.
The 1973 Kentucky Derby saw a record-breaking performance from Secretariat. The thoroughbred made history by setting the fastest time around the track. Not only that, but he secured a Triple Crown win during this year.
Preakness Stakes
Another horse race worth knowing about is the Preakness Stakes. This race takes place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, and normally occurs every third Saturday in May. The track itself is slightly shorter than the Kentucky Derby, at one-and-three-sixteenths miles.
While it is one of the shorter races out there, the Preakness Stakes continue to shape thoroughbred racing. This is because it is the second event in the Triple Crown. If racers managed to win at the Kentucky Derby, and then the Preakness Stakes, then they can compete for the title of Triple Crown winner during the Belmont Stakes.
The Preakness Stakes have a rich history of enormous successes as well as detrimental losses. To take a closer look at the role of betting in this event, check out preakness betting preview.
Belmont Stakes
Located at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY every year in June, the Belmont Stakes is the final thoroughbred racing event of the Triple Crown. The race was inaugurated in 1867 as the American Derby, but was renamed the Belmont Stakes in honor of financier August Belmont Jr., who owned the racetrack.
The Belmont Stakes is the most prestigious of the three races, with very few winners having gone on to win the Triple Crown, these include Affirmed in 1978, and Secretariat in 1973. The intense event takes place on a track that has a distance of 1-and-a-half miles.
Thoroughbreds who have secured their win at the Belmont Stakes have achieved huge things, and usually go down in history. The prize money for the winner of this event is $800,000, but they typically get more when they win all three events of the Triple Crown.
Travers Stakes
This is an extremely prestigious horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY every year at the end of August. Although it is not a part of the Triple Crown, the Travers Stake is widely recognized as a popular thoroughbred event.
Saratoga Springs sees its fair share of monumental thoroughbred races, thanks to the three unique tracks. The main dirt track is one-and-an-eight miles long, but high achieving racers have also been seen on Mellon Turf and the inner turf track used in the Steeplechase races.
Because of the timing of this event, the Travers Stakes has been nicknamed the “mid-summer Derby”. Regular attendance to Saratoga Race Course has been known to reach the maximum capacity of the venue, at 50,000.
Having started in 1864, the Travers Stakes also stands out for the enormous size of the purse. It is the fourth-oldest horse racing event in US history. This event has a total purse of $1.25 million, with 60% of that going to the winning thoroughbred.
Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is a part of the Breeder’s Cup, which is a series of thoroughbred races that contribute to one of the most popular horse racing championships in the world. The Kentucky Oaks takes place on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby, and some of the highest achieving three-year-old fillies race for a chance at the $1.25 million purse.
This event first took place in 1875 and has always been run at Churchill Downs, Kentucky. During recent years, spectators in the Kentucky Oaks have begun to include pink accents within their formal attire. This tradition first came to light as a way of raising awareness of ovarian cancer, but it is now a part of the dress code every year.
Summary
Horse racing has always been a huge part of the betting industry, and it continues to do the same. Thoroughbred racers have huge capacities for power, speed, and focus. This contributes to the tense competition seen annually across some of the most iconic racetracks.
Records continue to be broken by high achieving thoroughbreds, and it is worth taking a closer look at the latest developments and odds. This can allow you to make more accurate bets on the whole.
There are plenty of different ways to bet on horse races. You may want to take advantage of online sports books that offer free bets. These sites often give you access to special offers like deposit bonuses.