A horse race is a competition in which horses compete for prize money by running around an oval track and over hurdles (if present). The first three finishers are awarded varying amounts of the total amount bet on the race. The horse that crosses the finish line first is declared the winner.
The sport has a long and storied history. During the early days of horse racing, match races were held between two or at most three horses. The owners provided the purse, and bettors placed wagers against each other. The agreements were recorded by disinterested third parties who came to be known as keepers of the match book. As the sport became more popular, match races were replaced by group contests called races, in which horses were divided into categories according to their age and gender. A horse’s performance in a particular race is determined by its speed, endurance and inclination to make a quick start.
Horses that participate in horse races are given fixed weights to carry in order to make the competition fair. The weights are based on factors such as the horse’s age, sex, time of year and distance of the race. The heavier the weight, the harder a horse has to work to win. The heaviest horses are often the favorite to win, but in the most prestigious events there are exceptions.
In a horse race, horses are led by jockeys on top of them. The jockeys wear special shoes and bridles, which are attached to a saddle on the back of the horse. The horses are also fitted with a whip, which is used to control the animal as it runs. The horse can walk, trot and gallop as it races, but a fast sprint is required to win the most important races.
When a horse races, the goal is to get off to a fast start and save energy for the end of the race. The horse that can sprint the furthest and fastest wins. In some races, such as handicap races, horses are assigned different weights to reflect their ability level.
As the race began, War of Will took an early lead. Around the clubhouse turn, however, he appeared to be tiring, and Mongolian Groom and McKinzie surged past him. The pounding that comes with running on an oval track gives horses’ lower legs a terrible beating, straining ligaments, tendons and joints. To help prevent their injuries, some horses are fitted with padded girths and a shadow roll over their noses to reduce the number of things that they can startle at. Other horses are administered painkillers and other medications, including antipsychotics, anti-epilepsy products, growth hormones and blood doping. The drugs can give the horses a competitive advantage, but they can also harm them. Injuries and deaths from doping have made the sport more restrictive in recent years.