Horse racing is a sport that has evolved over centuries from a primitive contest of speed or stamina between two horses into a massive public entertainment business involving large fields of runners, sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment and enormous sums of money. It has also become a major global industry, with participants and spectators from every continent. As the sport has grown, so too have concerns about the welfare of racehorses. Animal rights activists have called for reform and, in some cases, outright bans.
In addition, there have been a number of scandals in the sport involving gambling and illegal betting rings. In some cases, these have led to horses being euthanized after being injured or killed, and in others, jockeys and other track officials have been charged with criminal offenses related to gambling on races. In 2012, HBO’s big-budget series Luck, set in the horse-racing world, was canceled after three of the show’s horses were injured or euthanized while filming.
A horse is eligible to race only if it has a pedigree that allows it to do so. To be eligible, a horse must have a sire and dam who are both purebred members of the specific breed that the horse is racing. Typically, the horse will start out in flat races as a juvenile, and then move on to hurdling or steeplechasing if it is thought capable.
The modern breed of horse is derived from several distinct breeds of wild horse, which were domesticated by humans over the course of thousands of years. The earliest races, which were run on sand or grass tracks, were open to any horse that could gallop and could be controlled by its rider. Eventually, rules were developed to distinguish the best from the rest based on age, sex, birthplace and previous performance.
In the modern era, horse racing has grown to encompass races over various distances, with the most prestigious flat races being held in England, Ireland, France and Australia. However, the sport has expanded worldwide with races being conducted in the United States, Japan, South Africa and other countries. The majority of modern racing is on dirt, though turf courses still exist.
Traditionally, racetracks have been owned by individuals or syndicates rather than corporations. In fact, many major horse racetracks are still family-owned and operated. However, the trend toward corporate ownership of racetracks has intensified in recent years, with major companies taking over the operation of some large-scale facilities. This change has been fueled by the increased popularity of the sport and the increased investment by major corporations. It has also been facilitated by a growing global economy, which has made it easier for people to travel and thus to attend races. As a result, more races are being offered at more venues and the number of attendees is increasing significantly. In addition, technological advancements in the sport are making it possible for more horse races to be broadcast on television.