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About Horse Racing Online
Up to the minute horse racing news from all the major horse racing tracks. Click here.
Major American Horse Racing Tracks
Del Mar, Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Calder, Tampa Bay Downs, Gulfstream Park, Churchill Downs, Kentucky Downs,
Turfway Park, Pimlico, Aqueduct, Belmont, Saratoga, Monmouth Park, Charles Town, Sunland Park, Golden Gate,
Hawthorne, Turf Paradise, Beulah Park, Fair Grounds, Philadelphia, Portland Meadows, Mountaineer, Delta Downs,
Penn National, Laurel Park
History of Horse Racing
Horse racing dates back to about 4500 BC when the nomadic tribesmen of Central Asia domesticated the horse.
Since then, horse racing has flourished and became known as the sport of kings. Today, horse racing is one of the
few forms of gambling that is legal throughout most of the world, including the United States. Horse race betting
has been the main source of the appeal of the sport and the primary reason horse racing has survived as a major
professional sport.
Thoroughbred Horse Racing
Thoroughbred Horse racing is one of the most widely attended spectator sports in America. Thoroughbred race
tracks exist in about half the states. The public's interest targets major Thoroughbred races such as the Triple Crown
with the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stake and the Breeder's Cup races which offer purses in excess of
$1,000,000. The Jockey Club retains authority over the breeding of Thoroughbreds.
Quarter Horse Racing
In addition to Thoroughbred racing, quarter horse racing is popular in many states. Governed by the American Quarter
Horse Association, quarter horse racing has a complete racing schedule in several states.
Harness racing is a worldwide sport where a special breed of horses, called Standardbreds, race around a track while
pulling a driver in a two-wheeled cart, called a sulky. It is seen in more than 30 countries by millions of fans who wager
more than $3 billion annually.
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