| Thousands of years ago, man discovered that an | | | | similar to those of the English Jockey Club, and quickly |
| animal from the Equus order was good for carrying his | | | | eliminated much of the corruption. |
| burdens and lightening his load. Then one day, as the | | | | The Kentucky Derby, one of the best known |
| human race as a whole are natural competitors, we | | | | horse-racing events in the United States, was first run |
| began to use that animal, called the horse, to race | | | | in 1875. Its home is at the Churchill Downs in Louisville, |
| against others. | | | | Kentucky. It is one of the three races which make up |
| Then man began breeding horses to excel in speed | | | | the American Triple Crown. The other two are the |
| and endurance. When this new type of entertainment | | | | Belmont Stakes, first run on Long Island, New York at |
| and sport began to evolve, it was the nobility, or | | | | Jerome Park in 1867, and the Preakness Stakes, first |
| royalty, who could afford the expense of breeding | | | | run in 1873 at Pimlico Park in Baltimore, Maryland. |
| horses for this purpose. Therefore, that "class" of | | | | Although interest has waxed and waned over the |
| people were the ones who most often enjoyed the | | | | years, horse racing is the second-most attended |
| leisure of competing in horse races. | | | | spectator sport in the United States, outranked only by |
| Early picture records of horse racing were found in the | | | | baseball. |
| origins of prehistoric nomadic tribesmen of Middle Asia. | | | | There are other forms of horse racing in both Great |
| It was they who first domesticated the horse around | | | | Britain and the United States. These include: |
| 4500 B.C. The first written records came much later, | | | | - The steeplechase, which requires the horse to clear |
| after horse racing was already an established sport | | | | such obstacles as brush fences, stone walls, rail |
| from Central Asia to the Mediterranean. Horse racing | | | | fences, and water jumps. The oldest and most |
| became a part of the Greek Olympics around 638 | | | | famous steeplechase in Great Britain is England's |
| B.C. And the Roman Empire was obsessed with the | | | | Grand National. It was first run in Aintree in 1839, and |
| sport. | | | | continues even today. The most famous in the United |
| Modern racing traces its roots back to the 12th | | | | States is the American National. It was first run in 1899 |
| century. Knights of the British Empire imported Arabic | | | | at Belmont Park and continues to be held there |
| horses upon their return from the Crusades. In the | | | | annually. |
| years that followed, hundreds of Arab stallions were | | | | - Hurdle racing is similar to the steeplechase, but is |
| crossbred with English mares to give the most | | | | much less demanding. It is often use as a training |
| desirable combination of speed and endurance. This | | | | arena for Thoroughbreds who will later compete in |
| breed of horse became known, after its evolution, as | | | | steeplechases. |
| the Thoroughbred and of course the nobility were | | | | - Point-to-point races are generally run by amateurs |
| leaders in staging competitions between two superior | | | | throughout the British Isles. |
| Thoroughbred horses for private wagers, as a | | | | - And last but by no means least is harness racing, |
| diversion. | | | | which was very popular during the Roman Empire. |
| As the sport evolved to being more professional during | | | | Once the Empire fell the sport all but vanished until its |
| the reign of Queen Anne in the early 18th century, | | | | resurrection, by those who liked to race their horses in |
| one-on-one races gave way to events in which | | | | harness on the country roads of America, at the end |
| several horses competed. Racetracks offered purses, | | | | of the 1700s. The first official tracks for harness racing |
| or prize money to the winner of the events. And those | | | | came about in the early 1800s, and by 1825 harness |
| purses grew larger in order to attract the best horses. | | | | racing became a favorite attraction at country fairs all |
| During the mid-1700s, it was decided that there needed | | | | across the U.S. |
| to be a governing body to determine the rules and | | | | Out of the rebirth of harness racing, a new breed of |
| standards by which racers, breeders, and owners | | | | horse was born. In 1788, an outstanding English |
| must abide. As a result the Jockey Club was | | | | Thoroughbred stallion was imported to the United |
| established in Newmarket, and still exercises complete | | | | States. He was bred with American Thoroughbred |
| control over English racing to this day. | | | | and mixed-breed mares to establish the line of |
| Once the Club established the complete rules and | | | | Standardbred. The name is based on the "standard" |
| standards of the horses and the races which could be | | | | distance of one mile in harness racing speed. The |
| run under sanction of the Club, five races were | | | | descendants of this line were rebred over the years |
| designated as the "classic" races for three-year-old | | | | to create this new breed which has the stamina, |
| horses. The English Triple Crown - which is open to | | | | temperament, and physical size and structure to |
| both colts and fillies - consists of the 2000 Guineas, the | | | | endure racing under harness. |
| Epsom Derby, and the St. Leger Stakes. Two other | | | | Although harness racing suffered a decline of |
| races, which are open only to fillies, are the 1000 | | | | popularity again in the early 1900s, it bounced back in |
| Guineas and the Epsom Oaks. | | | | 1940 after being reintroduced at a raceway in New |
| As the British settled in America, they brought very | | | | York as a pari-mutuel betting event. Its number of |
| fine breeding stock and racing horses with them. The | | | | tracks and scheduled annual events outnumber those |
| first known racetrack in the Colonies was on Long | | | | of Thoroughbred racing in the United States today. It |
| Island in New York. It was first laid out around 1665. | | | | has also gained popularity in many European countries, |
| Though horse racing was a popular local event, | | | | Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. |
| organized and professional racing did not actually start | | | | What was once almost exclusively "the Sport of |
| until after the Civil War. From there, the sport | | | | Kings" has segued over the years to encompass |
| escalated in popularity across the settled parts of the | | | | people of all lifestyles and income. It remains, however, |
| country. And many of the racetracks were run by the | | | | a sport quite often associated with the "well-to-do", |
| "criminal element." As this was quite undesirable to the | | | | those who can afford the vast expenditure involved |
| more prominent track owners and breeders, they met | | | | with raising the standard of horse required to run in, |
| in New York in 1894 and formed the American Jockey | | | | and win, the large purses awarded by, the most |
| Club. They soon established rules and regulations, | | | | popular horse-racing events around the world. |