One of the oldest sports in the world is horse racing, and it also happens to be one of the oldest games where people have bet or put stakes up for the winner. The essence of horse racing is no different from any other form of racing. The horses are set at a starting point, at a signal the race starts, the horses start running and the first one over the finish line wins. Of course, through the ages common rules have been set to ensure safe riding and fair play.
Most countries have their race tracks, and each have their own famous races. In the United Kingdom, one of the most famous is Epsom Downs where the Epsom Derby is run. In the United States, the three most famous races are the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. Winning these three races is called the Triple Crown.
From the regular to the most famous races, rules of racing has been put in place such that the horses have as much chance to win as any other. This is called handicapping. The faster or better runners expected to win the race are given heavier loads to carry. In theory this would allow the slower or lower-rated horses to have a chance to win. To ensure that the handicaps are maintained, the jockeys are weighed, including the saddle and handicap weights, before and after the race.
The real enjoyment for spectators is in betting on the races. It is not enough that the horses have been handicapped. To make the results even fairer, there is the pari-mutuel betting system. The pari-mutuel system calculates the return or winnings on bets based on the relative value of all the bets for a particular horse. This results in lower winnings when you bet on a favored horse. It also results in large winnings if a longshot wins.
Horse racing has been called the “game of kings” and through the years, it has also been of great enjoyment for everyone.
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