Horse racing in the United States
The area is now occupied by the present Nassau County, New York, region of Greater Westbury and East Garden City.
The American Stud Book was started in 1868, prompting the beginning of organized horse racing in the United States.
According to Steven A. Reiss "[2] Thoroughbred racing was the rare sport that was trending with both social and economic elites and the lower classes".
Horse racing was an enamored sport that was popular for its time in all regions of the United States and took a downturn for a while as the economy, gambling reformers and some interest faded.
[2] "The powerful alliance between urban machine politicians and racetrack owners enabled thoroughbred racing in New York to flourish for about for forty-five years without interruption".
[2] Horse racing endured several ups and downs throughout the era to include socioeconomic status, political gain, morality imposition or just a mere stronghold for the pleasure of the sport.
The initial track consisted of a 3/8th mile straightaway, which later became the model for the “chute system” used in modern-day quarter horse racing.
In 1954, Rillito added a 5/8ths mile oval and has since been the southern Arizona home of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing.
The Washington Jockey Club was founded in 1797 by John Tayloe III of The Octagon House and Charles Carnan Ridgely of Hampton.
One of the latest major horse track opened in the United States was the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
American Thoroughbred races are run at a wide variety of distances, most commonly from 5 to 12 furlongs (0.63 to 1.50 mi; 1.0 to 2.4 km).
The American Stud Book was started in 1868, prompting the beginning of organized horse racing in the United States.
[12] The Arabian horse was developed by the Bedouin people of the Middle East specifically for stamina over long distances, so they could outrun their enemies.
Also, the muscles of the Arabian are not nearly as massive as those of the Quarter Horse, which allow it to travel longer distances at quicker speeds.
[15] In order to be successful in racing, Quarter Horses need to be able to propel themselves forward at extremely fast sprinter speed.
The Quarter Horse has much larger hind limb muscles than the Arabian, which make it much less suitable for endurance racing.
The Breeders' Cup event is held in late October or early November at different race tracks every year.
It receives less attention than the Triple Crown series from the general public but is of great importance in determining the American Horse of the Year and annual Eclipse Award divisional winners.
It currently consists of thirteen races held over two days with total prize-money of $28 million, with the Breeders' Cup Classic being the most prestigious.
[18][19] The richest horse race in the United States is the Pegasus World Cup, held in late January at Gulfstream Park in Florida since 2017.
The Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 grants specific exemptions to horse racing from federal anti-gambling laws.
[21][22] Simulcast betting almost always exists across state lines with no oversight except for the companies involved through legalized parimutuel gambling.
[23] Advanced deposit wagering is a form of gambling on the outcome of horse races in which the bettor must fund his or her account before being allowed to place bets.
In contrast to ADW, credit shops allow wagers without advance funding; accounts are settled at month-end.
