Thoroughbred horse race
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Thoroughbred horse racing is the main form of horse-racing throughout the world. A trainer, who is hired by the thoroughbred horse's owner, would train the horses for a particular event (the horse trains on a local training track near the stable and at facilities and in the open country nearby) and also enter horses into races that would suit the horse. Trainers also have professional relations with jockeys, who ride the horse and give feedback to the trainer after every run.
- A handicap race is one in which the runners have been "handicapped" according to their performance in other races. Theoretically, all horses have a chance of being competitive in a race that is correctly handicapped.
- Stakes races are generally higher-class races for bigger prizes. They often involve competitors that belong to the same gender, age and class. These races may, though, be "weight-for-age", with weights adjusted only according to age, and also there are 'set weights' where all horses carry the same weight. Furthermore, there are "conditions" races, in which horses carry weights that are set by conditions, such as having won a certain number of races, or races of a certain value.
- Jumping races and steeplechases, called National Hunt racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland, are run over long distances, usually from two miles (3200 m) up to four and a half miles (7200 m), and horses carry more weight. Novice jumping races involve horses that are starting out a jumping career, including horses that previously were trained flat racing. National Hunt racing is distinguished between hurdles races and chases: the former are run over low obstacles and the latter over larger fences that are much more difficult to jump.
Horses that run in American-style races are judged on the weight (a horse carrying 52 kg is said to have better chances than one that carries 58 kg), the barrier gate or draw (horses have less distance to make up if they start from an inside barrier ("stall" in the United Kingdom and Ireland), such as 1, rather than from an outside one, such as 15), the performance over the last three starts, and also the performance on wet tracks, against horses of gender and class (weak or strong opposition). Time ratings and jockey statistics are also factors in a horse's performance in a race, but they are considered less important.
The draw is less important in United Kingdom and Irish racing in races over longer than a mile (1609 m), although it is significant at certain courses for "sprints", races of five furlongs (1006 m) up to a mile (1609 m). In National Hunt racing, horses do not have a draw because they are started by flag, and line up at the start behind a tape.
While the attention of horseracing fans and the media is focused almost exclusively on the horse's performance on the racetrack or for male horses, possibly its success as a sire, but little publicity is given the brood mares. Such is the case of La Troienne, one of the most important mares of the 20th century to whom many of the greatest thoroughbred champions, and dams of champions can be traced.
Famous thoroughbred race horses
Some of the world's most famous thoroughbred racehorses in flat racing include:
- Affirmed
- All Along
- Alydar
- Blushing Groom
- Brigadier Gerard
- Canonero II
- Carbine
- Cigar
- Citation
- Colin
- Count Fleet
- Dalakhani
- Darshaan
- Daylami
- Dr. Fager
- Duke of Magenta
- Equipoise
- Exceller
- Forego
- Gallant Fox
- John Henry
- Kelso
- Kincsem
- Kingston Town
- Lammtarra
- Manikato
- Man O' War
- Miesque
- Might and Power
- Mill Reef
- Native Dancer
- Nijinsky II
- Northern Dancer
- Northerly
- Omaha
- Peintre Célèbre
- Phar Lap
- Real Quiet
- Ribot
- Risen Star
- Riva Ridge
- Round Table
- Ribot
- Ruffian
- Seabiscuit
- Seattle Slew
- Secretariat
- Shergar
- Sinndar
- Sir Barton
- Smarty Jones
- Spectacular Bid
- Sunline
- Tim Tam
- The Minstrel
- Tom Rolfe
- Tulloch
- War Admiral
- Whirlaway
See also
- List of horse races
- Thoroughbred Racing stables and/or breeding farms
- Flat racing
- Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
- United Kingdom horse-racing
- Australian horse-racing
- National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (USA)
- The Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century