The Plentiful Reasons for People to Love Racing Horses

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Throughout the centuries, there has perhaps never been a sport as exciting for people all over the world than horse racing. The locale might have gone from the Norse mythology to Rome’s Circus Maximus, and to modern-day racetracks, but the blood rush that people watching live horse races feel always gives way to an exhilarating feeling that keeps them going back to watch more races. All over the world today, horse racing is one of the best forms of entertainment around. Wagering in horses even adds more flavor to the excitement of horse racing today. However, even if you do not bet, live horse racing can be exciting.
Horse racing traces its roots down to Greece. In these races, mounted horses and chariots often participated. When the Roman Empire fell, horse breeding and horse racing in the West likewise died with it. It was not until the time King Henry I of England imported an Arabian stallion to breed, train, and race, when the sport of horse racing came back to life. Soon, the first racetrack in existence after the fall of Rome – the Smithfield Track, was constructed in London to hold purebred mount horse races. Horse racing is also a popular feature in most English fairs. Due to its roots, horse racing has been accorded the label the “Sport of Kings.”
In the United States, the first racetrack was built in Long Island, New York. The new racetrack, the Newmarket, was where the earliest North American horse races were held. More and more purebred British mares and stallions were sought after by Americans for breeding and training horseracing steeds. Those who have taken interest in the sport started organizing themselves into clubs that standardized practices in horse breeding, training, and racing. Huge amounts of money were poured into the sport. Patrons have likewise made money out of the sport through betting. The need for ethical standards in horse racing to be standardized gave rise to the formation of the American Jockey Club in the late 19th century. The Club eventually took charge of the American Stud Book containing the governing procedures of horse racing all over the United States. Later on, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of the United States was established in Chicago.
Watching live horse races, fans claim, cannot be paralleled in entertainment value. Nothing beats standing in the sidelines or watching up on the bleachers around the race track, cheering with all horse racing enthusiasts around, and feeling the rush of horses race by. Add betting successfully and you have something that is even more enjoyable. Understanding the game first before you go on betting on your choice of horses could help you plan out your bets.
The types of races that you can bet on vary. Depending on the amount of money you want to gamble and the kind of odds you want to take on, you can choose to bet in any one of them. Horse race gambling rules are also varied from state to state. Horse race betting involves what is called as parimutuel betting. This kind of betting pools together all the bets placed on a race, deducts the amount of taxes and racetrack expenses, and then divides the money among the winners. Such betting in thoroughbred horse racing made the sport flourish. The most popular US horse races that people bet in are the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, and the Preakness – otherwise known as the Triple Crown.


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