December 26th, 2009 | Author: powerball pro
The general populace, even if not especially knowledgeable about thoroughbred horse racing, hears about it at specific times each year, particularly when the three races of the Triple Crown are run. But most people aren’t aware of the history of this type of racing, nor how extensive it now is in the world. They might be surprised to learn that formal thoroughbred racing was only established in the late 1800s, yet its traditions make it appear as though it has existed forever. But the thoroughbred breed itself is only about 300 years old.
The thoroughbred horses were bred in England, crossing English mares with Arabian stallions, and were brought to North America in the early eighteenth century. But organized thoroughbred horse races didn’t start for another 150 years or so, even though the first racetrack was constructed as early as 1665, on Long Island. It wasn’t until the American Stud Book was created in 1868 that things really got organized. Harness racing, too, developed a sort of parallel history, when a new breed known as standard-bred horses branched off from the thoroughbreds.
Thoroughbred horse racing was still rather precarious as an organized sport, even after it became formally systematized. The reason was that until 1908, betting was seriously frowned upon among the American populace. This meant there wasn’t much incentive for the races to proliferate, when the disapproval was so strong. However, in 1908 the new pari-mutuel form of betting was established, in which all bets made were collected into a common pot and divided equally among the winners after each race. People could now bet on their horse racing selections, and the races began to multiply.
The fortunes of thoroughbred horse racing have gone up and down ever since. It flourished until World War II, when it went into a lull for a couple of decades, before rising again to great popularity. Winning thoroughbreds like Majestic Prince, Secretariat, or Seattle Slew became heroic names, even among the non-horse-racing public. Now this type of racing is wildly popular, with online betting sites, horse racing blogs, and many well established tracks and yearly races. The Triple Crown, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, is well known in the United States, and thoroughbred races take place everywhere from Argentina to Paris to Australia. These horses and their races have come a long way from their Arabian and English beginnings.
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