Horse Racing
“And they’re off!” Horse racing of all types is found in our racing section, including Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Harness, Steeplechase and Arabian racing.
Want to get lucky? Take a look at the Wagering to help guide you. Keep track of upcoming horse races and racing events in our Calendar of Events for Horse Racing.
Want to live the dream of owning a racehorse? Check out the Breeding, Partnerships, Sales & Bloodstocks sections where you can help yourself be a force in the Sport of Kings.
Need a place to train your baby and help develop his successful career? You will find both training facilities and professional racehorse trainers in our Training section. See you in the winners’ circle!
A day at the races comes with connotations of elegant outfits, fascinating fascinators and a glass of champagne in hand and as we embark through the race season, we’ve seen plenty of it all. From flowing skirts and bodycon marvels, to three-piece suits and a top hat or two, Royal Ascot is one of the most well-known events for an elegant outfit or two. Dressed to the nines, attendants of Ladies Day, the royal procession or frankly any day at the races, come together to celebrate some of the most intense horse racing around while sporting top fashion from across the country.
With King George Weekend just around the corner, we’re taking a look at some of the best fashion from Royal Ascot, and what we can expect to see the future event.
The Style Guide
For anyone attending Royal Ascot, the main website publishes a style guide every year that covers the expected dress across different parts of the racecourse. From the Royal Enclosure to the Millinery Collective, each has its own suggested style of dress. For example, the Royal Enclosure requires:
- Ladies: Dresses of a moderate length and with straps one inch in width or wider, all midriffs must be covered and while trouser suits are welcome, they should be full-length and of matching colour.
- Gentlemen: Morning dress of a black or grey colour must be worn, including a waistcoat and tie (no novelty designs), a black or grey top hat and back shoes with socks.
- Girls: The dress code for girls should follow that of the women, however, they are allowed to wear a fascinator as opposed to a full hat.
- Boys: Young boys can choose to follow the same dress code as the gentlemen or opt for a black or grey lounge suit. In the Village Enclosure, however, the dress code is a little laxer but does include:
by Livia Manywounds
Competitors race bareback on thoroughbreds, with riders jumping from one horse to another
In its third season, the Canadian Indian Relay Racing Association is set to call the Calgary area home for its 2019 championship finals in the fall.
The association, which started in 2017, put a call out on social media for a venue to host the finals. Century Downs was the top bidder.
The championships are expected to have a prize purse of over $58,000 with more sponsors expected to jump on board.
Indian Relay is a sport that involves racing bareback on thoroughbred horses, with the rider jumping from one horse to another after each lap for three rounds.
Three horses and four people — a mugger, rider and two holders — make up a team.
Read more: Century Downs to host Canadian Indian Relay Racing Championships
Tiger Roll etched his place in history as one of the finest horses to grace jumps racing after winning the Grand National for the second year in a row. The bay gelding produced an outstanding performance at Aintree to beat out his nearest rival Magic of Light to claim the victory by two-and-three-quarter lengths.
Tiger Roll becomes an Aintree legend...
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 6, 2019
He's the first horse to win back-to-back Grand Nationals since Red Rum 45 years ago 👏👏👏
Follow: https://t.co/8pvEbGaVAQ #grandnational #GrandNational2019 pic.twitter.com/j2dcOj8ZU7
by Christina Moore
After a dramatic edition of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, all eyes now turn to the second jewel of the Triple Crown: the Preakness Stakes. First run in 1873, the 144th edition of the race is this Saturday at Pimlico in Baltimore, and though it doesn’t feature the Derby winner it will have no shortage of excitement with 12 horses expected to square off.
Read on for 12 fun facts about the race.
1. This year is the first time since 1996 that the Derby winner won’t be running in the Preakness. Country House came down with a cough last week. In 1996, Grindstone sustained an injury winning the Derby and was retired.
2. The silver Preakness trophy is the most valuable in sports, according to the Preakness media guide. The Woodlawn Vase, as it’s known, was created by Tiffany and Co. in 1860 and was appraised at $1 million back in 1983.
Read more: Twelve Things You Should Know About the 2019 Preakness Stakes
by Andrew Champagne
“What is a foul that merits disqualification?”
Like everyone else, I’ve been struggling to wrap my head around what happened Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs. It’s something we’ve never seen before: The winner of the Kentucky Derby was disqualified for interference during the running of the race.
As the social media age dictates, reaction to the decision has been mixed and loud, and it’s not expected to quiet down anytime soon. Many people I like and respect voiced support for the unanimous decision that disqualified Maximum Security and elevated Country House to the top spot. Many people I like and respect also thought it was a terrible, awful, no-good, very-bad call that disgraced the biggest race of the year.
My opinion is that the DQ was warranted. We can go on and on about this, but while Maximum Security didn’t bother Country House, his drifting nearly caused War of Will to clip heels, and Long Range Toddy was sandwiched as a result. Maybe neither horse was winning, and maybe Country House was never getting by, but I don’t think any of that matters.
However, I’m writing this not to take one side or the other, but to put forth an alternate hypothesis. With all due respect to the writers, handicappers, and pundits that have voiced their opinions…I don’t think it matters what any of us think of the decision.
Why? Because there’s a bigger elephant in the room nobody wants to address that was front and center Saturday afternoon.
“What is a foul that merits disqualification?”
Ask that question to officials in Kentucky, New York, Florida, and California, and you’re going to get four different answers. By the letter of the rules in each state, infractions that merit disqualification in one state don’t necessarily merit disqualification in another. This is even before the human element of the story comes into play (as a former TVG colleague states often, horse racing is the only sport where officials consult the athletes on whether or not to call a penalty).
Read more: Country House, Maximum Security, the Kentucky Derby, and the Question Nobody’s Asking
Alexis Garske works in the media and press relations department at Santa Anita Park. She also is one of the founding members of the #IAmHorseRacing campaign. Garske took some time to explain the origin of this new initiative and how it became a reality.
Can you explain the idea behind #IAMHorseRacing?
The main objective was to create a platform to share the stories that exist in and around racing. We certainly didn’t reinvent the wheel. Stories are being told every day by very talented people within the business providing thoughtful features and interviews, but it’s hard to get the traction those so often deserve.
Our idea was to create snapshots of these people’s story using a medium that was easily digestible, incredibly visual, and had the raw potential to go viral. Our main focus is the extensive care for these horses, the passion for the sport, and the many jobs that make up this industry.
We’re a community of hard-working, resilient men and women who are passionate about what they do. How many people outside of racing can say they get out of bed at 3:30 a.m. every morning to go to work no matter the day, the weather, or the sacrifice it can sometimes entail? Many do this for decades and wouldn’t have it any other way.
We come from all walks of life and each have a story to tell about what brought us here. There’s nothing more empowering than sharing your truth in a way that people can relate to, in one way or another. It invites compassion and shows our humanity. And, just maybe that will encourage a greater curiosity and willingness to learn.
On Thursday, March 21, the Secretariat Heritage Center announced its formation as a new 501c3 organization designed to celebrate the legacy of Secretariat and Meadow Stable at The Meadow Event Park. The nonprofit has plans to elevate the current Secretariat tour program and its existing historic assets to a national heritage tourism destination and educational center.
Secretariat, acclaimed as the greatest racehorse in America’s history, was born at The Meadow in Caroline County on March 30, 1970. His Triple Crown victory in 1973 stands as one of the greatest moments in all of sports, and he remains the only Triple Crown winner since 1919 to set track records in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Those three track records remain unbroken today, and his bloodlines continue to dominate Thoroughbred racing.
Initial plans for the Secretariat Heritage Center focus on restoring the original barns, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. Included are the yearling barns, with the farm manager’s office and tack room, the stallion barn, Secretariat’s foaling shed, training barn, and a horse cemetery. A Hoofprints of History Trail will link all the key points of interest on the property.
Have you ever wondered how odds are determined? If you frequent the horse track, you know how exciting it is to pick a longshot favourite from the field, place a wager with the counter, and pick up your handsome reward when your pick gallops to victory.
But how does a dark horse get those longshot odds in the first place? You may know how to read odds, and you may know that prices can fluctuate up to the gates springing open, when the starting price becomes fixed.
Here’s how oddsmakers arrive at this moment.
Money and Math
Race odds are largely compiled from a formula that processes the total amount wagered on a race, the amount wagered on each participating horse, and the amount the trace or betting facility makes. If wagers have yet to be placed, the odds consider the estimated cut of the total betting pool each horse is predicted to receive.
Oddsmakers are specialists in predicting the outcomes of horse races. They often have years of experience breaking down mountains of data into single, simple to understand outcomes for each race entrant.
The last three runnings of the Grand National have gone to Irish or Scottish raiders. It's a race everyone wants to win and an English-trained winner will have their work cut out for them at Aintree near Liverpool this year.
With the prospect of up to half the 2019 Grand National field being from the Emerald Isle, the world-famous National Hunt horse on Saturday, April 6 promises to be fascinating. Who are the leading English-trained contenders for this ultimate test of thoroughbred and jockey?
Elegant Escape
Colin Tizzard could aim his young improver Elegant Escape at the Grand National. The seven-year-old is bidding to become the first of that age to win the world's most famous steeplechase since 1940.
Stats are there to be defied, however, and Elegant Escape had sufficient stamina to win the Welsh Grand National at Christmastime. The Aintree race is over three-quarters of a mile further than that event, but there are no doubts about his staying credentials.
Bookmakers like Paddy Power already have Grand National runners odds and Elegant Escape is towards the head of their betting market. As he's open to much more progress, this horse is the leading English-trained contender for Aintree.
Read more: Four Leading English-Trained Contenders for 2019 Grand National
In the UK, no other racing event is more popular than the Grand National. Its first race was run in the year 1839, so it can rightly boast of a very long history. It is also the most valuable jump race in Europe. The prize fund of the 2017 Grand National was £1 million.
The Grand National will be held this year at Aintree Racecourse in April. The mega racing event is not far, so you better start making your preparations, especially if you are a punter. You can bet on Grand National by using the freebets site which ensures that you enjoy the best betting experience by giving you all the best free bets and offers. You can also enjoy all the best betting tips and news updates at the site.
So enjoy all the best offers of Paddy Power, Coral, Bet365, Betfred and Betfair. With Bet365, you can get up to £100 in bet credits. Coral has come up with the special Grand National offer of Bet £5 Get £5. While with Paddy Power, you can get your hands on £40 free bets offer. Check all the offers and then choose the one that suits your needs the best.
1- Aldaniti (1981 Grand National winner)
The success story of Aldaniti is hugely inspirational. He established himself as a top steeplechaser in the 1978-79 season. He finished third in that season's Cheltenham Gold Cup while grabbing the second position in the Scottish Grand National. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious injury in November 1979 that threatened to end his racing career.
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