A horse race is a spectacle to behold, an awe-inspiring symphony of hooves thundering down the track. But it’s also a harrowing experience for the animals that participate in it, with tens of thousands of people cheering and screaming at them. As a result, a horse can easily be frightened or injured and even break down. Unlike most human athletes, Thoroughbreds are not protected by their sports’ governing bodies and can be drugged, whipped and pushed to breaking point. Many of these equine athletes are slaughtered, according to the animal rights group Horseracing Wrongs.
The defining feature of horse racing is that it’s a gamble, and that’s a big part of what makes it a popular sport around the world. There are numerous bet types, from placing a single bet on one horse to accumulator bets that pay out depending on the number of horses who finish first to last and in varying positions. The betting market for horse races can be complex and confusing, especially for newcomers to the sport.
When it comes to politics, critics argue that journalists often do “horse race journalism,” focusing solely on two presidential contenders and their poll numbers, at the expense of other candidates and policy issues. But if there’s an area where journalists can learn something from horse race reporting, it’s this: keep an eye out for underdogs, because they can—and do—win.
On a beautiful summer day at Santa Anita, the eleven horse racers filed out of the gate. They were lined up in a long, straight row, ranging from a large chestnut colt named War of Will at the back of the pack to a tiny filly named Mongolian Groom near the front.
As they walked to the track’s clubhouse turn, you could see that the horses were drenched in pinkish light. The hypnotic movement of their massive bodies was in full view of the crowd, which went from cheering to shrieking as the horses moved into their homestretch.
At the top of the stretch, you could see that War of Will was tiring. He was a little off the pace of his stablemates, who were vying for the lead. His jockey swung his whip around the far turn, but Mongolian Groom and McKinzie surged past him.
The race was close, but in the final furlong, the outsider came from behind to win. As the winner, he earned a million dollars in bets. The rest of the field took home less than a hundred thousand each.
Besides the money involved, there are other financial implications of horse racing that aren’t always visible to the public. The sport can cost millions of dollars to maintain a competitive team of horses, trainers, grooms and veterinarians. Some Thoroughbreds are leased out, or claimed, multiple times in their careers, and some are sold for slaughter immediately after they’re retired from racing. For some of these horses, it’s a harrowing death.