A horse race is a type of competition where horses are ridden by jockeys and compete to win the prize money offered. It is one of the oldest and most popular sports in the world with many people betting on upcoming races or simply watching for their favorite horse to make the finish line first. The sport has some critics who say that it is inhumane and corrupt but others maintain that the racing industry provides a great service to the public and offers athletes an exciting challenge.

There is no definitive time frame for when modern horse racing began but it is generally agreed that the sport evolved from chariot and cavalry races in ancient Greece and Rome. The settlers that came to America brought with them the interest in horse racing and organized races were established soon after. Prior to the Civil War, these races were mostly endurance runs with stamina being the mark of excellence for a racehorse. After the Civil War, speed became more important and the British system was largely adopted.

The breed of a horse is one of the most important factors that determines its ability to perform in a race. Most horse races around the world are restricted to a specific breed. In order to qualify for a particular race, a horse must be accepted into that breed and must have both a sire and dam who are purebreds. There are several stud books that are used to determine which horses are eligible for various races.

In addition to a horse’s pedigree, race organizers will often assign it a weight in order to level the playing field between the different horses competing in a particular event. This is known as handicapping. The weights assigned to a horse are set either centrally or by individual tracks and the goal is to give all the horses in the race a fair chance of winning.

A runner that is carrying the least amount of weight in a race is said to be in the lead or favored. A runner that is carrying the most weight is said to be in last or behind.

During the course of a race, a horse’s rider will change from the front to the back of the pack in order to keep an eye on other runners and make adjustments as necessary. The horse will then move into the stretch, or final straight portion of the track, and begin to run at its fastest. The horse that is able to make the most strides at this point is usually considered to be the horse that will be the winner of the race.

Some groups, such as the animal rights group PETA, have been critical of horse racing for its treatment of animals. They claim that the horses are drugged, whipped, and trained and raced too young. In addition, many of the animals are not killed after the race is over and are often kept in solitary confinement.