A horse race is a competition between horses in which participants place wagers on the outcome of a horse event. It is a major spectator sport around the world and an important component of the betting industry. Some races are open to all, while others restrict participation based on class or age, or are restricted to certain types of bets, such as parlays. In the United States, the Triple Crown series (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes) is considered the pinnacle of thoroughbred racing. Other prestigious races include the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France, Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup in Australia, Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini in Argentina, and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in England.

In addition to betting, horse racing also provides a platform for social commentary. The language of horse racing is colorful, and the curses that rise with the strides of a race fill grandstands with the rhythm and ring of universal imprecations.

One reason horse racing has such a high death rate is the fact that it takes place on hard, unforgiving tracks over which animals must run at very fast speeds. Injuries are inevitable, but a number of changes could make horse racing safer for the animals involved. These include a zero-tolerance drug policy, a ban on whipping, and competitive racing only after a horse’s third birthday.

A more serious threat is the use of drugs to give horses an unfair advantage. When trainers discover that a certain medicine helps them win more races, they will often give it to all of their horses. Powerful painkillers, steroids, antipsychotics, growth hormones, and blood doping have become common in horse racing. Rules for testing these substances are not uniform, and officials cannot keep up with the development of new products.

Unlike most sports, which put the athletes’ welfare first, horse racing has always been a business that values profits above all else. This business model, in which the owners and breeders of a few top-performing horses reap enormous rewards while the rest of the field is left to struggle, has led to exploitation of the animals that are sacrificed for it. Animal-rights groups, such as PETA, estimate that ten thousand American thoroughbreds are killed each year. Many end up in slaughterhouses in Canada, Mexico, and Japan, where they are turned into glue and dog food. Those that do not end up as glue or food are often sold as pets, or put into training for other uses. A few of these are even resold for racing. Other, even more fortunate, are retired to the pasture, where they spend their twilight years enjoying a life of luxury.