A horse race is a contest in which participants try to win a stake by racing horses over a set distance. This is a popular sport with a rich history, with records of it occurring in ancient Greece, Rome, Babylon, Syria and Arabia. In modern times, horse races are held at many tracks and involve a variety of rules and regulations that govern how a race is conducted.
The term horse race is also used to refer to a close and competitive contest, as in a political election. In this sense, the word can have a negative connotation, particularly when it is used to describe an excessively partisan or negative campaign. This is especially true in the United States, where mudslinging and attack ads are common, and the horse-race metaphor is often applied to describe highly competitive congressional and presidential elections.
One of the most important parts of a horse race is the starting gate, which is where the horses will line up before they begin running. Before the invention of the electric starter gate, which made its debut on July 1, 1939 at Lansdowne Park in Canada, horses were led into a line with either a rope that would raise or lower or someone who would wave a flag.
After the runner has lined up in front of the starting gate, he is usually given a small dose of a drug called Lasix. This is a diuretic that helps prevent exercise-induced pulmonary bleeding, which can occur when horses are pushed to extreme limits.
In addition to this medication, the runner will probably receive an injection of a steroid to enhance his speed and performance. Typically, trainers will have the runner train at a range of speeds and distances to prepare him for the conditions of a specific race. The pace of training can vary, depending on the track and weather conditions.
After a thorough training program, the runner will be entered in a race. The schedule of races is called a condition book, and it is usually published weeks or even months ahead of time. The race schedule outlines the races that are eligible for entries and the requirements for those races. Some races are restricted to certain age groups, sexes or birthplaces, while others have a minimum entry requirement. Some races are categorized as sprints, which require high acceleration, and others as long-distance races, or routes, that test stamina. The most competitive races are considered stakes races. Stakes races are contested over a set distance and have a higher stake for the winner. They can be worth millions of dollars for the winning horse. Other races are not ranked as highly but still have some value for bettors.