Horse breeds and
muscle structure
Muscles are just
bundles of stringy fibers that are attached to bones by tendons. These bundles
have different types of fibers within them and horses have adapted over the
years to produce different amounts of these fibers. Type II-b fibers are fast
twitch fibers. These fibers allow muscles to contract quickly resulting in a
great deal of power and speed. Type I fibers are slow-twitch fibers. They allow
muscles to work for longer periods of time resulting in greater endurance. Type
II-a fibers are in the middle. They are a balance between the fast twitch
fibers and the slow-twitch fibers. They allow the muscles to generate both
speed and endurance. Type I muscles are absolutely necessary for aerobic
exercise because they rely on the presence of oxygen in order to work. Type II
muscles are needed for anaerobic exercise because they can function without the
presence of oxygen. Thoroughbreds possess more Type II-a muscle fibers than the
Quarter Horse or Arabian. This type of fiber allows them to propel themselves
forward at great speeds and maintain it for an extended distance.
Training
The conditioning
program for the different horses varies depending on the race length. Genetics,
training, age, and skeletal soundness are all factors that contribute to a
horse's performance. The muscle structure and fiber type of horses depends on
the breed, therefore genetics must be considered when constructing a
conditioning plan. A horse's fitness plan must be coordinated properly in order
to prevent injury or unnecessary lameness. If these were to occur, they may
negatively affect a horse's willingness to learn. dating back to 1858, when it
was founded by the sons of the Spaniard Don Agustin Bernal.
In 1665, the first
racetrack was constructed on Long Island. It is the oldest Thoroughbred race in
North America. The American Stud Book was started in 1868, prompting the
beginning of organized horse racing in the United States. There were 314 tracks
operating in the United States by 1890; and in 1894, the American Jockey Club
was formed.
The first record of
quarter mile length races dated back to 1674 in Henrico County, Virginia. Each
race consisted of only two horses and they raced down the village streets and
lanes. The Quarter Horse received its name due to the length of the race. The
races were indeed "a quarter" of a mile, or 400 meters. The breed of
horse was developed so they could get off to a quick start, and win the race.
Belmont Park is part
of the western edge of the Hempstead Plains. Its mile-and-a-half main track is
the largest dirt Thoroughbred race course in the world, and it has the sport's
largest grandstand.
One of the latest major
horse track opened in the United States was the Meadowlands Racetrack opened in
1977 for Thoroughbred racing. It is the home of the Meadowlands Cup. Other more
recently opened tracks include Remington Park, Oklahoma City, opened in 1988,
and Lone Star Park in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, opened in 1997; the
latter track hosted the prestigious Breeders' Cup series of races in 2004.
Thoroughbred horse
racing in the United States has its own Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New
York. The Hall of Fame honors remarkable horses, jockeys, owners, and trainers.
The traditional high
point of US horse racing is the Kentucky Derby, held on the first Saturday of
May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Together, the Derby; the
Preakness Stakes, held two weeks later at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore,
Maryland; and the Belmont Stakes, held three weeks after the Preakness at
Belmont Park on Long Island, form the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing for
three-year-olds. They are all held early in the year, throughout May and the
beginning of June. In recent years the Breeders' Cup races, run at the end of
the year, have challenged the Triple Crown events as determiners of the
three-year-old Champion. The Breeders' Cup is normally held at a different
track every year; however the 2010 and 2011 editions were held at Churchill
Downs, and the 2012 and 2013 races were held at Santa Anita Park, as was the
2014 edition. Keeneland, in Lexington, KY, hosted the 2015 breeders cup.
The corresponding
Standardbred event is the Breeders' Crown. There are also a Triple Crown of
Harness Racing for Pacers and a Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters, as
well as an Arabian Triple Crown consisting of Drinkers of the Wind Derby in
California, the Texas Six Shooter Stakes, and the Bob Magness Derby in
Delaware.
American betting on
horse racing is sanctioned and regulated by the state where the race is
located. Simulcast betting exists across state lines with minimal oversight
except the companies involved through legalized parimutuel gambling. A takeout,
or "take", is removed from each betting pool and distributed
according to state law, among the state, race track and horsemen. A variety of
factors affect takeout, namely location and the type of wager that is placed.
One form of parimutuel gaming is Instant Racing, in which players bet on video
replays of races.
Canada
The most famous horse
from Canada is generally considered to be Northern Dancer, who after winning
the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Queen's Plate in 1964 went on to become the
most successful Thoroughbred sire of the 20th century; his two-minute-flat
Derby was the fastest on record until Secretariat in 1973. The only challenger
to his title of greatest Canadian horse would be his son Nijinsky II, who is
the last horse to win the English Triple Crown. Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, home of the Queen's Plate,
Canada's premier Thoroughbred stakes race, and the North America Cup, Canada's
premier Standardbred stakes race, is the only race track in North America which
stages Thoroughbred and Standardbred
meetings on the same day. The Pattison Canadian International has the
largest purse of any Canadian horse race. Other key races include Woodbine
Oaks, Prince of Wales Stakes, Breeders' Stakes
and Canadian Derby.
Europe
Belgium
Horse racing in
Belgium takes place at three venues - Hippodrome Wellington in Ostend,
Hippodroom Waregem in Waregem in Flanders and Hippodrome de Wallonie in Mons,
Wallonia.
Czech Republic
There are 15
racecourses in the Czech Republic, most notably Pardubice Racecourse, where the
country's most famous race, the Velka Pardubicka steeplechase has been run
since 1874. The world famous Melbourne Cup, the race that stops a nation, has
recently attracted many international entries. In country racing, records
indicate that Goulburn commenced racing in 1834. Australia's first country
racing club was established at Wallabadah in 1852 and the Wallabadah Cup is
still held on New Year's Day.
Tipster Street.
