A horse race is a contest of speed among horses that are either ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies and driven by drivers. The sport is a major professional activity that attracts bettors and other spectators. In the modern world, bettors can place wagers on individual horses, combinations of horses, and groups of races. These wagers include the win, the place, and the show, as well as multiple-race wagers like daily doubles, exactas, and quinellas.

Horse races have long been popular spectator sports in the United States, but their popularity soared after World War I. Prosperity and the emergence of great horses such as Man o’ War brought fans to the tracks. The addition of oval tracks that allowed spectators to see the action from all angles further increased interest in the sport.

The earliest evidence of organized racing dates back to ancient times. Both four-hitch chariot and mounted (bareback) racing were part of the Olympic Games in Greece from 700-40 bce. It is also likely that organized chariot racing began in China and Persia, with mounted racing later spreading to Europe from India.

In the early days of American horse racing, many of the leading owners and breeders were English. Their success inspired them to try to produce leaner, faster equines. The resulting “blooded” horses, first known as Thoroughbreds, quickly became the dominant racehorses of North America and England.

Despite its enduring popularity, horse racing is still considered a dangerous sport for horses. Injuries are common, and even minor ones can be fatal. Thousands of horses die each year, and those that survive can suffer from permanent damage from repeated exertion. Many also experience exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, which causes them to bleed from their lungs during intense exercise.

As with any business, there are those who view horse racing as a form of gambling, and it is therefore illegal in some states to take bets on the outcome of a race. Nonetheless, the sport remains profitable due to the large sums of money that are wagered each year by the public on the results of individual races and on multi-race wagers like the daily double, the exacta, and the quinella.

In the United States, horse racing is a major industry with more than 100 racetracks. The sport is regulated by state laws that regulate the number of horses per race, the size of their purses, and other factors. It is also a lucrative profession for those who own and train horses. Commercial breeders, who raise foals for sale to other stables, make up the largest segment of the industry. Home breeders, who breed and raise their own horses for racing purposes, are a smaller but significant portion of the industry. The sport is a huge source of revenue for many states, and it is a major employer in some areas. In the past, horse races have often been held in conjunction with other types of entertainment, such as rodeos and musical revues.