A horse race is a contest between two or more horses over a fixed distance. It has been a popular sport in many civilizations since ancient times, and it is an important part of mythology and legend. It is a high-stress activity, and horsemen must be adept at directing the animal to exert itself only as needed to overcome the competition. It is not uncommon for horses to break down or even die during a race. In modern times, it is regulated and has become a highly technical sport.

In the past, drug use was widespread in racing. Powerful painkillers and anti-inflammatories designed for humans were being fed to racehorses, causing them to run because they couldn’t feel the soreness warning them not to. Other drugs, like growth hormones, were also used, and racing officials could not keep up with them or test for them. Then came blood doping, a practice in which the horses were given a diuretic before a race to cause them to lose water and thus drop weight. This made the horses faster, but it was also dangerous and illegal, and it led to a number of deaths.

When horse racing was first established, the goal was stamina rather than speed. Until the Civil War, the most celebrated American Thoroughbreds were renowned for their endurance, and it was not unusual for a horse to win several races in a day. Eventually, the sport changed and it became all about speed. This new emphasis on speed, however, did not take hold in Europe, where the sport had been modeled.

There are now several types of horse races, including handicaps, stakes, and allowance races. Each type of race has its own rules, such as the age, sex, and birthplace of the horses and the qualifications of the riders. Each race has a set amount of money that can be won by the winner.

A horse is a large prey animal that is often ridden by an experienced person, or jockey, who uses a saddle to ride it. The horse is usually walked or jogged before the start of the race, which is called the walking ring, and then it is sent on its way over a dirt track. It can run at speeds up to 60 mph.

The horse is weighed before the race to determine its starting place and to adjust its weight for the race’s distance and the ground’s surface conditions. Then the jockey mounts it and guides it through the early stages of the race.

The horses begin to accelerate as they move into the backstretch, which is a long stretch of track where the horses are running into the last of the evening sunlight. War of Will is moving well, hugging the inside rail. McKinzie and Mongolian Groom are close behind. But on the far turn, you can see that War of Will is tiring. Suddenly, Vino Rosso makes a powerful move up on the outside.