Horse racing in the US has been extremely popular throughout it's years, with the Kentucky Derby being the seventh most watched sporting event in the US-in 2010 there were 150,000 in attendence live, and over 14 millon tuning in from home. Horse racing itself is the seventh most watched sport in the US as well. Racehorses have had huge impacts on Americans in the past, Seabiscuit for intance, giving the nation hope during the Great Depression, a symbol for them to look to. Horse racing in the US dates back to 1665, when the Newmarket course on Long Island, NY was established. The American Stud Book was started in 1868, which was the beginning of organized horse racing in the US. By 1890, there were 314 operating tracks in America, and in 1994 the American Jockey Club was formed.
Some of the most well-known races are those belonging to the Triple Crown, a set of three races designed to test a young horse, pushing them to what will probably be the hardest five weeks of racing in their career. It begins with the Kentucky Derby at Chruchill Downs, Louisville, KY. This race is 1 1/4 miles, the first test to determine who will continue on to the Preakness Stakes. The Preakness Stakes are held at Pimlico Racetrack in Balitmore, Maryland and is 1 3/16 miles. If a horse wins both races, it will continue on to the Belmont Stakes, held in Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. This race is 1 1/2 miles, the longest dirt track in thoroughbred racing. In history, there have only been eleven winners, out of the 130 years it has been held. These grueling races are very close together, and some of the longest races these young horses will ever have to run. Perhaps the most famos of all winners is Secretariat, who holds the fastest record for all of these races of all time, and no horses have come even close to breaking them.
Horse racing has been prominent in the US for many years, the Triple Crown being one of the most popular sporting events, and horse racing itself being so hugley popular among Americans. This blog will look into the most famous racehorses, their owners, trainers, and jockeys, looking at the effects they had on their time, and why their names carry through and stand among the most famous athletes in America.
