Little Known Facts about Thoroughbred Horse Racing

The next time that you go to the track, watch the horses carefully. Do you know the horses' history, How their handlers care for them? How horse racing got started? How horse racing has, in recent years, spawned multiple games?

Learn more about the world of horse racing by reading about some of the least-known facts about the horses and the sport.

Kentucky

Did you ever wonder why so many of the most famous races are held in the Blue Grass region? The Blue Grass region of Kentucky is the area of Kentucky where the best agricultural land is located. The grazing fields are a mixture of different types of grasses including orchard grass and rye grass. Early farmers noticed that horses that grazed in the Bluegrass region were more hardy than those from other regions due to the high content of calcium from the earth's limestone that was absorbed into the grasses.

A second bit of fuel for the Kentucky horse racing industry came in the 1890s and early 1900s when gambling became illegal in the Northeast where previously, much of the horse racing industry had been concentrated. Kentucky continued to allow – and encourage – horse racing and horse breeders set up Thoroughbred nurseries there where they could breed racing horses.

Even after that, horse racing in Kentucky didn't take off. The first Kentucky Derby was held in 1875 at Churchill Downs but it wasn't until 50 years later when Louisville businessman Matt Winn introduced pari-mutuel betting to the race and reduced the race's minimum wager from $5 to $2. This cut bookmakers out completely.

When a trio of unlikely winners raised the Derby's profile— long shot Donerail took home the trophy in 1913, Old Rosebud set a track record in 1914 and a filly won the Derby for the first time in 1915 – horse racing fans started to look at the Blue Grass region as the center of horse racing entertainment for the nation.

Today the Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Downs, Keenland, Turfway, Ellis Park and the Red Mile races are run in the Blue Grass Region.

Clockwise and Counterclockwise

In America, the race track is run counterclockwise. Legend has it that the builder of the nation's first racecourse, William Whitley, wanted to protest the British during Colonial times so he designed a racecourse in which the horses run counterclockwise, in opposition to the British tradition in which horses run clockwise.

Whitley settled in Kentucky which was developing its horse-breeding industry in the early 1800s. In those years 92 percent of Kentucky taxpayers owned a horse with the average ownership totally 3.2 horses per taxpayer. The tradition, which took hold in Kentucky, quickly spread around the United States.

Thoroughbreds

The wordthoroughbred is often used to refer to any breed of purebred horse but technically it refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. All thoroughbreds are descended from one of three foundation sires who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. These stallions – Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian and Godolphin Arabian, were imported from the Middle East and bred to native English mares.

The horses that resulted from these matings were listed in the General Stud Book and the practice of official registration of all descendants of these early breedings was established. Today, all thoroughbred foals are tested to ensure that their DNA makes them eligible to be called an official thoroughbred as descended from one of the original foundation sires.

Naming Horses

Horses are not typically named until they are about to be raced. Every thoroughbred racehorse is considered to be 2 years old on the 2nd January 1st of its life, regardless of its actual birth date. Prior to that date, trainers and grooms refer to the young horses by a nickname, or refer to them by their mother’s name with the year they were born.

Rules for naming a racehorse forbid:

• Naming a horse using numbers or initials.

• Ending a name with any horse-related term (i.e. filly, colt, stud, mare, stallion ).

• Naming a horse after a living person unless written permission is given.

• Using the name of a deceased person, unless approved by the Jockey Club.

• Using the name of a stakes race or track.

• Using names with artistic or commercial value.

• Using a name that might be considered to be vulgar, obscene, or in poor taste.

• Using names identical or similar to other thoroughbreds.

Names must be 18 characters or under, including spaces.

Pampering

There's probably no athlete that gets pampered like a racehorse. Some of the spoiling that racehorses get when they're on their way to a top race, or while they're in-between races, may include:

• On trips there's an entire staff on board whose sole worry revolves around the horse. There's a veterinarian on the train/plane and several professional grooms who spend 24/7 taking care of the horse's needs.

• The horse's quarters are cool and the stalls are spacious. In addition to the grooms there are professional riders to exercise the horse.

• The stalls are arranged in a way that allows the horses to see each other (because, as herd animals, they enjoy seeing other horses).

• Each stall has a fan to cool the animals as needed.

• Straw is imported.

• Feed is protein-heavy and high in fat, vitamins and nutrients. Hay is the best available.

• Horses are treated with omeprazole to prevent gastric ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease and other digestive problems.

• Cameras monitor paddocks 24/7. Records are retained for weeks.