Thoroughbred Horse Racing
From Wikipedia,  www.wikipedia.org

Thoroughbred horse racing is the main form of horse-racing
throughout the world. A trainer, who is hired by the thoroughbred
horse's owner, would train the horses for a particular event (the
horse trains on a local training track near the stable and at
facilities and in the open country nearby) and also enter horses
into races that would suit the horse. Trainers also have
professional relations with jockeys, who ride the horse and give
feedback to the trainer after every run.


A handicap race is one in which the runners have been
"handicapped" according to their performance in other races.
Theoretically, all horses have a chance of being competitive in a
race that is correctly handicapped.


Stakes Race

Stakes races are generally higher-class races for bigger prizes.
They often involve competitors that belong to the same gender,
age and class. These races may, though, be "weight-for-age", with
weights adjusted only according to age, and also there are 'set
weights' where all horses carry the same weight. Furthermore,
there are "conditions" races, in which horses carry weights that
are set by conditions, such as having won a certain number of
races, or races of a certain value.


Jumping Races

Jumping races and steeplechases, called National Hunt racing in
the United Kingdom and Ireland, are run over long distances,
usually from two miles (3200 m) up to four and a half miles (7200
m), and horses carry more weight. Novice jumping races involve
horses that are starting out a jumping career, including horses
that previously were trained flat racing. National Hunt racing is
distinguished between hurdles races and chases: the former are
run over low obstacles and the latter over larger fences that are
much more difficult to jump.


Thoroughbred Race Horses

Horses that run in American-style races are judged on the weight
(a horse carrying 52 kg is said to have better chances than one
that carries 58 kg), the barrier gate or draw (horses have less
distance to make up if they start from an inside barrier ("stall"
in the United Kingdom and Ireland), such as 1, rather than from
an outside one, such as 15), the performance over the last three
starts, and also the performance on wet tracks, against horses of
gender and class (weak or strong opposition). Time ratings and
jockey statistics are also factors in a horse's performance in a
race, but they are considered less important.

The draw is less important in United Kingdom and Irish racing in
races over longer than a mile (1609 m), although it is
significant at certain courses for "sprints", races of five
furlongs (1006 m) up to a mile (1609 m). In National Hunt racing,
horses do not have a draw because they are started by flag, and
line up at the start behind a tape.

See also:

Famous Thoroughbred Race Horses

Breeders Cup


Plush Stuffed Horses featuring most all breeds