Horse racing has entranced spectators for centuries, from the Greeks watching athletes run bareback and hitched to chariots to today’s fans cheering for their favorite horses at Laurel and Pimlico. A day at the races can include everything from wagering on a favorite to enjoying food and drink in the stands.
Many factors can determine the outcome of a race, including the weight carried by each horse (the more a horse weighs, the harder it has to work), the track’s surface and its slope, a horse’s gender or age, and the jockey or driver. Some races, called handicap races, are designed for fairness by adjusting the horse’s odds by adding or subtracting a certain amount of weight from each competitor.
A horse’s health can also influence its chances of winning. Some horses are injured or sick during the course of a race and do not finish. Injured horses that cannot recover from their injuries are euthanized or sold at auction to save the owner money on veterinary fees.
In addition to a horse’s health, the condition of its trainer and its rider or driver can have an effect on the race. Some horses are ridden by amateur riders or drivers, but more experienced jockeys and drivers can help a horse perform its best. A jockey or driver’s riding style, history with a particular horse, and previous performance can also play an important role in a race.
The first recorded horse race was a wager between two noblemen in 1651. By the time of Louis XIV (1643-1715), betting had become commonplace, and the King introduced standardized races with a set weight for each horse and a requirement that a horse win two heats to be declared the winner. The King’s Plates were originally for six-year-olds carrying 168 pounds in four-mile heats; five-year-olds and four-year-olds began competing in 1751, with the weight reduced to 140 pounds and the length of the race to two miles.
While critics have argued that pre-election polls are little more than horse race journalism, their use is protected by freedom of speech and the press. Scholars have recently started to examine whether the way in which news outlets report on these polling results influences how much voters learn about a candidate and their policies. A growing body of research suggests that when journalists rely solely on polling data in their coverage, they may mislead readers and prevent them from engaging with candidates’ platforms and issues.