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Horse racing facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Horserace 520133030
Horse racing at Arlington Park, 2007

Horse racing is a sport in which a race is held between racehorses(horses bred for racing). Racehorses are most often thoroughbreds. The Kentucky Derby is a major horserace that is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky every year. The Kentucky Derby is part of the Triple Crown, which includes two other races. Yonkers, New York is a major venue for harness racing.

Important races outside the US include Longchamp near Paris, the Dubai Gold Cup and the Melbourne Cup, held every year in Australia on the second Tuesday of November. Heralded as "the race that stops the nation," this one race alone keeps hatmakers in the city of Melbourne in business for an entire year. Every year, during the cup, over 11 million people from Australia and New Zealand tune in to listen to the race, starting at 3:00pm.

Racing is also popular in the UK and Ireland. Major races include Ascot, Newmarket and the Grand National. Racing also takes place at Epsom, Chepstow, Goodwood, York, Cheltenham and Punchestown, County Kildare.

In the Far East Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore are major race centres.

Images for kids

  • Deauville-Clairefontaine obstacle 2

    Steeplechase racing at Deauville

  • Harness Racing (Pacers)

    Harness racing in Adelaide

  • Corsa ippica - Palio di Legnano 2013 (2)

    Horse racing in Palio di Legnano 2013

  • Théodore Géricault - Riderless Racers at Rome - Walters 37189

    Riderless Racers at Rome by Théodore Géricault, 1817

  • DV307 no.84 Horse racing near Apsley House, London

    British nobility horse racing at Apsley House, London c. 1850s

  • Horses jump over hurdle

    Race horses hurdling at Bangor

  • Suffolk Downs horse racing

    Suffolk Downs starting gate, East Boston, Massachusetts

  • Standardbred horses racing

    Standardbred horses harness racing

  • James Pollard - The Derby Pets- The Winner - Google Art Project

    The Derby Pets - The Winner; painting by James Pollard, c. 1840

  • A Race Meeting at Jacksonville, Alabama by W.S. Hedges - BMA

    Horse racing at Jacksonville, Alabama, 1841

  • Race track at fairgrounds, Toledo, O. - DPLA - c70272485bd187fb7697c77c138906b8 (page 1)

    Horse racing at Toledo, Ohio, 1910

  • Pierwsze wyścigi w Warszawie (59465)

    Horse Racing in Warsaw at Pole Mokotowskie Race Track in 1891

  • Olaus Magnus - On Horse Races on the Ice

    Horse racing in Sweden, c. 1555

  • Becher's Brook, 1890

    1890 engraving of horses jumping the Becher's Brook fence in the Grand National. With treacherous fences combined with the distance (over 4 miles), the race has been called "the ultimate test of horse and rider".

  • Eclipse(horse)

    Eclipse, an undefeated British racehorse and outstanding sire.

  • Pierwsze wyscigi

    "First regular horse racing on Pola Mokotowskie in Warsaw" January Suchodolski 1849.

  • Tambo valley races 2006 edit

    Tambo Valley Picnic Races, Victoria, Australia 2006

  • Maiden Cup 2006, Champ de Mars Racecourse, Port Louis, Mauritius - 20060910

    Maiden Cup 2006 - To The Line, winner of the race

  • Hongkongjockeyclub

    Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong at night

  • Nakayama Racecourse01

    Nakayama Racecourse in Funabashi, Japan

See also

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