Horse racing is a sport that involves a contest of speed between horses that are either ridden by jockeys or pulled by sulkies and their drivers. It has been an important part of human culture throughout history and remains a popular pastime in many countries. It also has a long and distinguished history as an art form, with the sport being documented in archaeological records from Ancient Greece, Rome, Babylon, Syria, Arabia, Egypt, and China.

In the United States, horse racing is a multibillion-dollar industry that attracts fans and spectators, as well as professional bettors who attempt to make money by placing wagers on the outcome of races. The popularity of horse races has resulted in the development of a wide variety of betting options, including point spreads, straight bets, and exotic wagers.

The term horse race can be used to describe any type of contest involving horses, but it is most often applied to competitions in which people compete for the lead or the top prize. In a horse race, the winners are determined by a process of elimination or a majority vote. While there are several strategies that can be used to select the winner of a horse race, it is important for those who plan to participate in one to understand the rules and regulations before they start competing.

An essential component of a horse race is the condition book, which lists all the races that will be run over a given period of time, usually a few weeks or a month. The condition book serves as a framework for trainers to develop their training regimens for each individual horse. During the course of the training period, the trainer will ask his or her horse to gradually work up to running at a faster pace during exercise sessions known as breezes or workouts.

Some of these races may be written with optional claiming clauses, which allow runners who have been claimed in previous races to run at the same level as other competitors. This feature helps to maintain a level playing field and ensure that the best runners will be able to compete in every race.

There are many other aspects of horse racing that should be taken into consideration before a person decides to place a bet or become involved in the sport. For example, it is estimated that ten percent of all racehorses are doped with both legal and illegal substances to mask injuries and boost performance. Horses that are pushed past their physical limits can easily suffer from an exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, which causes them to bleed internally from the lungs and can be fatal if not treated quickly.

Despite the fact that serious reforms have been implemented, horse racing still has a major drug problem. The first category of cheaters, a small and feral minority, continues to stain the integrity of the sport for everyone else. The far-too-silent majority, good horsemen and horsewomen who know that wrongdoing is happening but refuse to give up on the code of silence, must be convinced to do their part in eradicating corruption from the sport.