Horse racing is a sport where bettors risk their money in order to win money from other bettors. This is a form of gambling in which the winning bettors receive all the money wagered on them, after a deduction of a percentage by the track (takeout). The sport involves horses competing over varying distances, usually ranging from five furlongs to a mile and seven furlongs. A horse is able to cover these distances due to its immense physical power and the skill of its rider, who is also known as a jockey. There are two disciplines of horse racing: flat and jump racing. The former features races that are run over a variety of surfaces, while the latter involves jumping over obstacles over an obstacle course.

While many people are critical of the sport, others consider it a noble endeavor that offers the highest level of achievement for its competitors. A number of critics argue that racing is inhumane because it forces the animals to run at such high speeds, resulting in injuries and breakdowns; many horses also suffer from drug abuse and overbreeding. Still others contend that the sport should remain a part of our culture because it is a form of entertainment that is enjoyed by millions.

Behind the romanticized facade of horse racing lies a world of injuries, drug abuse, and gruesome breakdowns. Those horses that are not killed by racing are often slaughtered in foreign slaughterhouses. The for-profit industry is losing fans, revenue, race days, and entries, while the public is growing more aware of the cruelty that lurks in this sport.

As a result, some races are canceled or postponed. In 2022, a new authority was created in the hope that America will eventually move closer to Europe and other venues in basic horse-racing safety standards.

There are three types of people in racing: the crooks who dangerously drug and otherwise mistreat their horses; the dupes who labor under the fantasy that this is an honorable, broadly fair sport; and the vast mass of honorable souls who know it’s more crooked than it ought to be but don’t do enough to fix it.

The sun was setting on Santa Anita’s backstretch as the horses began to move with their characteristic hypnotic smoothness. War of Will hugged the rail, followed by McKinzie and Mongolian Groom, while Vino Rosso hung out on the outside. As they hit the far turn, you could see War of Will was tiring, but he held his position. His jockey, John Velazquez, swung the whip on his neck and shoulder.