A horse race is a competition in which horses are ridden by jockeys to compete for prizes. It has been a popular activity for centuries, with betting an integral part of the sport. The first organized race in North America took place in 1664. Today, many races are televised to attract spectators from around the world. While racing events are often a source of controversy, they also highlight national pride and serve as an important economic driver for the country where the races take place.

The horses in a race are ranked according to their previous performances. The highest-ranked horses earn the largest purses. A horse’s ranking can be influenced by its race history, its position relative to the inside barrier, its sex (male or female), its training, and even its trainer. The sex of the horse can have significant consequences as a result of differences in speed and acceleration. The horses’s age can have a profound effect on its performance as well, with younger horses being faster than older ones.

There is a great deal of debate about whether or not horse races are ethical, as they can place unnecessary stress on the animals. It is a dangerous sport for both horses and their riders, and many injuries occur. Horses are often pushed beyond their limits and forced to race when medical advice would have them resting for weeks or months. They are often given cocktails of legal and illegal drugs to mask pain and enhance performance, which can cause a variety of health issues for the animals.

Among the most common injuries is exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, or bleeding in the lungs, which occurs when horses are rushed into competition too soon after injury or illness. This can lead to severe injuries that may be fatal. In addition, the veterinary care for the horses is substandard in some areas.

In the wild, horses love to run fast and are prone to doing so whenever they can. However, in the context of a human-designed race, they are more interested in staying together as a group than in winning. As prey animals, horses want to keep each other safe and avoid harm at all costs.

In addition to monetary prizes, the horse races are a source of entertainment for the participants. A popular competition is handicapping, wherein bettors try to predict the finishing order of the horses in a particular race by using various factors including their past performance and current form. Another method of handicapping is Beyer speed figures, which were first published in the Daily Racing Form in 1992.