There are many horse racing betting events throughout the year. Some are more popular than others, and some offer better odds for bettors. In this blog post, we will take a comprehensive look at 10 of the most popular horse racing betting events. We will provide information about each race, including the date, location, and purse size. We will also discuss the types of bets that can be placed on these events. So without further ado, let’s get started!
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is one of the most popular horse racing betting events in North America. It is held annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is open to three-year-old thoroughbred horses. The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race with a purse of $ two million.
The Kentucky Derby is known as “The Run for the Roses” because a garland of roses is draped over the winner’s neck. It is also nicknamed “The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports” because that is approximately how long it takes for the horses to complete the race.
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The event drew a record-breaking crowd of 131,680 in 2012 and is often referred to as “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” because a blanket of the state flower is placed over the winner’s shoulders.
Inaugurated in 1873, the Preakness was named by Colonel Oden Bowie, then-owner of Pimlico, after a successful colt at his farm named Preakness.
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event is one of the three Triple Crown races, and is nicknamed “The Test of the Champion” due to its demanding mile-and-a-half distance.
First run in 1867, the Belmont Stakes is the oldest of the Triple Crown races. The winner of all three events receives the coveted Triple Crown trophy. Secretariat holds the record for fastest time at two minutes and 24 seconds, set in 1973. American Pharoah became just the 12th horse to win all three races when he accomplished the feat in 2015.
Dubai World Cup
The Dubai World Cup is the world’s richest horse race with a purse of $12 million. The race is held annually on the last Saturday in March at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The inaugural running of the Dubai World Cup was on March 27, 1996. Cigar was the first winner of the race, defeating Lammtarra by two lengths.
Since its inception, the Dubai World Cup has attracted some of the world’s top thoroughbreds. Red Cadeaux, Arlington House, and Curlin are just a few of the horses who have raced in (and won) the Dubai World Cup.
Arlington Million
The Arlington Million is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The event was established in 1981 as the first ever million dollar Thoroughbred horse race in North America. It is now part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series and offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to that year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Epsom Derby
The Epsom Derby is one of the most prestigious horse races in the world, and has been run annually at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey, England, since 1780. It is open to three-year-old colts and fillies, and is run over a distance of two miles (about 3219 meters). The winner of the Derby receives a prize fund of £625,000 (approximately US$750,000), making it one of the richest horse races in Europe.
The Derby is often referred to as “the Blue Riband event of the British flat racing calendar”, and has been described as “the greatest turf race in the world”.