A horse race is a competition in which horses compete for prize money. The winning horse must complete a race in a certain time and jump every hurdle (if present). This is an extremely dangerous sport for both horses and riders. Horses are subject to physical pain, mental stress and emotional trauma. They are also forced to run at speeds that are beyond their natural limits. The result is many injuries and deaths. Some horses are euthanized after suffering fatal injuries while others suffer inhumane treatment and are rushed to slaughter.
To prepare a horse for the races, trainers plan training programs based on the conditions in each race. Each track will have a condition book, which is a schedule of races for a given period. It lists races for a variety of levels. For example, a “conditioned claiming” race is open to horses that have not won a maiden or claiming allowance race but are at the proper age and level. The more successful a horse is in the claiming ranks, the higher its value and the better it will be able to run in other races.
Most horses, including those in the top tiers of racing, start their careers in a lower-level claiming race. This is because they are not quite fast enough to run in more prestigious races and will not receive much of a reward if they win. They may not even win a single race. Therefore, they will be entered in a claiming race, where other horses are competing against them for the same prize money. This is a risk-reward situation for trainers, who may take a chance on a younger, less-experienced horse and hope that it does well in order to gain class relief.
After a horse wins several races, it can move up to higher-level claiming races. If it fails to win a race, it will then go back into the conditioned claiming ranks. This creates a system of checks and balances so that one horse can’t easily dominate the entire claiming ladder, which would make betting on the sport unsustainable.
Despite the romanticized image of horse races, behind the scenes of this multibillion-dollar industry are a world of abuse, drug misuse, and gruesome breakdowns. Often pushed to their limits and doped with cocktails of legal and illegal drugs intended to mask injuries and enhance performance, racehorses pay the ultimate price. Many die from terrifying accidents, are euthanized after sustaining crippling injuries, or fail to win races and end up in slaughterhouses where they are turned into glue and dog food. The rest are sent to Canada, Mexico or Japan where they become a part of the global horse meat trade. A few survive and are retired to pastures, but the vast majority will spend the remainder of their lives confined in a small space until they die or are euthanized. Ultimately, all horses used in racing are victims of this ruthless industry.