Horse Racing is one of the oldest sports known to mankind. It dates back to ancient Greece where it became an official Olympic Games event. Horse racing is a face pace event that will definitely bring out excitement, especially if you place money on some horse.
They call it the sport of kings, and with that said some of the biggest horse racing events in the world have turned up their prize funds to fit a king.
To some people, horse racing is a bunch of horses racing on a track for a few minutes, but this sport goes far deeper than that. The process is very complicated from horse breeding to finding the right Jockey that can squeeze every bit of power from the horse.
So, what makes a horse race great? – Well there are some criteria’s that the event should meet in order to get on our list, such as:
- Total prize fund (racehorse owners and trainers)
- Global betting interest in the event
- How much media coverage do races receive?
- History, prestige, and worldwide significance
With that said, let’s jump to the list.
1). Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby is one of the most popular horse racing events on the planet. The event starts the first Saturday in May, which is great since it is in a few days.
Even though Kentucky Derby doesn’t offer the biggest prize out of all races ($3 million), it still has a lot of history behind its name and receives high media coverage.
Kentucky Derby got the nickname “run for the roses” because winners are draped in a blanket of flowers. The racetrack around 1.25 miles long on a dirt surface, and it is very exciting.
Another interesting piece of data is the number of American bettors that bet money on this event, which experts estimate to be around $140 million in bets in a single day.
Click here to know more about the upcoming Kentucky Derby next May.
2). Dubai World Cup
This is the second most prestigious racing event in horse racing up to date. It dates back to 1996 and it is scheduled for the last Saturday in March.
The race takes place on Meydan Racecourse in Dubai and it is the same length and surface as the Kentucky Derby.
When it comes to prize money, the Dubai World Cup offers the biggest rewards for the winners with a prize purse of $12 million. This is a weight-for-age race and it is open to three-year-olds and up, but geldings cannot enter the event.
3). Breeders’ Cup
This is another very popular horse racing event that takes place in a different venue in North America every year. The event starts on the first Saturday in November and it is on a dirt surface with a 1.25 miles distance.
One of the things that make this event interesting is the unique rules. It is a two-day event that takes place on different race tracks in the USA and once in Canada each year.
There are also series of qualifying where there is a system “win and you are in” across the world.
This racing event features a total prize pool of $6 million and it is one of the most anticipated horse racing events since its launch back in 1984.
4). Prix De I’Arc de Triomphe
This is Europe’s most famous horse race that has a century of history behind its name after the inaugural running that took place back in 1920.
The event takes place in Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, on a turf surface with a total racetrack distance of 1.5 miles.
Just like the previous horse racing events, it is a weight-for-age race and open to three-year-olds and up with restrictions to geldings.
The total prize sums up to around $5.6 million, which makes it one of the highest paying racing events in the world.
The race takes place on the First Sunday in October, so we have to wait for a couple of months to see this event.
