If you’ve ever been near a racetrack on race day, you already know that horse racing isn’t just about horses running in circles. It’s a whole vibe—the sharp sound of hooves hitting dirt, the heated conversations about which horse is going to win and the strategies that could help you win big. And somewhere in that mix of speed, community and tradition sits a long history of horse racing facts that most people never hear about.
Even if you’ve only caught the sport on TV or in passing, there’s a good chance you’ve underestimated how deep horse racing really goes. From royal roots and record-breaking finishes to massive prize money and split-second photo finishes, there’s a lot that makes the Kentucky Derby and the other big races so popular.
Read on for some fascinating facts about horse racing that trace its history and show why race day continues to draw crowds around the world.
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1. The Triple Crownis one of the most elusive titles in sports
To achieve it, a Thoroughbred must win three races: The Kentucky Derby kicks it off the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Two weeks later, the Preakness Stakes takes place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. And three weeks after that, the Belmont Stakes is run at Belmont Park outside of New York City. (The final two legs will be held elsewhere this year as Pimlico Race Course and Belmont Park undergo renovations.)
2. All three races have existed since the 1870s
But it wasn’t until the 1930s, when Daily Racing Form sports writer Charles Hatton started referring to them as the triple crown, that the term became popular. It became official in 1950, when the Thoroughbred Racing Associations retroactively awarded the title to Sir Barton, the first horse to winall three races (in 1919).
3. The Kentucky Derby is called the most exciting two minutes in sports
However, only two horses have finished it in that time. Monarchos ran it in 1:59.97 in 2001, and Secretariat put up the best time of 1:59.4 in 1973. Only three fillies (female horses) have won, and the biggest long shot to pull it off did so at odds of 91–1. Americans bet more than $10 billion on horse racing each year. Churchill Downs saw $349 million in wagers last Derby Day alone.
4. Fewer than 20 horses have won the Triple Crown
Arguably the greatest racehorse of all time, Secretariat is one of 13 horses that have won the Triple Crown. He won 16 of his 21 races, and placed lower than third only once—in his very first race. In its list of the 100 best athletes of the 20th century, ESPN put him at 35th, just behind Lou Gehrig. Secretariat isn’t the only racehorse on the list, but he’s the highest ranking by a mile—a familiar feeling for him.
5. Secretariat’s heart weighed about 22 pounds
This is nearly triple the average of 8.5 pounds, which greatly aided his stamina. It’s said that none of Secretariat’s sons inherited his huge heart, but someof his daughters did. Fun fact: All 19 entrants in last year’s Kentucky Derby were his descendants.
6. Up to 20 horses can compete in the 1.25-mile Kentucky Derby
Only 20 can race for its $5 million purse, which is spread across the top five finishers. Owners usually collect 80% of their horse’s winnings; the jockey and trainer split the remaining 20%. Both the 1.19-mile Preakness Stakes (with up to 14 entrants) and the 1.5-mile Belmont Stakes (up to 16) boast $2 million purses. The Belmont Stakes usually has the fewest entrants since it’s the last and longest race, making it the hardest to win. Thoroughbreds get just one chance at the Triple Crown because only 3-year-old horses are eligible for its three races.
7. A horse’s height is measured in hands
This is a unit of about 4 inches. To measure, hold your hands horizontally and count as you stack from the ground up to the bony ridge above the horse’s shoulder blades, an area called the withers. Thoroughbreds usually stand 16 hands and weigh 1,000 pounds.
8. Jockeys are short
Jockeys typically stand between 4 foot 10 and 5 foot 6. John “Red” Pollard, who rode the famously undersized Seabiscuit, was considered big for a jockey at 5 foot 7. It may seem that the horse is doing all the work, but jockeys are amazing athletes. Try holding a low squat for an entire race. It’s hard enough in your living room, let alone atop a half-ton horse thundering along at 40 mph.
9. Trotting is different from pacing
In harness racing, horses either trot or pace while pulling drivers behind them in lightweight two-wheeled “sulkies.” Trotting horses move their opposite fore and hind legs forward at the same time, while pacers move the legs on the same side of their bodies simultaneously. Since pacing is faster, pacers and trotters race separately. The sport’s biggest event is the Hambletonian Stakes in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a 1-mile trot for $1 million.
10. The NBA’s Indiana Pacers are named in part for the pacing gait
Their original home court was across from the harness racetrack at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The Pacers aren’t the only crossover between the two sports: Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic spends offseasonsat his harness racing stable in his native Serbia. “That’s kind of my secret goal, to bea driver … and race horses,” he said on the Curious Mike podcast.
11. Hip-hop legend MC Hammer owned a horse
His name was Dance Floor, and he placed third in the 1992 Kentucky Derby. Owners get creative when naming their racehorses because no two can have the same name. The Jockey Club keeps a registry and has rules, including a ban on vulgarity—though somehow the name Hoof Hearted slipped by. (Say it out loud.)
12. Hats are a staple of horse racing
Even if you don’t follow horse racing, you may tune in for the fascinating fascinators many attendees wear. The colorful hats are the vision of Churchill Downs founder Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. (yes—grandson of the explorer William Clark, as in Lewis and Clark), who admired the pageantry of European races. Once the Kentucky Derby started being televised in the 1960s, hats became extra extravagant as spectators sought to stand out in the crowd.
13. Each Triple Crown racehas a signature cocktail
The Kentucky Derby’s mint julep (mint simple syrup and bourbon poured over crushed ice and garnished with fresh mint) might be the most famous. But the Preakness Stakes’ black-eyed Susan (vodka, elderflower liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice and orange juice, shaken and garnished with an orange wedge) and the Belmont Stakes’ Belmont Jewel (bourbon, lemonade and pomegranate juice, garnished with a lemon twist) also offer refreshing respite on a hot day at the track—or in your living room. Cheers!
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