Horse Racing has been a very popular sport for many years. Several different breeds of horses are commonly used in horse racing, but the most common are Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, and Arabians.

Although each of these types of horses are very fast, they each have their own unique qualities.

Quarter Horses are heavy, mid-sized horses that are very muscular and powerful, and are especially quick in short bursts. They are most commonly raced at lengths of a quarter mile or so, and are also heavily used in rodeo events because of their quick bursts of speed. Barrel racing, calf roping, and steer wrestling are all timed events in rodeos where the bursts of speed is most beneficial.

Thoroughbred Horses are relatively large, with long legs, and are very fast over distances of about 1 mile to 1 1/2 miles. Thoroughbred racing is frequently referred to as “The Sport of Kings”, and the Thoroughbred is the most common overall type of horse used in most horse racing around the world.

Arabian Horses are somewhat smaller horses but are very agile and have incredible endurance. Arabians are exceptional at extra long distance races, such as 10 to 50 miles. Arabians are very intelligent and were used as war horses in years gone by. They can go long distances without food or water, and are very tolerant to extreme weather conditions.

Although each of these horse breeds are really only ever raced against those of their same breed, it could be said that if all three types were racing on a track together, here is how it would probably go. The Quarter Horse would be in the lead from the starting line to about the quarter mile distance, with the Thoroughbred in second place and the Arabian in third place. As the race progressed past the quarter mile, the Thoroughbred would take the lead as the Quarter Horse began falling back in the pack. Then, as the race moved closer to the 1 mile distance, the Thoroughbred would still be in the lead but would be about to loose his steam. The Quarter Horse would have fallen back to 3rd place by this point, with the Arabian in 2nd place and about to pass the Thoroughbred for the lead. By about the 1 1/2 mile distance the Arabian would take the lead and would win at any further distance.

If you ever wonder which is the fastest of the horses, you have to first ask, “How far are we running?”

Although there are many ways to race horses, the most popular methods these days occur at various horse race tracks scattered around the world. One of the most popular horse race tracks in the United States is Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, home of the world famous Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby is the first race of a three race contest in which the best three year old Thoroughbred race horses are raced against each other. The second of the three race contest is The Preakness, and the third race is The Belmont Stakes. Many of the same horses appear in each of these three races, and if the horse that wins The Kentucky Derby goes on to also win The Preakness and The Belmont Stakes, then that horse is said to have won the Triple Crown!

This is a very difficult task and very few horses have ever done it.

The Kentucky Derby is always on the first Saturday in May, followed two weeks later by The Preakness, then three more weeks later by The Belmont Stakes. It is truly the most exciting 5 weeks in Thoroughbred horse racing.

The Preakness is held at the Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland, and The Belmont Stakes is held at the Belmont Park Race Track in Elmont, New York.