Horse races are a spectacle of speed, strategy and stamina. Whether it is the grandiosity of the world’s most prestigious events or the simple pleasure of feeling the earth shake as a herd thunders by, the thrill of a horse race captivates millions of spectators worldwide each year. The sport is steeped in tradition and history and offers a unique combination of culture, high stakes and spectacle.
The IFHA World Thoroughbred Racing Rankings are the official assessment of the most outstanding horses in the world. They are compiled under the auspices of The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities by an international panel of racehorse experts which includes racing officials & handicappers from each of the five continents. The ratings are based on the performance of horses in elite races held during the designated period and take into account the quality of the opposition as well as each horse’s achievements. The ratings are published annually in the form of a list and the horse with the highest rating is named Champion. The ratings also denote the champion in each of the distance categories for example sprint or mile, surface either turf or dirt/artificial and also the fillies & mares category.
SPRINT RACE: A race in which the horses must complete a distance of less than a mile with only one turn. Stakes race: A race for which a minimum entry fee must be paid by a prospective entrant. STAR TURN: A horse which makes a remarkable run from a long way back in a race. The term is derived from the name of a famous Australian thoroughbred, Silky Sullivan, who once made up 41 lengths on a tiring field to win the Sydney Gold Cup.
SPECIAL RACE: A race with a restricted number of entries and an additional entry fee (such as the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes).
STRIPE: The white marking that runs down the face of a horse. It is used to distinguish the horse from others in a race and is often referred to as a’stripe’.
SESAMOID FRACTURE: Fracture of the sesamoid bones, a pair of small bones located above and at the back of the fetlock joint. There are four common types of sesamoid fractures: apical, abaxial, mid-body and basilar.
VARIOUS TYPES OF RACES
In North America, races are classified according to their level of quality and the amount of prize money awarded. A higher-quality race is known as a GRADED RACE, while a lower-level race is called an UNCLASSIFIED or MAIDEN RACE.
In Europe, similar classifications are used; a race is termed a GROUP RACE or a EUROPEAN GRADED RACE. The most prestigious races are called Stakes races.