1. Or...Playing the Ponies!

2.   Archeological records indicate horse racing took place in ancient Greece, Babylon, Syria, and Egypt.  As a part of myth and legend, Norse mythology tells of a horse race between Odin and Hrungnir.  Thoroughbred racing was popular with royalty of British society and earned the nickname “Sport of Kings.” History

3.   Nearly all Thoroughbreds can trace back to  Darley Arabian, owned by Thomas Darley  Godolphin, owned by Lord Godolphin  Byerly Turk, owned by Captain Robert Byerly  These three horses were taken to England where they mated with racing mares. Historical Sires

4.   Dates back to 1665 at the Newmarket course in Salisbury, New York. (Now known as the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York.)  First race supervised by NY’s colonial governor Richard Nicolls.  The American Stud Book was started in 1868, the beginning of organized horse racing in the United States.  There were 314 tracks operating by 1890; and in 1894 the American Jockey Club was formed. In the U.S.A

5.   Horse racing thrived for centuries until it became organized.  The puritans at the turn of the 20 th century didn’t like the betting aspect so horse racing lost its shine.  Parimutuel betting was introduced in 1908 and racing came on strong again until WWII.  After suffering for some years, the introduction of the Triple Crown renewed interest in American horse racing. Here today, gone tomorrow?

6.   Betting system in which all bets are placed together in a pool.  Once all bets are made, house takes their cut then pays out what remains.  Because the payout goes to everyone that bet a winner, the amount you win may change after you make your bet.  The amount of payout depends on the horses odds. Parimutuel Betting

7.   How odds work How odds work

8.   Odds do not represent the actual probability of an event happening, it represents the amount the “house” is willing to pay out.  Odds given in gambling are the odds against the activity happening. That is, if the odds are 2 – 1, the horse will lose 2 races for every 1 that it wins.  Payouts for betting a 2 – 1 horse then mean that you win $2 for every $1 you bet, plus you get your original bet back. That is, betting $1 on a 2 – 1 horse will pay you $3. Odds

9.   Betting at the Track Betting at the Track

10.   There are many types of bets in horse racing. (See the previous video for several examples.)  This is not intended to be a complete overview of horse racing as it is a complex, and exciting, systems involving animals, humans and money.  Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino has live racing through April 16 th and televised racing every day except Christmas.  As with all gambling, you should only bet money you are able to lose. (Always consult your budget!) And much, much more