The sport of horse racing is in a very strong position in the USA. The country is host to some of the oldest meetings in history, and the biggest events attract global attention.
Along with the major runnings, horse racing can be found across the US for the majority of the calendar year. There’s always a race to enjoy, but here are the events that you must not miss.
Kentucky Derby
First run way back in 1875, the Kentucky Derby is a spring race over 10 furlongs of the Churchill Downs course. Known as the ‘Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,’ it’s over very quickly, but this is one of the most anticipated events in world horse racing.
It’s a big draw for all types of racegoers, and more horse racing betting markets are open for the Kentucky Derby than any other meeting in the US. It’s also produced some of the most memorable equine winners in the entire sport.
The most famous of these was the incomparable Secretariat, whose 1973 course record of 1 minute, 59.4 seconds, still stood fifty years later.
Traditionally run on the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby is the pinnacle of horse racing in the United States, but there are many other top events on the calendar.
The Breeders’ Cup
The Breeders’ Cup is a series of top class horse races that take place over two days. First run in 1984, the event has been held across various top locations, including Churchill Downs, Santa Anita Park, Belmont Park and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
There are no fewer than 14 races taking place across the two days, and the first weekend of November is reserved for the event. All of the runnings are Grade One, and they include the Breeders’ Cup Classic, The Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Filly & Mare Sprint.
Preakness Stakes
The Kentucky Derby, run on the first Saturday in May, forms part of US horse racing’s prestigious triple crown. Hot on its heels is the second leg, the Preakness Stakes, which is run two weeks later.
The Preakness Stakes was founded in 1873, and there are many similarities between this and the Kentucky Derby. Both are sprint races for three-year-old thoroughbreds, which means that horses only get one chance to land the Triple Crown.
This elite event is hosted by the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Look out for the Preakness Stakes on the third Saturday of each May.
Belmont Stakes
Known colloquially as the Test of the Champions, The Belmont Stakes is the third leg of the Triple Crown. It’s held on the third Saturday following the Preakness Stakes, and this event dates back to 1867. It’s hosted by the Belmont Park Course which is located in Elmont, New York.
Over the long history of horse racing in the United States, only 13 horses had won the Triple Crown up to 2023. Included in this elite list is the brilliant Secretariat, who set the fastest ever time in each event in that 1973 season.
Pegasus World Cup
The mythical Pegasus was a flying horse that lends its name to another important equine event. For a time, the Pegasus World Cup was the richest thoroughbred race on the planet, but a peak purse of $16 million USD in 2018 has since dropped to $3 million.
It may have lost some financial backing, but the Pegasus still attracts a competitive field for each renewal. The Gulfstream Park Race Track by Hallandale Beach, Florida, makes a spectacular setting for one of the most recent major meetings on the calendar. First run in 2017, the Pegasus World Cup is a flat race for thoroughbreds aged four years and above, and it takes place around nine furlongs of the Gulfstream Park course.
The Arlington Million
It’s a name that attracts attention for obvious reasons. The Arlington Million is the first horse race in the US to have offered a prize purse at a cool $1 million. While other events have taken over in terms of prize money, the Arlington Million remains an important event, and it attracts a strong field each year.
Its history dates back to 1981, when the first edition was held at Arlington Park, Illinois. The Million has since relocated to the Colonial Downs Course in Virginia, but it has retained its iconic name.
These are the biggest horse races in the United States, but there are meetings taking place across the calendar year. A day at the races is a great social occasion, and every single event will provide top class, thrilling action.
All of the races on this list will be shown widely on US TV via the main sports broadcasters, but there’s nothing like getting out there and attending a race in person.
