Thursday, October 30, 2008

types of thoroughbred horse racing

By Simon M Skinner

Most people are familiar with Thoroughbred horse racing. This is because the three most popular American Thoroughbred horse races are televised every year and include the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, otherwise known as the Thoroughbred Triple Crown.

All three of the Triple Crown races are run on a flat dirt track. The horses tend to pace themselves through most of the race, saving a surge of power and speed for the finish. There have also been cases of horses with so much speed that they win the race from start to finish.

What many spectators to these races do not realize is that this is only one type of Thoroughbred horse racing that is available and while these races are the most popular Thoroughbred horse races, there are other forms of Thoroughbred horseracing that are popular as well.

One variation on thoroughbred horse racing popular with enthusiasts is turf racing. These races are quite similar to other kinds of thoroughbred horse races, but with one important difference: they are run on a grass track rather than one of dirt. Other than this difference, they are by and large the same sort of event.

Turf courses for thoroughbred horse racing are just as long as the courses used for other race events. The difference is the turf; as well as the terms which are used in the sport. The difference is chiefly in the words used to describe the condition of the track used for the race. For example, in turf racing, "firm" is used where in dirt track racing, "fast" would be used instead.

Different words are used in order to describe the conditions of a dirt race track during a race than are used to describe the conditions of a turf course. In dirt track Thoroughbred racing, "fast" means the same thing as if we were to say "firm" in a turf course race.

Thoroughbred racing can also involve races where the horses have to jump over fences placed throughout the course; these races are called steeplechases and give the horse and rider alike an extra challenge - and an extra measure of excitement to the viewers. Speed is the only consideration for thoroughbreds that run races only on flat race courses; horses that run steeplechases, however, need to have a lot of stamina to finish these races - and jockeys have to know the right time to make the jumps. The length of the race is the determining factor in how many hurdles that the horse will have to jump during the race. - 14915

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