USA Horse Racing

The USA Horse Racing industry as a whole is a multi-billion dollar concern supplying jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans while being a major source of tax revenue for many States, particularly California and Kentucky. Horse racing betting in the USA is very substantial with the amount wagered on Breeders Cup day alone exceeding $120 million.

US Horse Races are administered at a state level with tracks taking a percentage of the handle wagered on every race (usually between 20%-25%) to pay taxes and expenses. There is American horse racing on a daily basis at numerous racetracks with thoroughbred and quarter horse races the most popular.

Organized Horse Racing in the USA didn't start until after the civil war, although horses were brought to America much earlier. From that point onward, thoroughbred racing really took off and by 1890 the were 314 tracks in operation.

Unfortunately USA horse racing wasn't well governed early on, which led to criminal elements influencing the sport. This lead to the American Jockey Club being formed, who ruled racing with an iron first and  got rid of most of the corruption. USA horse racing suffered its worst period in the early 1900s because of antigambling sentiment. Pari Mutuel wagering on the Kentucky Derby signaled the turnaround for racing, and the model was adopted by many states.

Today, US horse racing features some of the most important horse races in the world including the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes) and the annual Breeders' Cup race meeting, which culminates with the Breeders' Cup Classic. This is the joint-second richest horse race in the world with a purse of $5,000,000. Only the Dubai World Cup offers more prize money.

We have listed some of the most popular USA horse races here, and we also recommend safe online sportsbooks and racebooks where players can bet on US horse racing. These sportsbooks offer excellent promotions and cash-back rebates (on some USA tracks the amount is as high as 8%) on your betting handle.

USA Horse Racing - The Major Races

Aqueduct Racetrack hosts the Withers Stakes every year in April and is raced by Gr 3 American three-year-old thoroughbreds horses.

Keeneland Race Course hosts the Spinster Stakes every year in early October and is raced by Grade 1 flat horses three-year-old and up fillies and mares.

Keeneland Race Course hosts the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes every year in October and is raced by American Grade 1 flat horse race for three-year-old thoroughbreds.

The First Lady Stakes is run at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, in October each year, and is run by thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years and older.

The Federico Tesio Stakes is held at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore in April each year and is run by three-year-old thoroughbreds.

Derby Trial Stakes is run by Gr 3 American horses and is run in April each year at Churchill Downs.

The Breeders' Futurity Stakes is held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky in October each year and features American Grade 1 flat horses.

The Borderland Derby is run at Sunland Park Racetrack in Sunland Park, in the middle of February each year and is run by three-year-old thoroughbreds.

Tampa Bay Derby for three-year-old thoroughbreds is run at Tampa Bay Downs in Tampa in the middle of march each year.

San Miguel Stakes is for for three-year-old thoroughbreds, and is held at the end of March each year at Santa Anita Park in California.

Rushaway Stakes is held at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky and three-year-old thoroughbreds takes part.

Lanes End Stakes is a 1/8 mile American Gr 2 horserace held in March each year at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky.

Cigar Mile Handicap is a American Grade 1 flat horse race held in November each year at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York City.

Arkansas Derby is for Gr 2 American horserace contested by three-year-old thoroughbreds, and is held at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in April each year.

The Santa Anita Derby is a Grade 1 race worth $750,000 and is one of the most important West Coast races for the three-year-old crop.

The San Felipe Stakes is a significant prep race on the road to the Kentucky Derby for West Coast horses. It has Grade 2 status.

The Sham Stakes is a Grade 3 race held at Santa Anita Park and is used as a prep race for Kentucky Derby contenders.

Juvenile fillies clash at Belmont Park in the Frizette Stakes, a Grade 1 race over 1600m or 8 furlongs or 1 mile if you prefer simplicity. The race carries a $400k purse.