History of Horse Racing

The origins of horse racing date back to the BCs when horses were first domesticated by the nomadic tribes in central Asia. Over the millenniums, this particular sport flourished and is widely known as the sport of kings. Nowadays, horse racing is a legal form of gambling that’s not only popular in West but also well-known in the East.

Since the beginning horse racing, the sport came in various forms. One of the more well-known forms was chariot racing introduced in the ancient Greece Olympics. At that time, the racing results depended on the skill of the driver in eliminating his competitors. This often leads to crashes and collisions that are deadly to both the drivers and their horses. Fortunately, in the modern age, horse racing has evolved into a much safer sport.

Horse racing was introduced in America in 1665. The first racetrack was built in Long Island. Since then, horse racing has been a popular sport for the locals. However, organized racing did not exist until 1868 after the civil war. By 1890, there were around 314 race tracks in the United States.

The first method of gambling came by bookmaking. However, it was banned in the 20th century due to the anti-gambling sentiment. Gambling only returned to the States in 1908 when parimutuel betting was introduced.