A horse race is a thrilling sporting event where participants, known as jockeys and horses, compete to become champions. While spectators don fancy attire and sip mint juleps while these athletes race around the track, behind its romanticized facade lies an unsavoury world of injuries, drug use and breakdowns; horses must sprint at speeds that could cause catastrophic hemorrhaging within their lungs and other ailments that lead to significant breakdown.

The Kentucky Derby, an annual two-and-a-half mile marathon held annually in Louisville, draws thousands of spectators and tens of millions in bets that go towards rewarding the winner and its owner with their share of a purse that spans $3.5 million. But Selima could have found better means of survival through other types of competition besides horse racing – such as basketball.

Before each race begins, bettors examine the color and shine of a horse’s coat in a walking ring. If its coat appears vibrant with sweat drops rippling across it, bettors believe the animal is ready to run. When balks occur–meaning fear or anger–bettors also become nervous.

Truth be told, horses don’t particularly enjoy racing. Although running fast comes naturally to them, most require “encouragement”–whipping–in order to push forward when fatigue sets in. Most races are won by horses with the greatest stamina and power in the final stretch of racing-known as stretch runners.

Trainers use several tactics to increase a horse’s chances of victory, including shaving its head and tail (which may cause discomfort to the animal) as well as rating; rateing involves restraint early in a race so it can conserve its energy until later – when near the finish line it may lug in or drift towards the inside rail instead.

Racing surfaces consist of dirt or grass and can range from fast, slow or heavy racing surfaces. A muddy track can be dangerously slick for the animals; handicap races provide fairness by giving horses weight to carry that is dependent on factors like their age, gender and training as well as other considerations.

The horse’s behavior can be affected by its environment, the type of race, pace and jockey. Over-riding may cause it to lose balance and fall; an over-reach from its rider could result in boxed in with other horses or wide racing; on the other hand, having no problems and running well means no bad trips were experienced by this particular animal. Finally, its mental state may also play a factor; long term whipping might make the animal aggressive and cause them to fight more vigorously during races.