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Feeling the earth shake as a mass of thundering hooves goes barreling down the stretch is one of the quintessential Kentucky experiences. And watching Standardbred horses vying to pull their driver’s cart across the finish line first is an impressive and exciting sport. Yet horse racing isn’t just a thrilling spectator sport. It’s also a lucrative industry for the owners and trainers, as well as a powerful form of gambling. But it is not without its critics, including those who claim it is a ‘horse race’ in the literal sense of the term: that the outcome is predetermined by a series of betting decisions made on the basis of superficial and largely unproven information.

The phrase a horse race is used in a number of contexts, but most commonly to describe a contest in which the winner is predetermined by betting decisions. The phrase is also often applied to a political campaign. In an era of mudslinging, name calling and attack ads, the debate over major issues can sometimes become little more than a horse race.

While many people are drawn to horse races for their entertainment value, the animal rights movement is strongly opposed to them. Activist Patrick Battuello, who runs the Horseracing Wrongs website, says that the animals are “abused and beaten” for the sake of money. He estimates that ten thousand American thoroughbreds are killed each year, and that a large percentage of the remaining ones will end up in slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico.

In addition to causing harm to the animals, Battuello claims that horse racing is a corrupt and exploitative business. He has called for a ban on wagering, which would save the horses from the criminal element that exists in the industry. In 1909, California banned horse racing, but only after a public referendum.

Some companies use a horse race approach to choose their next CEO, with the board cultivating internal candidates and assuming that the best candidate will emerge from the competition. Proponents of this strategy say that it shows the board’s faith in its management and leadership development processes, and provides strong performers with a clear path to senior roles. Critics, however, argue that a prolonged horse race can derail the company’s business momentum and lead to internal dissension and mistrust.

The earliest known horse-racing manual dates from about 1500 bc in Asia Minor, and there is a full description of a chariot race in Homer’s Iliad, which is dated to around the 9th or 8th century bc. The first modern horse race took place in 1752, and the steeplechase, which requires jumping over obstacles such as church steeples, is a particularly arduous event for horses. Some races are open to all entrants, while others have restrictions on age, sex, birthplace and previous performance. There are a growing number of horse racing websites and apps that allow people to place bets on individual horses or groups of runners. This is considered illegal in most jurisdictions, but it continues to take place.