History UsefulNotes / HorseRacing

** The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, also known as the British (or English) Triple Crown, consists of the following three races, all of which are for three year-old colts and fillies; geldings are ''not'' allowed. The last horse to win all three was Nijinsky [[note]] known in the States as Nijinsky II; when he was retired to stud in the U.S., a Thoroughbred was already registered there under that name[[/note]] in 1970.

*** The '''St. Leger''' (about 1 7/8 miles) is the oldest and longest of Britain's flat racing classics, the last one run each year (typically in September, and as such it is said to mark the end of the English summer). Held at Doncaster. These days, most 2,000 Guineas and Derby winners aren't entered for the St. Leger because the British stud market has become less favourable to long(er) distance runners, favouring speed over stamina; the only horse in recent decades to even attempt a Triple Crown was Camelot in 2012, who finished second in the St. Leger after winning the 2,000 Guineas and The Derby.
** The Triple Crown races are three of the five flat races collectively known as the Classics; the other two, both of which are open to fillies only, are:

** The '''King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes''' (informally known as the "King George") - held every July at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (ie. just under 1 1/2 miles). Britain's most prestigious ''open-age'' flat race, as well as the most prestigious open to geldings (the above-mentioned Classics being only open to intact three year-olds), is nowadays the second-richest race in the country, with the prize money exceeded only by that of The Derby.

In which men (mostly) wear multi-coloured outfits and see how fast they can ride equines (''very'' fast, it turns out). Historically, the three Grade I stakes races which make up the Triple Crown of American Thoroughbred Racing (the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes) are the totality of public knowledge about the sport in the US. [[TransAtlanticEquivalent In the UK]], the most prestigious races are the ones that make up the Triple Crown of British Thoroughbred Racing (the 2,000 Guineas, The Derby [[note]]sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, especially in the United States to avoid confusion with the Kentucky Derby, although it is officially known as [[SpellMyNameWithAThe The Derby Stakes]] and is named for the 12th Earl of Derby who sponsored the first race in 1780; every other horse race with the word "Derby" in the title is named for this one[[/note]], and the St. Leger), in addition to which there's the Royal Ascot meet and -- venturing over into steeplechasing (the one with jumps, also known as National Hunt racing) -- the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National.\\\

*** '''The Derby''' (1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards, or just over 1 1/2 miles) - Britain's richest horse race, and the best-known and most prestigious flat race. Held in early June at Epsom in [[UsefulNotes/HomeCounties Surrey]] (often on the same day as the Belmont Stakes in the States). Its 1931 version was the first outdoor sporting event ever to be televised, transmitted in rudimentary fashion (by today's standards) by John Logie Baird's experimental system; in 1952, it was the subject of the movie ''Derby Day''. Very much part of the Season. Officially known as The Derby Stakes, it's usually referred to as the Epsom Derby in the USA to avoid confusion with the Kentucky Derby, but in Britain it is simply ''the'' Derby [[note]] the name derives from the fact that the race's original sponsor was the 12th Earl of Derby, a major patron of horse racing in the late eighteenth century [[/note]], any other horse race with the word "Derby" in the title is named after this one.

*** '''The Oaks''' is run at Epsom in late May or early June over the same length as the Derby. It's named for the country estate of the afore-mentioned Earl of Derby.

** The British (or English) Triple Crown consists of the following three races, all of which are for three year-olds only. The last horse to win all three was Nijinsky [[note]] known in the States as Nijinsky II; when he was retired to stud in the U.S., a Thoroughbred was already registered there under that name[[/note]] in 1970.
*** The '''2,000 Guineas Stakes''' (1 mile) – The first of Britain's classic flat races to be run each year, in late April or early May at Newmarket in Suffolk -- a place considered to be the birthplace and global centre of horse racing.
*** '''The Derby''' (just over 1 1/2 miles) - Britain's richest horse race, and the best-known flat race. Held in early June at Epsom in [[UsefulNotes/HomeCounties Surrey]] (often on the same day as the Belmont Stakes in the States). Its 1931 version was the first outdoor sporting event ever to be televised, transmitted in rudimentary fashion (by today's standards) by John Logie Baird's experimental system; in 1952, it was the subject of the movie ''Derby Day''. Very much part of the Season. Often referred to as the Epsom Derby in the USA to avoid confusion with the Kentucky Derby.
*** The '''St. Leger Stakes''' (about 1 7/8 miles) – The oldest of Britain's flat racing classics, the last one run each year (typically in September), and easily the longest. Held at Doncaster. These days, most 2,000 Guineas and Derby winners aren't entered for the St. Leger because the British stud market has become less favourable to long(er) distance runners, favouring speed over stamina; the only horse in recent decades to even attempt a Triple Crown was Camelot in 2012, who finished second in the St. Leger after winning the 2,000 Guineas and The Derby.
** The '''Irish Derby''' (1 1/2 miles) – Ireland's most famous race, held at the Curragh in County Kildare three weeks after The Derby and often featuring many horses that ran there.

** '''Royal Ascot''' is held at said [[UsefulNotes/HomeCounties Berkshire]] racecourse. Also part of the Season -- after all, the monarch and several other members of the Royal Family attend.
*** Perhaps best known for "Ladies' Day", a day in which ladies are pretty much required to wear a hat. The centrepiece of Ladies' Day is the Gold Cup (often erroneously referred to as the Ascot Gold Cup, presumably to differentiate it from the Cheltenham one).

** The most prestigious race meet in the National Hunt calendar is the '''Cheltenham Festival''', which takes place over four days in March at Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. It features four Grade I races -- the '''Cheltenham Gold Cup''' (which is actually regarded by many trainers and owners as being ''more'' prestigious than the Grand National), the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle. In 2020, the Cheltenham Festival was blamed for accelerating the spread of [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic Covid-19]] in the UK, it being the last major sporting event to take place before a national lockdown was imposed by the government.

** The most prestigious race meet in the National Hunt calendar is the '''Cheltenham Festival''', which takes place over four days in March at Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. It features four Grade I races -- the '''Cheltenham Gold Cup''' (which is actually regarded by many trainers and owners as being ''more'' prestigious than the Grand National), the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle.

* The most prestigious race meet in the National Hunt calendar is the '''Cheltenham Festival''', which takes place over four days in March at Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. It features four Grade I races -- the Cheltenham Gold Cup [[note]] which is actually regarded by many trainers and owners as being just as prestigious as the Grand National, if not more so[[/note]], the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle.
* The '''[[http://www.10bet.com/sports/horse-racing-betting/grand-national/ Grand National]]''' (4 1/2 miles)- 6-year-olds and up, held at Aintree in Liverpool in early April. This is the best-known British jump race, covering no less than 30 jumps, resulting in the unseating of riders left, right and centre and killing a total of 58 horses over the 162 races so far. Winners of this race have gone down in racing legend, among them Red Rum [[note]] the only horse to win it three times -- in 1973, 1974 and 1977[[/note]], Foinavon [[note]] a 100/1 outsider who won it in 1967 after rest of the field fell, refused or were hampered in a mêlée at the 23rd fence, which has since been named Foinavon's Fence[[/note]], Aldaniti [[note]] the 1981 winner after coming back from a career-threatening injury, in addition to which his rider was a cancer survivor[[/note]], Mr. Frisk [[note]] who in 1990 set the record time for the race, which still stands even though the length of the race has since been slightly shortened[[/note]] and Tiger Roll [[note]] who in 2019 became the first horse since Red Rum to win it twice in succession[[/note]]. Even horses that ''didn't'' win it, like Devon Loch [[note]] who inexplicably jumped in the air and landed on his stomach while leading on the home stretch in the 1956 National, giving rise to the phrase "to do a Devon Loch", meaning to somehow contrive to lose at the last minute despite being in a seemingly assailable position[[/note]] and Esha Ness [[note]] "winner" of the 1993 "race that never was"; see below[[/note]], are better-remembered than horses that were much more successful. Similarly, the voiding of the 1993 race (after 30 of the 39 riders not only began but ''carried on racing'' following a false start, with seven of them actually completing the "race that never was") and the postponement of the 1997 race (following the evacuation of the course due to an IRA bomb threat) were both ''huge'' news stories in the UK. This race is traditionally part of the London high society Season, and thus a likely setting for any work featuring British aristocrats or (before a certain era) politicians. It's also the best-known race in Britain, being the only one for which people who don't usually follow horse racing will place a bet (or at the very least take part in a sweepstake).
* The '''2,000 Guineas Stakes''' (1 mile) – The first of Britain's classic flat races to be run each year, in late April or early May at Newmarket in Suffolk -- a place considered to be the birthplace and global centre of horse racing.
* '''The Derby''' (just over 1 1/2 miles) - Britain's richest horse race, and the best-known flat race. Held in early June at Epsom in [[UsefulNotes/HomeCounties Surrey]] (often on the same day as the Belmont Stakes in the States). Its 1931 version was the first outdoor sporting event ever to be televised, transmitted in rudimentary fashion (by today's standards) by John Logie Baird's experimental system. Also part of the Season. Often referred to as the Epsom Derby in the USA to avoid confusion with the Kentucky Derby.
* The '''St. Leger Stakes''' (about 1 7/8 miles) – The oldest of Britain's flat racing classics, the last one run each year (typically in September), and easily the longest.
** The above three races make up the British (or English) Triple Crown. The last horse to sweep the three races was Nijinsky[[note]]known in the States as Nijinsky II; when he was retired to stud in the U.S., a Thoroughbred was already registered there under that name[[/note]] in 1970. These days, most 2,000 Guineas and Derby winners aren't entered for the St. Leger because the British stud market has become less favourable to long(er) distance runners; the only horse in recent decades to even attempt a Triple Crown was Camelot in 2012, who finished second in the St. Leger after winning the 2,000 Guineas and The Derby.
* The '''Irish Derby''' (1 1/2 miles) – Ireland's most famous race, held at the Curragh in County Kildare three weeks after The Derby and often featuring many horses that ran there.
* The '''King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes''' (informally known as the "King George") - held every July at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (ie. just under 1 1/2 miles). Britain's most prestigious ''open-age'' flat race, as well as the most prestigious open to geldings (the above-mentioned Classics being only open to intact three year-olds), is nowadays the second-richest race in the country, with the prize money exceeded only by that of The Derby.
* '''Royal Ascot''' is held at said [[UsefulNotes/HomeCounties Berkshire]] racecourse. Also part of the Season -- after all, the monarch and several other members of the Royal Family attend.
** Perhaps best known for "Ladies' Day", a day in which ladies are pretty much required to wear a hat. The centrepiece of Ladies' Day is the Gold Cup (often erroneously referred to as the Ascot Gold Cup, presumably to differentiate it from the Cheltenham one).

** Perhaps best known for "Ladies' Day", a day in which ladies are pretty much required to wear a NiceHat. The centrepiece of Ladies' Day is the Gold Cup (often erroneously referred to as the Ascot Gold Cup, presumably to differentiate it from the Cheltenham one).

* The '''Irish Derby''' (1 1/2 miles) – Ireland's most famous race, held at the Curragh in Dublin three weeks after The Derby and often featuring many horses that ran there.

* '''Creator/DickFrancis''' (1920–2010): A prominent National Hunt jockey in the post-WWII era, becoming Britain's National Hunt champion jockey in the 1953–54 season. However, he would retire from racing after a 1957 injury on the recommendation of his employer, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Francis then started a second and even more successful career as the author of crime novels with a horse racing backdrop. His contributions to racing also included being one of the public faces of a 1983 fundraising campaign that secured the future of the Grand National after it had been threatened with extinction.[[note]]Specifically, The Jockey Club got the option to buy the race site at Aintree, but it didn't have the roughly £10 million needed.[[/note]]

'''General Notes on Horses'''

'''Important Races and Race Series'''
* The Kentucky Derby (1 1/4 miles)- "The Run for the Roses" or "The Fastest Two Minutes In Sports" - Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky - the first Saturday in May (the one everyone has heard of). According to Louisville native Creator/HunterSThompson, [[GonzoJournalism it is decadent and depraved]].
* The Preakness Stakes (1 3/16 miles) - Pimlico Race Course, UsefulNotes/{{Baltimore}}, Maryland – two weeks after the Derby
* The Belmont Stakes (1 1/2 miles) - Belmont Park, Elmont, New York (Long Island, just outside UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity) – three weeks after the Preakness

* The Kentucky Oaks (1 1/8 miles) - Churchill Downs - the day before the Derby. Restricted to 3-year-old fillies.
* The Breeders' Cup World Championships - late October/early November - location rotates. A two-day event that serves as a de facto championship event for North American racing, and also drawing many top horses from other parts of the world (mainly those trained in Europe). All races with "Juvenile" in their titles are restricted to 2-year-olds; all others are for 3-year-olds and up. Unless restricted to females, all races are open to horses of both sexes, including geldings. All races are on dirt except the Breeders' Cup Mile and races with "Turf" in their titles. The 2018 edition saw a format change that will presumably continue in the future. The first day, billed as "Future Stars Friday", features all of the races for 2-year-olds, while the second is now billed as "Championship Saturday".

* The [[http://www.10bet.com/sports/horse-racing-betting/grand-national/ Grand National]] (4 1/2 miles, Aintree)- 6-year-olds and up, early April. This is the best-known British jump race, covering no less than 30 jumps, resulting in the unseating of riders left, right and centre and killing a total of 58 horses over the 162 races so far. Winners of this race have gone down in racing legend, among them Red Rum [[note]] the only horse to win it three times -- in 1973, 1974 and 1977[[/note]], Foinavon [[note]] a 100/1 outsider who won it in 1967 after rest of the field fell, refused or were hampered in a mêlée at the 23rd fence, which has since been named Foinavon's Fence[[/note]], Aldaniti [[note]] the 1981 winner after coming back from a career-threatening injury, in addition to which his rider was a cancer survivor[[/note]], Mr. Frisk [[note]] who in 1990 set the record time for the race, which still stands even though the length of the race has since been slightly shortened[[/note]] and Tiger Roll [[note]] who in 2019 became the first horse since Red Rum to win it twice in succession[[/note]]. Even horses that ''didn't'' win it, like Devon Loch [[note]] who inexplicably jumped in the air and landed on his stomach while leading on the home stretch in the 1956 National, giving rise to the phrase "to do a Devon Loch", meaning to somehow contrive to lose at the last minute despite being in a seemingly assailable position[[/note]] and Esha Ness [[note]] "winner" of the 1993 "race that never was"; see below[[/note]], are better-remembered than horses that were much more successful. Similarly, the voiding of the 1993 race (after 30 of the 39 riders not only began but ''carried on racing'' following a false start, with seven of them actually completing the "race that never was") and the postponement of the 1997 race (following the evacuation of the course due to an IRA bomb threat) were both ''huge'' news stories in the UK. This race is traditionally part of the London high society Season, and thus a likely setting for any work featuring British aristocrats or (before a certain era) politicians. It's also the best-known race in Britain, being the only one for which people who don't usually follow horse racing will place a bet (or at the very least take part in a sweepstake).
* 2,000 Guineas Stakes (1 mile, Newmarket) – The first of Britain's classic flat races to be run each year, in late April or early May at Newmarket in Suffolk -- a place considered to be the birthplace and global centre of horse racing.
* The Derby (just over 1 1/2 miles, Epsom Downs) - Britain's richest horse race, and the best-known flat race. Held in early June at Epsom in [[UsefulNotes/HomeCounties Surrey]] (often on the same day as the Belmont Stakes in the States). Its 1931 version was the first outdoor sporting event ever to be televised, transmitted in rudimentary fashion (by today's standards) by John Logie Baird's experimental system. Also part of the Season. Often referred to as the Epsom Derby in the USA to avoid confusion with the Kentucky Derby.
* St. Leger Stakes (about 1 7/8 miles, Doncaster) – The oldest of Britain's flat racing classics, the last one run each year (typically in September), and easily the longest.

* Irish Derby (1 1/2 miles, the Curragh) – Ireland's most famous race, held three weeks after The Derby and often featuring many horses that ran there.
* The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (informally known as the "King George") - held every July at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (ie. just under 1 1/2 miles). Britain's most prestigious ''open-age'' flat race, as well as the most prestigious open to geldings (the above-mentioned Classics being only open to intact three year-olds), is nowadays the second-richest race in the country, with the prize money exceeded only by that of The Derby.
* Royal Ascot is held at said [[UsefulNotes/HomeCounties Berkshire]] racecourse. Also part of the Season -- after all, the monarch and several other members of the Royal Family attend.

* The most prestigious race meet in the National Hunt calendar is the Cheltenham Festival, which takes place over four days in March at Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. It features four Grade I races -- the Cheltenham Gold Cup [[note]] which is actually regarded by many trainers and owners as being just as prestigious as the Grand National, if not more so[[/note]], the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle.
* Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2,400 m, about 1 1/2 miles) – France's most famous race and the richest turf race in Europe, held in early October in UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}.

'''Horse Racing Honors and Awards'''

'''Horse Racing Statistics'''

'''Famous Horses (sorted by country of birth)'''

'''Famous Jockeys (sorted by primary country of activity)'''

'''General Notes on Types of Races'''

* The [[http://www.10bet.com/sports/horse-racing-betting/grand-national/ Grand National]] (4 1/2 miles)- 6-year-olds and up, early April. This is the best-known British jump race, covering no less than 30 jumps, resulting in the unseating of riders left, right and centre and killing a total of 58 horses over the 162 races so far. Winners of this race have gone down in racing legend, among them Red Rum [[note]] the only horse to win it three times -- in 1973, 1974 and 1977[[/note]], Foinavon [[note]] a 100/1 outsider who won it in 1967 after rest of the field fell, refused or were hampered in a mêlée at the 23rd fence, which has since been named Foinavon's Fence[[/note]], Aldaniti [[note]] the 1981 winner after coming back from a career-threatening injury, in addition to which his rider was a cancer survivor[[/note]], Mr. Frisk [[note]] who in 1990 set the record time for the race, which still stands even though the length of the race has since been slightly shortened[[/note]] and Tiger Roll [[note]] who in 2019 became the first horse since Red Rum to win it twice in succession[[/note]]. Even horses that ''didn't'' win it, like Devon Loch [[note]] who inexplicably jumped in the air and landed on his stomach while leading on the home stretch in the 1956 National, giving rise to the phrase "to do a Devon Loch", meaning to somehow contrive to lose at the last minute despite being in a seemingly assailable position[[/note]] and Esha Ness [[note]] "winner" of the 1993 "race that never was"; see below[[/note]], are better-remembered than horses that were much more successful. Similarly, the voiding of the 1993 race (after 30 of the 39 riders not only began but ''carried on racing'' following a false start, with seven of them actually completing the "race that never was") and the postponement of the 1997 race (following the evacuation of the course due to an IRA bomb threat) were both ''huge'' news stories in the UK. This race is traditionally part of the London high society Season, and thus a likely setting for any work featuring British aristocrats or (before a certain era) politicians. It's also the best-known race in Britain, being the only one for which people who don't usually follow horse racing will place a bet (or at the very least take part in a sweepstake).
* 2,000 Guineas Stakes (1 mile) – The first of Britain's classic flat races to be run each year, in late April or early May at Newmarket in Suffolk.
* The Derby (a hair over 1 1/2 miles) - Britain's richest horse race, and the best-known flat race. Held in early June at Epsom in [[UsefulNotes/HomeCounties Surrey]] (often on the same day as the Belmont Stakes in the States). Its 1931 version was the first outdoor sporting event ever to be televised, transmitted in rudimentary fashion (by today's standards) by John Logie Baird's experimental system. Also part of the Season. Often referred to as the Epsom Derby in the USA to avoid confusion with the Kentucky Derby.
* St. Leger Stakes (about 1 7/8 miles) – The oldest of Britain's flat racing classics, the last one run each year (typically in September), and easily the longest. Run at Doncaster in Yorkshire.
** The above three races make up the British (or English) Triple Crown. The last horse to sweep the three races was Nijinsky[[note]]known in the States as Nijinsky II; when he was retired to stud in the U.S., a Thoroughbred was already registered there under that name[[/note]] in 1970. The only horse in recent decades to even attempt a Triple Crown[[note]]these days, many 2,000 Guineas and Derby winners aren't entered for the St. Leger because the British stud market has become less favourable to long(er) distance runners[[/note]] was Camelot in 2012, who finished second in the St. Leger after winning the 2,000 Guineas and The Derby.
* Irish Derby (1 1/2 miles) – Ireland's most famous race, held three weeks after The Derby and often featuring many horses that ran there.

* Royal Ascot. Held in [[UsefulNotes/HomeCounties Berkshire]]. Also part of the Season -- after all, the monarch and several other members of the Royal Family attend.
** Perhaps best known for "Ladies' Day", a day in which ladies are pretty much required to wear a nice hat.
** The centrepiece of Ladies' Day is the Gold Cup (often erroneously referred to as the Ascot Gold Cup, presumably to differentiate it from the Cheltenham one).
* Cheltenham Festival. The most prestigious race meet in the National Hunt calendar which takes place over four days in March. Features four Grade I races -- the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle.

* '''Sunday Silence''' was one of the greatest American-bred horses that was close to clinching the Triple Crown during the aforementioned 37-year drought, however was humiliated at the Belmont Stakes courtesy of his racetrack rival, Easy Goer (though Sunday Silence would get his revenge in the Breeders' Cup Classic). There's more to that story though: he, quite literally, made it big in Japan, becoming the leading sire there for a whopping 13 years in a row, from 1995 to 2007 (with the streak ending five years after his death), with his sires taking the title of leading sire since[[note]]with the exception of King Kamehameha in 2010 and 2011[[/note]].

* '''Flightline''' is the most recent American horse to draw comparisons with the legendary Secretariat. Unlike most prominent horses, he didn't race as a 2-year-old due to a series of freak injuries. He started his career in 2021 by blowing away the field in a maiden race, only to suffer a foot bruise that kept him out of the Triple Crown races. He won his remaining two races that year, the last a Grade I race, by equally large margins.[[note]]His closest margin that season was 11½ lengths.[[/note]] As a 4-year-old in 2022, he suffered yet another injury that kept him out of training until mid-year, but came back with a vengeance by dominating the field in two Grade I races. His performance in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar was especially stunning, winning by 19 1/4 lengths in near-track-record time and earning him the highest rating ever assigned by the World's Best Racehorse Rankings to a runner on dirt, only one point behind WBRR's record rating of 140 to Frankel. He would end his racing career with a runaway win in the Breeders' Cup Classic, with a record victory margin for that race (8 1/4 lengths), and is all but certain to be named 2022 US Horse of the Year.

* Royal Ascot. Held in [[UsefulNotes/HomeCounties Berkshire]]. Also part of the Season -- after all, the Queen and several other members of the Royal Family attend.

** ''Kikka-shō'' (aka ''Kikuka-shō'' 3,000 m (about 1 7/8 miles), Kyoto[[note]]the 2021 and 2022 will be held in Hanshin instead due to the Kyoto course undergoing renovation.[[/note]]) – Also known as the Japanese St. Leger; held in October.
* Japan also has a distaff version[[note]]This doesn't mean that fillies are barred from trying the actual Triple Crown races though, most prominent example being 2007 Derby-winning filly Vodka.[[/note]] of the Triple Crown, frequently nicknamed the Triple Tiara:

** ''Shūka Shō'' (2,400 m, Kyoto[[note]]For the same reason as with Kikka-sho, the 2021 and 2022 editions are in Hanshin instead.[[/note]]) - held in late October.

In the UK, horse racing is sometimes known as the "Sport of Kings" due to the Royal Family's long-term interest in the sport; UsefulNotes/CharlesII was an avid patron, and his niece Queen Anne founded Ascot racecourse near Windsor. This continues to this day -- for UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen, horses were a lifelong passion and she was particularly keen on breeding Thoroughbreds for racing. Racehorses owned by her have won over 1,600 races, including every high-profile British flat race bar The Derby [[note]] she has been the British flat racing Champion Owner -- the owner whose horses have won the most prize money during a single season -- twice; her father (George VI) and her great-grandfather (Edward VII) both won this once each[[/note]]. Apparently she did not gamble, although she was said to read the ''Racing Post'' over breakfast every morning.\\\

* '''Irad Ortiz Jr.''' (1992–): Like Velazquez a Puerto Rican who moved to the US mainland as a teenager, he's established himself as one of America's top jockeys, winning 13 Breeders' Cup races and a Belmont, leading the US in race wins every year from 2017–2021, and winning three Eclipse Awards so far.

In the UK, horse racing is sometimes known as the "Sport of Kings" due to the Royal Family's long-term interest in the sport; UsefulNotes/CharlesII was an avid patron, and his niece Queen Anne founded Ascot racecourse near Windsor. This continues to this day -- for UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen, horses have been a lifelong passion and she is particularly keen on breeding Thoroughbreds for racing. Racehorses owned by her have won over 1,600 races, including every high-profile British flat race bar The Derby [[note]] she has been the British flat racing Champion Owner -- the owner whose horses have won the most prize money during a single season -- twice; her father (George VI) and her great-grandfather (Edward VII) both won this once each[[/note]]. Apparently she does not gamble, although she is said to read the ''Racing Post'' over breakfast every morning.\\\

** '''Lord Kanaloa'''[[note]]named after a Hawaiian god... [[DeadpanSnarker There's clearly a pattern, no?]][[/note]] - aka '''[[RedBaron THE WORLDWIDE]]''' Lord Kanaloa, arguably the greatest sprinter of his time who also went for a very successful campaign in Hong Kong, becoming the first Japanese winner of the Hongkong Sprint (two years in a row, no less!)[[labelnote:trivia]]And the official Chinese translation of his name is 龍王 - Dragon King. That's an AwesomeMcCoolName for you.[[/labelnote]]

** '''Oju Chosan''': Easily recognized by his fluffy turqouise mask, he currently holds the honor of being the world's highest earning steeplechaser. This bay stallion[[note]]You're reading this right, he's intact. Keep note of him in case he somehow ends up the first National Hunt stallion in many years that ''actually can jump''.[[/note]] won one the world's richest steeplechases, the Nakayama Grand Jump, '''five times in a row''' and is, as of 2022, still going quite strong at 11 years old - quite impressive for a horse whose name basically is [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns "ore"]] in [[BabyTalk babyspeak]] + the surname of his owner.
** '''Nakayama Festa''', while being allegedly the most misbehaving out of Stay Gold's progeny, has the honour of being the Japanese horse who was the closest to winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Following his 2010 Takarazuka Kinen win, he was send to a campaign in France, where he missed the win just by a head.

** '''Lord Kanaloa'''[[note]]named after a Hawaiian god... [[DeadpanSnarker There's clearly a pattern, no?]][[/note]] - aka '''[[RedBaron THE WORLDWIDE]]''' Lord Kanaloa, arguably the greatest sprinter of his time who also went for a very succesful campaign in Hong Kong, becoming the first Japanese winner of the Hongkong Sprint (two years in a row, no less!)[[labelnote:trivia]]And the official Chinese translation of his name is 龍王 - Dragon King. That's an AwesomeMcCoolName for you.[[/labelnote]]
** '''Hokko Tarumae'''[[note]]Breaking the pattern of Hawaii-themed names, he was named after a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tarumae mountain in Hokkaido]] instead[[/note]] went on to becoming one of the greatest dirt-focused Japanese horses, winning 10 GI races.[[labelnote:However!]]The Japanese grade system is slightly complicated in that some of the graded races, ''especially'' the dirt ones, are not recognized internationally. If we only count those recognized internationally, then Hokko Tarumae has 3 GI wins, which is still a very impressive feat, given that there are only 3 int'l GI dirt races in Japan each year: February Stakes, Champions Cup and Tokyo Daishoten. As of that 2014 attempt of winning the Dubai World Cup, [[OldShame we don't talk about that.]][[/labelnote]]

* '''Almond Eye''', sired by the aforementioned Lord Kanaloa, aside of clinching the Triple Tiara in 2018, managed to step up her sire's world campaign game, winning the 2019 Dubai Turf and handing 2020 Triple Crown winner Contrail his first loss in that year's Japan Cup. [[AffectionateNickname Ai-chan]] went on to beating Vodka's record to become Japan's highest earning racemare.

* '''Just A Way''', named after the toy/bomb from ''Manga/Gintama''[[note]]his owner is Akira Yamatoya, who was the screenwriter for ''Gintama'' at the time[[/note]] became the first horse from Japan to clinch the top spot for the World's Best Racehorse Rankings after winning and setting the record time forthe 2014 Dubai Duty Free race. He was also said to be besties with the aforementioned Gold Ship, who was his fellow stablemate.

* '''American [[MyNaymeIs Pharoah]]''' won the American Triple Crown in 2015. The then 3-year-old ridgling[[note]]There are some controversies around that detail; his owner insisted that this was just a misprint in the sales catalog. [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment We won't elaborate on it any further though.]][[/note]], also notable for having only half of his tail (most likely bitten off by another horse when he was a yearling), became the first horse in 37 years to win that elusive prize, unclaimed since Affirmed in 1978. He lost his first start (finishing 5th in a Maiden Special Weight race), broke his maiden a month later in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity, and didn't lose until the Travers Stakes at the end of August. He then took a break until the Breeders' Cup Classic on Halloween, easily winning his final race (and making him the first Grand Slam winner in history). His time in the Belmont Stakes, 2:26.65, was the second-fastest Triple Crown Belmont in history, following only Secretariat's 2:24; his final quarter in 24.32 was actually ''faster'' than Secretariat's. His 5 1⁄2 victory margin is exceeded by only two Triple Crown winners (Count Fleet in 1943, who won by 25 lengths; and Secretariat again, who won by 31).

** '''Gold Ship''': He is gray rather than gold ([[RunningGag everyone loves grays, remember?]]), but that detail didn't stop him from winning 2012 Satsuki Sho and Kikka Sho. He's also a very meme friendly horse (to Australians: think Chautauqua, just intact) - just look at his ''Uma Musume''... Ah, have we mentioned that he once turned $110 million in betting tickets into waste paper?[[labelnote:trivia]]In 2015, [[AffectionateNickname Golshi]] was bidding for an unprecedented third consecutive win at the Takarazuka Kinen... but he inexplicably stood up, resulting in him left the gate late. That day, 12 billion yen was bet on him...[[/labelnote]]

* '''Sunday Silence''' was one of the greatest American-bred horses that was close to clinching the Triple Crown during the aforementioned 37-year drought, however was humiliated at the Belmont Stakes courtesy of his racetrack rival, Easy Goer (though Sunday Silence would get his revenge in the Breeders' Cup Classic). There's more to that story though: he, quite literally, made it big in Japan, becoming the leading sire there for a whopping 13 years in a row, from 1995 to 2007 (with the streak ending five years after his death), with one of his sires taking the title of leading sire since[[note]]with the exception of King Kamehameha in 2010 and 2011[[/note]].

* Tokyo Daishoten (2,000 m on dirt, Ohi) - Dirt racing has historically enjoyed lesser prestige in Japan[[labelnote:trivia]]This has to do with horse racing in Japan being regulated by TWO organizations: JRA (which is in charge of larger racecourses that all have turf and dirt surfaces) and NAR (operating smaller racecourses in mosr sparsely-populated areas, all of them - except Morioka - only have dirt courses.[[/labelnote]], making this race a less-attended dirt equivalent of Arima Kinen (minus the popularity poll).

* '''Sunday Silence''' was one of the greatest American-bred horses that was close to clinching the Triple Crown during the aforementioned 37-year drought, however was humiliated at the Belmont Stakes courtesy of his racetrack rival, Easy Goer (though Sunday Silence would get his revenge in the Breeders' Cup Classic). There's more to that story though: he, quite literally, made it big in Japan, becoming the leading sire there for a whopping 13 years in a row, from 1995 to 2007 (with the streak ending five years after his death).

You can learn a lot about Japanese horse racing while watching Anime/UmaMusume, however not all horses have made the cut there for a variety of reasons (mostly owners being opposed to the idea). While many on this list are not in the series (yet?), they're still worth your attention.

** '''Gold Ship''': He is gray rather than gold ([[RunningGag everyone loves grays, remember?]]), but that detail didn't stop him from winning 2012 Satsuki Sho and Kikka Sho. He's also a very meme friendly horse (to Australians: think Chautauqua, just intact) - just look at [[Anime/UmaMusume his anime counterpart]]... Ah, have we mentioned that he once turned $110 million in betting tickets into waste paper?[[labelnote:trivia]]In 2015, [[AffectionateNickname Golshi]] was bidding for an unprecedented third consecutive win at the Takarazuka Kinen... but he simply wasn't in the mood that day and left the gate late. That day, 12 billion yen was bet on him...[[/labelnote]]

* '''Invasor''' is one of the few South American horses to make a major splash outside the region. Foaled in Argentina, he started his racing career across the Río de la Plata in Uruguay, winning that country's Triple Crown in 2005 while still unbeaten. He was then bought by a Dubai-backed operation and shipped to the UAE, finishing a disappointing fourth in the UAE Derby. Then, as planned, he was sent to the US, and never lost again. Invasor won four Grade I races, including the Breeders' Cup Classic, on his way to 2006 US Horse of the Year honors. He finished his career with two more Grade/Group I wins, the last in the 2007 Dubai World Cup, before being retired due to a training injury. He enjoyed only modest success at stud in the US and has since returned to Uruguay to stand there.

* '''Steve Cauthen''' (1960–): An American who ended up having far more success across the Pond, but no one would have imagined it in 1978, when he rode Affirmed to the last US Triple Crown for more than three decades, and became the only jockey ever named Sportsperson of the Year by the US magazine ''Magazine/SportsIllustrated''. However, by the end of that decade he would have increasing problems making weight. Fortunately for him, British and other European racing allowed for slightly higher jockey weights, and he thrived in his new setting, winning 10 British classics and many other top races throughout Europe. He remains the only jockey to have won both the Epsom and Kentucky Derbies.
* Lanfranco '''"Frankie" Dettori''' (1970–): Italian-born but British-based jockey who has won well over 3,000 races in his home base, not to mention countless other races around the world. Dettori has ridden winners of all British Group One flat races save one; nearly 20 British classics; eight French classics and six Arcs; and 14 Breeders' Cup races, just to name a few. Also notable for winning all seven British Champions Day races in 1996, and for his habit of performing a flying dismount in the winner's circle. Has an MBE.

* '''Yutaka Take''' (1969-): The third born son of Kunihiko, he was first seen merely as "Kunihiko's son" when he debuted as a jockey in 1987. Before long he reversed that to "Yutaka's father" as he won a total of 69 races that year alone, making him the jockey with the most wins that season in Japan and held on to that record until Kousei Miura broke it in 2008. Yutaka then went on to be the face of the horse racing boom in Japan of the 1990s (as he rode the likes of Oguri Cap, Mejiro [=McQueen=], and Special Week, among others) and was also the main rider of the aforementioned Deep Impact throughout its racing career. Currently he has more than 4,300 victories at JRA races to his belt and counting.

** Perhaps best known for "Ladies' Day", a day in which ladies are pretty much required to wear a NiceHat.

** Invitational - This race is open only to horses which have been invited to participate. Generally these are high-level stakes races. May or may not involve a public vote on who gets to participate (see Arima Kinen)

** Weight-for-age - Horses of various ages may enter this race. Older horses will carry higher weights than younger. The weights are based on a table that accounts for not only the horse's age, but also the race distance, time of year, and whether the horse was foaled in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.