Animal Racing

Someone would have to be a hardcore gambling or racing fan to handicap an ostrich race, but, in South Africa particularly, this can be done. There also are camel, pig, and dog races. Although sidelines to horse racing, the most popular form of racetrack gambling, many horse racing web sites also include information and articles about these endeavors.

Dating back hundreds of years, horse racing (along with several others) has been dubbed the “sport of kings.” From the Kentucky Derby to the Irish Derby (pronounced ‘dar-bee’) horse racing is truly international in scope and home of the original handicappers.

Betting the Ponies

The roots of horse racing date back to as early as 1500 B.C.E. and the ancient Egyptians. Harness racing dates back to classical Greece and the Romans were known to bet on chariot races held at the 200,000-seat Circus Maximus. Modern horse racing dates back to the 12th century (if that can be called “modern”) when King Henry II of England (that where the “sport of kings” label originated) started breeding Arabian stallions with English mares. The union produced powerful, speedy animals, and, of course, the owners were all too eager to place bets on whose horse was the fastest.

Coming to America

When North America was colonized by English settlers, they bought horse racing with them. The modern system of racetrack betting began in the United States in 1863 with the opening of a track in Saratoga Springs, New York. Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky, opened in 1875. Wagering on the outcome of races dates from that period and has been legalized in several states, where tax revenues add millions to state government coffers.

Today, American horse racing tracks American tracks use the pari-mutuel system of wagering, originated in France during the 1860s. Under this system, all bets are pooled and odds are based on the amounts bet on each of the horses. In this case, the winner does not take all. Wagering is based on whether a horse will win, place (finish second), or show (finish third). Some states now also operate facilities for off-track betting (OTB).

And They’re Off

Aside from horse racing, people are willing to bet on just about any animal that will move. States such as Florida have an active greyhound dog racing industry. In South Africa, where there is one town that claims to have 95 percent of the world’s ostrich population, jockeys mount the big birds wearing colorful silk outfits, just like at the Kentucky Derby.

Although there is betting action on these events, increasingly animal rights activists object to using these animals this way. The greyhounds often are abused and discarded when their racing days are over, and there are national “greyhound rescue” organizations which find homes for these animals. In Europe, animal protection groups have gone to court citing restrictions in European Union regulations to try to stop ostrich racing, decrying cruelty to the nine-foot-tall birds.