Horse racing is one of the most popular spectator sports on the planet
In the United Kingdom, it’s only second to football. In 2023, more than 7.5 million viewers tuned in to watch Corach Rambler race to victory at the Grand National. The sport’s also been a mainstay in the United States. Some of the largest race tracks in the country, like Churchill Downs and Arlington Park, have been around for more than a century. At first glance, American and British horse racing seems largely interchangeable. Delve below the surface however, and there’s a lot separating US from UK racing.
Race Types
While the basic premise of racing remains the same in both countries, you start to see the differences when looking at the type of races on offer. In the United Kingdom, this includes flat races and National Hunt races. Otherwise known as steeplechase racing, it’s National Hunt events like the Grand National that continue to bring the crowds.
Steeplechase races are far less popular in the United States. Here, flat races are preferred. However, there are also Quarter Horse races and endurance events you won’t find practised in the UK.
Track Direction and Distances
When weighing up horse racing tips, many people turn to track direction to reach a conclusion. Here’s another area where British and American racing deviates. In the UK, you’ll find plenty of left and right-handed racecourses, levelling the playing field for competitors. In the US, the vast majority of race tracks are left-handed. If a horse’s leading leg isn’t trained for a left-handed course, the animal is at a significant disadvantage.
Generally speaking, race distances in the UK are far longer than what you’ll find in North America. National Hunt events like the Grand National are more than 3 miles. Despite being the longest flat race in the US, the Belmont Stakes runs for just over a mile.
Horse Breeds
Different track conditions and stamina requirements call for very different horses. In America where Quarter Horse racing is popular, animals are bred to deal with the intense pressures of a short sprint. In the UK, you’ll only ever see a thoroughbred on the track. These animals are built for endurance and high agility. Thanks to their excellent temperament, stamina and jumping ability, many thoroughbreds are often seeded into eventing once they’re retired from racing.
What About Prize Pools?
Unsurprisingly, the Americans go much bigger than the Brits. The Breeders’ Cup World Championship remains one of the most lucrative horse racing events on the planet. The total purse is worth more than $31 million, with a cool $6 million being handed out to the winner of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.
This is markedly different from how things work in Britain. Let’s take the Grand National as an example. In 2014, the purse was capped at £1 million, with the winner taking home around half of that. The other £500,000 is then divided between the remaining top ten finishers.
If you’re used to the thoroughbreds and steeples of British horse racing, the dusty flat tracks of the American South and stocky builds of the Quarter Horse can be a shock to the system. However, don’t let these differences deter you from embracing another side to the sport. While American horse racing might lack the nail-biting drama of Natural Hunt events, those mile-long bursts can be just as exhilarating.