types of thoroughbred horse racing

Thoroughbred horse racing is something which most of us have some familiarity with, largely thanks to the three biggest Thoroughbred horse races being televised each year. These three are the Preakness, the Belmont Stakes and the Kentucky Derby, collectively known as the Thoroughbred Triple Crown.

All three of the Thoroughbred Triple Crown races have one thing in common: the track which is used for the race. All three are run on a flat dirt track. Horses in the Triple Crown will usually pace themselves until near the finish, saving a surge of incredible speed in the effort to win the race. However, some horses have had so much speed that they have held the starting position from the second they came out of the gate until the finish line!

What many spectators to these races do not realize is that this is only one type of Thoroughbred horse racing that is available and while these races are the most popular Thoroughbred horse races, there are other forms of Thoroughbred horseracing that are popular as well.

Another variation of Thoroughbred horseracing that is popular is the turf races. What makes these races different from the other types of Thoroughbred races is that the races are run over a grass surface instead of a dirt surface and all of the other aspects of the races are the same.

The turf courses are just as long as are the dirt track races, with the thoroughbreds running the same distances as in other types of Thoroughbred racing. The only differences are the turf - and the terminology which is used in these sorts of Thoroughbred races.

Thoroughbreds can also be run in races that require the horse to jump several fences during the course of the race. These Thoroughbred horse races are commonly referred to as steeplechases and provide an extra challenge to both the horse and the rider during the race.

Thoroughbreds that race on a flat surface only have to worry about running fast, while horses that run in steeplechase races have to have enough stamina to finish the race and the jockeys have to know the appropriate time to ask the horses to jump over the fences. The number of jumps that the horse will have to clear during the race will depend on the length of the race.