A horse race is a competition in which runners are timed as they run a specific course. The race can be a standard mile, a handicapped event, or a series of laps around a track. In the United States, most thoroughbred races are stakes events that feature a purse of cash and awards for top finishers. Horse racing has a long history dating back to the ancient Greek Olympics, which were held between 700 and 40 B.C. It has since spread to many cultures and is practiced worldwide.
Traditionally, horse racing has focused on stamina over speed. This is because most of the races are run in a circular fashion. A runner’s legs on one side of his body will lead, or extend, farther than the other when he runs, and the ability to switch leads on cue is crucial for a runner to be able to conserve energy throughout a race. Typically, a runner will run on his right lead during the straightaways and switch to the left lead when entering or exiting turns.
To help a horse build the necessary conditioning for a race, trainers will start him out with routine jogs and gallops in the early morning. As he builds up his fitness, a trainer may begin to work him, or “breeze,” which means that the runner will run at a higher pace for a set distance. Breezing can be used as a way to gauge the horse’s level of readiness for a race and can be a useful indicator of his potential for winning or losing.
The term horse race is also a metaphor for a political contest, particularly a presidential election. With all the mudslinging, name calling and attack ads, it can be difficult for voters to focus on the actual issues that are at stake in an election. This can lead to what is known as horse race coverage, in which journalists spend the majority of their time focusing on who is ahead and behind rather than discussing policy concerns.
A number of studies have highlighted the negative effects of horse race coverage on voters, candidates and the news industry itself. In addition to causing confusion among viewers, this type of reporting can also hurt third-party candidates and give novel or unusual candidates an unfair advantage. Moreover, it can distort the truth by presenting polling data as percentages rather than as odds of a candidate winning or losing. In recent years, scholars have also begun to study the impact of a new form of horse race reporting known as probabilistic forecasting, in which analysts calculate odds of a candidate winning or losing based on multiple opinion polls. This research can help journalists better distinguish between fact and fiction in their coverage.