Photo of the Day: Horse Racing at Gulfstream

  

Today, Saturday, May 17th, will be the 139th running of the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland. This will be the second leg of the US Triple Crown Series, followed by the Belmont Stakes on June 7th.

In 1973, Secretariat, considered by many to be the greatest thoroughbred in horse racing history, won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, setting new race time records in each of the three races – records that still stand today.

Photo of the Day: Horse Racing Jockey

  

Horse Racing jockeys are self employed, and earn around $45,000 a year. However, just like all sports, the better you are, the better the earnings. Some of the best jockeys will actually take home more than $2 million in prize money.

Photo of the Day: Thoroughbred

To be a Triple Crown winner, a thoroughbred must be three years old, and win at the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes in the same season. There have only been 11 Triple Crown winners in the history of horse racing, and the last time it happened was more than 35 years ago when Affirmed did it in 1978.

 

Photo of the Day: Horse Racing

  

Wild horses usually give birth in mid to late spring, but racing horses are bred to be born as close to January 1 as possible. This will give them a size advantage when competing against other horses born later in the year.