American horse racing is gearing up for a busy period. It is this time of the year in which trainers and owners gear up for the most lucrative races on the America horseracing calendar. Fans and punters are preparing for each race and New York horse betting guide gives them the chance to get bet bonuses before betting on the top American horse races.
Horse racing has long been a major sports draw for centuries. The top races have a long history and offer large prize purses to competitors. Here are America’s top 5 horse races in 2020.
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is the king of the American horse racing season. Held in May, the Run for the Roses is the first jewel in the Triple Crown of American Horse Racing. Churchill Downs is one of the most historic venues for racing and draws crowds over the hundred thousand-mark. In 2018, over 157,000 fans and punters witnessed the Kentucky Derby first-hand. The 2020 edition should break that figure.
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness stakes is the second leg of the Triple Crown. Held at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, the Preakness is run on the third Saturday of May. The race is run on dirt with three-year-old and older horses fighting for the trophy.
Belmont Stakes
The “Test of the Champion” makes up the third jewel in the Triple Crown of American Horse racing. The Belmont Stakes is run over one mile and 12 furlongs and like the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, it is contested on dirt. The Belmont Stakes takes place in June and is the final leg of the three races in the Triple Crown. It is always a challenge and plenty of times horses that did the double at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes have come up short. Thirteen horses have won the Triple Crown with the most recent being Justify in 2018.
Breeders’ Cup
The Breeders’ Cup bounces around racecourses in the United States each year. The annual change in venue offers horse racing fans and punters the chance to enjoy another great racetrack with each edition of the event. Jockey Mike Smith has turned nearly everything to gold he has touched when competing in the Breeders’ Cup. The jockey has won 26 times. The event started in 1984 and offers millions in prize purses to competitors.
Pegasus World Cup
The Pegasus World Cup is overlooked by many horse racing fans and pundits due it being relatively new and not having the history of the other races on the list. The Pegasus World Cup was first held in 2017 at Gulfstream Park in Florida. It is contested over one mile and nine furlongs and run on dirt. The event is well-known for the massive prize purses it hands out to competitors. The 2020 edition of the Pegasus World Cup will hand out $3 million in prize money. The race’s second running offered $16m in prize money but it has since declined. Still, it is one of the elite races held each year in the US.
