horse races date back to the Olympic Games of Greece in 700 BCE. Today, not much is different with hundred of horse races taking place all over the world every week. With so many races in the world, it brings about a few questions. The first one being as to which the Most Prestigious and Biggest Horse Races in the World. The second question that comes to mind is what are the richest horse races in the world.
If you are interest in finding out, then jut keep reading as we answer these questions for you!
The 5 Biggest Horse Races in the World
1. The Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is without a doubt the king of horse racing with over 155,000 people attending the race. This prestigious race is held annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. According to the Bookie’s Guide to the Kentucky Derby, it is known as the “most exciting 2 minutes in sports.
The KY Derby is a 1 and a quarter mile race for 3-year-old thoroughbreds. In addition, it is the first leg of the American Triple Crown. Last year, sportsbooks saw $391.8 million in wagers which makes opening a horse betting business very tempting. This year, the prize for the Kentucky Deby will be worth $5 million with $3.1 million going to the winner.
2. Breeders’ Cup Classic
For the first Saturday of November, over 109, 624 people will be watching and betting on horses for the 2024 Breeder’s Cup Classic. This year, the race will take place at the Santa Anita Park in California for the 1 1/4-mile race.
While the Kentucky Derby is more widely known, the Breeders’ Cup is seen as the premier thoroughbred race of the year. For bookies, this is a very profitable race as On-track betting handles for the race event was $19,419,844 last year.
3. Royal Ascot Gold Cup
The Royal Ascot Gup race is one of the most prominent and iconic horse races in the world. According to Sportsbook Pay Per Head Guides, this year, the prize money will be around $746,000. What sets is apart from other horse races is that it is open to horses 4 years or older.
The race is held every year in Mid to late June at the Ascot Racecourse in Ascot England. This year, the race will be from the 18th to the 22nd of June.
4. Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is the most prestigious horse racing event in Australia that is held the first Tuesday of November. It began in 1861 and since then, the 3,200 meters race has continued to bring fans from around the world. According to horse betting websites, racebooks saw over $221.6 million in wagers last year.
This year, the Melbourne Cup Prize money is worth $14 million with first place horse getting $4.34 million.
5. Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the American Triple Crown that draws a crowd of 65,000 people. While these numbers pale in comparison to the pre-Covid era of 182,000 attendees, it remains one of the most popular races in the world. However, this year they expect a crowd of well over 100,000 people.
The Preakness Stakes is held annually on the Third Saturday in May at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Furthermore, it is a 14-horse race and is known as the “race for the black-eyed Susans.”
The 5 Richest Horse Races in the World
In terms of prize money, that is a totally different category in the horse racing world. This is because there are several popular horse races that are not as prestigious but offer much larger prizes. However, you will notice that some horse racing events will be in both the biggest horse race and richest horse races in the world categories.
- Saudi Cup – $20 million Prize
While the Saudi Cup is not the most prestigious horse race in the world, it has the biggest prize pool worth $20 million. The race has been held annually since 2020 and is an 1,800 meters race held on a dirt and turf. This international horse racing event held at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Cup is usually held the third Saturday of February and was won in 2024 by Senor Buscador. Past winners include racing greats such as Cigar, Dubai Millennium and Arrogate.
- The Everest – $20 million Prize
The Everest is an Australian horse race which is known as the “world’s richest race on turf.” It is held annual in October and at Royal Randwick racecourse in Sydney, Australia. The first race was held in 2017 and is a 1,200 race on turf.
- Dubai World Cup – $12 million Prize
For horse owners and jockeys, the Dubai World Cup is one of most lucrative horse races on the calendar. With a $12 million prize pool, it is an exciting horse race that is held at annually at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.
- The Golden Eagle – $10 million Prize
The Golden Eagle is another Australian horse race that is held annually at the at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney. In addition, the race is held on October and consists of 16 of the best four-year old horses in Australia.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic – $7 million Prize
This race is held annually during the first Saturday of November somewhere in the U.S. This year, the race will be held in Del Mar and features a $7 million purse. However, a total of $33 million is given in total for the entire Breeders Cup weekend.
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