Horse racing is far and away the most popular competitive equestrian sport in the world, and this has been the case throughout most of modern history. People have been wagering on horse races for well over 2,000 years, and it can trace its roots as far back as Ancient Greece. Over the course of the last few millennium, the sport has remained virtually the same.

World Horse Racing is an alliance of five iconic global racing festivals, committed to celebrating the sport of horse racing and the incredible athletes who make it happen.

Today, horse racing remains one of the most heavily bet-on sports, with billions of dollars being wagered each year across the globe. There are well over 250 dirt tracks and turf courses worldwide, which are located on just about every continent. Below we have indexed every horse racing track in the United States as well as all other parts of the world.

Horse Tracks in the United States

The United States is home to the highest concentration of horse racing tracks in the entire world. Hosting both thoroughbred and harness races, there are over 75 different tracks located throughout the continental U.S. and its territories. Below you will find our index of every horse racing track in the country.

Arizona

Rillito Downs (Tucson)
Turf Paradise (Phoenix)
Yavapai Downs (Prescott Valley)

Arkansas

Oaklawn Park (Hot Springs)

• Horse Racing Around the World: Yesterday and Today A brief history of horse racing. This photo shows Man O' War in his stretch run of the Stuyvesant Handicap at the old Jamaica racetrack in Queens, New York on June 22, 1920.
• Discover the All American Triple Crown Tradition, the world’s richest quarter horse races, at Ruidoso Downs Race Track. Cart 0 News Racing Events Visit Horsemen Horse Sales Casino Live Racing Sign Up for Updates.
• If you like horse races with seven-figure purses, then the Wood Memorial Stakes is right up your alley. Boasting a chunky $1,000,000 prize pool, the Wood Memorial Stakes has been run at the Aqueduct Racetrack every year since 1925. It was actually a Grade-I race for many of those years, including as recently as from 2002-2016.

California

Del Mar Racetrack (Del Mar)
Fresno Race Track (Fresno)
Golden Gate Fields (Albany)
Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos)
Santa Anita Park (Arcadia)

Colorado

Arapahoe Park (Aurora)

Delaware

Delaware Park (Wilmington)

Florida

Gulfstream Park West (Miami Gardens)
Gulfstream Park (Hallandale Beach)
Hialeah Park Race Track (Hialeah)
Sunshine Raceway (Tampa Bay)
Tampa Bay Downs (Tampa)

Idaho

Idaho Downs at Expo Idaho (Boise)
Les Bois Park (Boise)

Illinois

Arlington Park (Arlington Heights)
Fairmount Park (Collinsville)
Hawthorne Race Course (Cicero)

Indiana

Hoosier Park (Anderson)
Indiana Downs (Shelbyville)

Iowa

Prairie Meadows (Altoona)

Kentucky

Churchill Downs (Louisville)
Ellis Park Racecourse (Henderson)
Keeneland Race Course (Lexington)
Kentucky Downs (Franklin)
Turfway Park (Florence)

Louisiana

Delta Downs (Vinton)
Evangeline Downs (Lafayette)
Fair Grounds (New Orleans)
Louisiana Downs (Bossier City)

Maryland

Laurel Park Racecourse (Laurel)
Maryland State Fairgrounds (Timonium) *Live racing during state fair only
Pimlico Race Course (Baltimore)

Massachusetts

Suffolk Downs (East Boston) *Live racing during special events only

Michigan

Northville Downs (Northville)

Minnesota

Canterbury Park (Shakopee)

Nebraska

Columbus Races (Columbus)
Fonner Park (Grand Island)
Horsemen’s Park (Omaha)
Lincoln Race Course (Lincoln)

New Jersey

Meadowlands Racetrack (East Rutherford)
Monmouth Park Racetrack (Oceanport)
Freehold Raceway (Freehold)

New Mexico

Albuquerque Downs (Albuquerque)
Ruidoso Downs (Ruidoso Downs)
Sunland Park (Sunland Park)
SunRay Gaming (Farmington)
Zia Park (Hobbs)

New York

Aqueduct Racetrack (South Ozone Park, Queens)
Belmont Park (Elmont)
Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track (Canandaigua)
Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs)
Tioga Downs (Nichols)
Vernon Downs (Vernon)

North Dakota

North Dakota Horse Park (Fargo)

Ohio

Belterra Park (Cincinnati)
Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway (Dayton)
Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course (Youngstown)
Thistledown Racino (North Randall)

Casino World Horse Race Tracks

Oklahoma

Fair Meadows Race Track (Tulsa)
Remington Park (Oklahoma City)
Will Rogers Downs (Claremore)

Oregon

Portland Meadows (Portland)

Pennsylvania

The Meadows (Washington)
Parx Casino and Racing (Bensalem Township)
Penn National Race Course (Grantville)
Presque Isle Downs (Erie)
Harrah’s Philadelphia (Chester)
Pocono Downs (Wilkes Barre)

Puerto Rico

Hipódromo Camarero (San Juan)

Texas

Lone Star Park (Grand Prairie)
Retama Park (Selma)
Sam Houston Race Park (Houston)

Virginia

Colonial Downs (New Kent County)

Washington

Emerald Downs (Auburn)

West Virginia

Charles Town Races & Slots (Charles Town)
Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort (Chester)

Wyoming

Wyoming Downs (Evanston)

Types of Racetracks

The most popular types of horse racing tracks include turf and dirt. These courses are shaped in a large oval (similar to NASCAR tracks), and are anywhere between 400 meters and 2 1/2 miles long. While dirt courses tend to be more prevalent in the United States, there is also no shortage of turf courses. Some racetracks even feature both a dirt and turf track. With that said, however, turf tracks tend to be much more popular in European countries (including Ireland and the U.K.).

The most common type of tracks within the turf and dirt categories are generally referred to as “Flat” courses. These types of racetracks are mostly oval-shaped, and relatively flat with no gradient (hence their name). There are also some “figure 8” tracks, but they are rare and mostly located in Europe.

Most Noteworthy Tracks

With hundreds and hundreds of tracks throughout the world, there are only a select few that have gained much more notoriety than the others. This is partially because every year massive, world-wide events like the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes draw in large crowds and even receive national media coverage in the U.S.

Triple Crown Tracks

The Triple Crown is a series of three thoroughbred horse races with large purses, totaling well over $1 million per race. The Triple Crown spans the course of two weeks, starting on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. If one horse wins all three races, he is given the holy grail of horse racing; the Triple Crown.

The Triple Crown races have been held annually for over 100 years now (the 144th annual running of the Kentucky Derby took place in 2018), and they are even shown on national television.

Churchill Downs (Kentucky Derby)

Located in Louisville, Kentucky, Churchill Downs is most widely known for hosting the Kentucky Derby. It has been home to this monumental race each year since 1875, and it begins the chase for the Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby is held annually on the first Saturday in May, and features three year old thoroughbred horses.

Though the race lasts just about two minutes on average, it is one of the most highly anticipated events in all of sports. Aside from the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs also hosts thoroughbred races almost every day during the season.

Pimlico Race Course (Preakness Stakes)

Casino Race Track

Situated in the city of Baltimore, Pimlico Race Course is one of only two full-time horse tracks in the state of Maryland. Each year since the 1870’s it has hosted the prestigious Preakness Stakes, which is the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Belmont Park (Belmont Stakes)

Located in Queens, New York, Belmont Park is home to the final race of the Triple Crown.

Betting at Racetracks

Almost every course in the United States that features live horse racing will allow visitors to bet on each race right at the track. Some even allow wagering on horse races being held at other courses, and feature live simulcasts. You will be able to place your wagers at either an electronic ticketing system, or right at the cashier desk.

Launched in 2017 as part of 1/ST’s mission to excite, energize and modernize the sport of racing for a new generation of fans, the Pegasus World Cup also provides lucrative opportunities for Thoroughbred owners and trainers. In just four short years, it has captured the attention of the racing industry, celebrities and fans from around the world and has established itself as a premier event on the racing calendar featuring some of the finest domestic and international runners.

In 2021, the Pegasus World Cup continues to be at the forefront of innovating the sport by redefining the guest experience through the implementation of social distancing protocols as well as new health and safety guidelines for riders and spectators. Additionally, this year’s event will once again provide exciting opportunities in North American Thoroughbred racing for horse owners to showcase their equine athletes on two fronts – competing free of any medications on race day and providing the winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational with an automatic entry into the 2021 $20 million Saudi Cup. The medication-free format, for both the Pegasus World CupInvitational and Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, is consistent with the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA) standards.

Evolving into a Championship Invitational Series featuring two Grade 1 stakes races, Pegasus in 2021 will feature a combined $4 million purse. The Pegasus World Cup Invitational, run on the dirt at 1 1/8 miles offers a $3 million total purse. The Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, run on the turf at 1 3/16 miles, offers a $1 million purse. The $4 million total purse contribution is entirely provided by 1/ST.

Horse Race Casino Game

Past winners include Arrogate, the 2016 Eclipse Award winning champion three year old male and the top earning Thoroughbred of all time, the 2017 horse of the year, Gun Runner, 2019 champions City of Light and Bricks and Mortar, who won the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, and 2020 champions Mucho Gusto and Zulu Alpha. Pegasus World Cup Championship rings are awarded to the winning owner, trainer and jockey for both the Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

The Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series will be broadcast live on NBC, Saturday, January 23, 2021 from 4:30 – 6:00pm EST. Wager with 1/ST BET, the official wagering app of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series.