Cross Breeds

why don't horse racers race non-thoroughbreds?

surely there are regular horses that can run fast too? but i only ever see thoroughbred horses racing in the big races, is there a reason for this? is it the rules or something? thanks!!

Public Comments

1. Hi, You are familiar with the Triple Crown races which get a lot of publicity. But they do race other horses as well. There are Arabian races, Quarter Horse races, and even mule races. They don't get as much publicity as the Thoroughbreds, but they do have their places on the race track. Quarter horses race much smaller distances than TB's because they are bred to run very fast but for short distances. TB" on the other hand, are bred for distance running and can run farther than QH's. If you get TVG, watch and you will see other horses racing. Usually QH's run at night or day hours when there are not important TB's racing.
2. One explanation will suffice here... Ask yourself, "Can I win the Indianapolis 500 driving my Volkswagen bug" With that said, I rest my case!.... ** PS... I don't own a VW bug... ....Billy Ray
3. There are races carded for Quarterhorses and Arabians, but the publicity is minimal. Two examples with Quarterhorses are in Ohio and Florida.....a small meeting for QH is held late in the year at a minor Thoroughbred track - Beulah Park - in the Buckeye State, which draws minimal interest with horseplayers // the legendary Hialeah Park in Florida re-opened this year with a short QH meeting...it drew phenomenally for opening day, but the attendance and handle sputtered afterwards. Remember, without wagering, there are no tracks....that is the reality of the industry. And horseplayers want Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds on the cards, with other types of racing just a diversion to toss a couple of bucks at; QH is a niche in a few states, but the dollars going through the teller windows will drive the economics at a track every time.
4. its in the blood lines of thoroughbreds to race! Quarter horses have the non-thoroughbreds racing!
5. Thoroughbred racing is the most popular because of the versatility. They can run from 7 furlongs to over 2 miles (although here in the US, the races no longer go that far). There is stock horse racing (QH, App, Paint) but these are short distance. Arabians are slow so there isn't as much interest there. The type of racing you see also depends on your location. The midwest is full of QH racing. Here's a a good way to look at it...Do more people go to see drag races or NASCAR?