Dog Racing 🏁 - Ready, Set...Go!
Dog racing is when dogs race against other dogs in an organized event. While there are several forms of dog racing, greyhound dog racing is the most popular and offers the most betting options.
Dog racing with greyhounds usually takes place on an oval track of a certain distance with an artificial lure that travels in front of the racing dogs until they cross the finish line.
In many countries around the world, there are forms of dog racing that are only for enjoyment. There are also illegal dog races worldwide, but those races cannot be bet on legally like greyhound racing can.
Greyhound racing is popular in the countries of the United States. The United Kingdom, Spain, Mexico, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland. Greyhound dog racing is a big part of the gambling industry in the countries where it is legal, and it works much like horse racing.
Online Dog Racing
There are many dog race betting options for greyhound dog racing, as there are many sportsbooks and racebooks that offer odds on the exciting sport. There are many betting markets for dog racing as well, not only picking the winner of a race.
These days, the new big thing is live betting, and there are books out there that will offer live betting for dog racing. That is fast and furious action wagering on the action as the dog race is happening.
Rules and Gameplay
There are different rules for different types of dog races, but here we will focus on greyhound dog racing. The races take place on an oval track, and the surface and the number of racing dogs will depend on the country where the dog racing is taking place.
For example, in England, dog racing is typically done on a grass surface with six racing dogs in each race, while in the U.S., the track is usually dirt, and there are eight racing dogs per race.
The dogs are lined up at the starting gate, and then the doors of the gate are opened at the starting gun. The dogs then race around the track chasing an artificial lure that moves in front of them until they cross the finish line. In dog racing, a dog can be disqualified by knocking or being aggressive towards another dog impeding their path.
In dog racing, the day's card is called a meeting, which is how many races will be held. For example, in England, dog racing's governing body is the National Greyhound Racing Club, and they establish the race distances for flat or hurdle dog races from 230 to 1,200 yards (210 to 1,100 meters).
There are typically 10 or 11 races in a meeting in the United States, and the tracks are either 1/4th of a mile, 5/16th of a mile, or 3/8th of a mile.
Dog racing for greyhounds does not have many rules, and the ones that are in place will depend on where the race is taking place.
Strategy and Tactics
There are not many strategies and tactics for dog racing, as the canines control the race, so there is not much strategy in place. For other dog races where there is a human involved, such as the Iditarod sled race, there are some tactics. However, for typical greyhound dog racing, there is not.
History of Dog Racing
Dog racing has been going on since the dawn of time. Greyhound dog racing dates back to 1919 when Owen Patrick Smith developed the initial major race meeting in California. He had the idea of the mechanical lure for the dogs to chase before 1919, and he kept trying to perfect its use.
Smith finally came up with a lure that could travel around the tracks, which made greyhound dog racing possible. His idea was that the dogs in the race would chase a rabbit, and he came up with several experiments for the lure before coming up with one that worked. He is known as the "Founder and Inventor of Modern Greyhound Racing".
In the mid-1920s, Smith hired Charles Munn to travel to England and Ireland with his patented lures to start dog racing. While Smith is known to come up with the lure's working version in 1919, he toyed with the idea as early as 1906.
Before moving to California and setting up successful greyhound dog racing with his new lure invention, he also had dog racing tracks in Texas, Arizona, and Louisiana.
When Munn went to England, dog racing took off in popularity with the lure invention. Soon after, many dog racing tracks were constructed, and dog racing became a very popular sport in the British isles.
In the later part of the 20th century, there was a backlash for dog racing, with many believing it inhumane. While there are regulations in place for dog safety and experts at every race, dog racing decreased in popularity at that time. There was a bit of a resurgence in the last few decades with online wagering at tracks whether they are having dog races there or not.
Wall of Fame
There are a few greyhound hall of fame’s worldwide, such as in Kansas, New Zealand, and England. They have some of the best dog racers as well as owners and those who contributed to the sport.
When talking about some of the best greyhound dog racers of all time, some of the names typically on the list include Mick the Miller, Scurlogue Champ, Patricia's Hope, Rapid Ranger, and Ballyregan Bob.
Distinctive Elements
The main distinctive element about dog racing is the speed of the dogs on the track. Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on the planet, and in Australia in 1994, one was clocked on the track going 41.8 miles per hour.
The speed of the sleek canines adds to the excitement of the sport of dog racing, as does the bumping and sometimes even fighting that happens in the race.
Dog racing betting is also a distinctive element of the sport with wagering on greyhound races happening at the tracks and online.
Statistics
The statistics for dog racing has to do with the greyhounds that are active in the races. The average finish and times are looked at closely by the trainers, owners, and the people who take part in dog race betting. The bettors look at these stats to try to handicap races to get a better idea of the race outcome.
Popularity and Cultural Impact
Dog racing is very popular in various countries around the world. The sport is big with bettors around the world, with many online betting sites where there are many betting markets for dog race betting. Many believe that dog racing is inhumane, which is why there are not nearly as many dog racing tracks in the United States as there used to be.
Dog racing bets and dog racing picks are an exciting aspect of the sport, going hand in hand with wagering. The dog racing bets are much like horse racing, and some prefer to wager on the dogs than the horses.
