USA Horse Racing Directory
Comprehensive Guide to Horse Racing Tracks Across America
300+
Race Tracks Nationwide
$40B+
Annual Economic Impact
32
States with Active Racing
About Horse Racing in America
Horse racing represents one of America's oldest and most celebrated sporting traditions, dating back to colonial times. The United States hosts over 300 racetracks featuring thoroughbred, harness, and quarter horse racing across 32 states. The industry contributes more than $40 billion annually to the U.S. economy and supports nearly 500,000 jobs nationwide.
From the legendary Triple Crown races at Churchill Downs, Pimlico, and Belmont Park to regional tracks at county fairs, American horse racing offers diverse experiences for fans and bettors. With more than $11.6 billion wagered annually and purses exceeding $1.3 billion, the sport continues to thrive through both traditional pari-mutuel betting and modern advance deposit wagering (ADW) platforms. Browse our complete directory of all racing tracks for detailed facility information including addresses, track surfaces, and racing schedules.
Featured Race Tracks
Churchill Downs
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Established: 1875
Home of the Kentucky Derby, the most prestigious race in American thoroughbred racing. The iconic twin spires have hosted the first leg of the Triple Crown every May since 1875.
View Kentucky TracksBelmont Park
Location: Elmont, New York
Established: 1905
Site of the Belmont Stakes, the final and longest leg of the Triple Crown. The 1.5-mile main track tests thoroughbreds' stamina and has witnessed 13 Triple Crown winners.
View New York TracksSaratoga Race Course
Location: Saratoga Springs, New York
Established: 1863
America's oldest major sporting venue and the "Graveyard of Champions." The historic summer meet attracts the nation's best horses and most knowledgeable racing fans.
View New York TracksPimlico Race Course
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Established: 1870
Home of the Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. Pimlico's 150+ year history includes hosting legendary matchups and historic racing moments.
View Maryland TracksSanta Anita Park
Location: Arcadia, California
Established: 1934
Southern California's premier thoroughbred facility featuring Art Deco architecture and mountain views. Hosts multiple Breeders' Cup championships and Grade I stakes races.
View California TracksDel Mar Thoroughbred Club
Location: Del Mar, California
Established: 1937
"Where Turf Meets Surf" - Del Mar's coastal location and summer racing season attract Hollywood celebrities and serious horseplayers to the Pacific Coastal Championships.
View California TracksBrowse Horse Racing by Region
Home to legendary tracks including Saratoga, Belmont, Pimlico, and the Meadowlands. The Northeast corridor features premier thoroughbred and harness racing.
Features Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park, and Fair Grounds. Strong quarter horse and thoroughbred racing traditions throughout the region.
Strong harness racing heritage with Hoosier Park, Scioto Downs, and Canterbury Park. Mix of thoroughbred and standardbred facilities.
California dominates with Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Golden Gate. Strong quarter horse presence in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arizona.
All States - Alphabetical Directory
Frequently Asked Questions
The Triple Crown consists of three prestigious races for 3-year-old thoroughbreds: the Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs, first Saturday in May), Preakness Stakes (Pimlico Race Course, third Saturday in May), and Belmont Stakes (Belmont Park, five weeks after the Derby). Only 13 horses have won all three races in history, with the most recent being Justify in 2018 and American Pharoah in 2015.
The United States has over 300 horse racing tracks across 32 states. This includes thoroughbred racing venues (like Churchill Downs and Belmont Park), harness racing facilities (standardbreds with drivers in sulkies), and quarter horse tracks. Some facilities host multiple racing types. California, New York, and Pennsylvania have the highest concentrations of active tracks.
Thoroughbred racing features jockeys riding on horses' backs at a gallop on oval dirt, turf, or synthetic tracks. Harness racing uses standardbred horses pulling drivers in two-wheeled sulkies at either a trotting or pacing gait. Thoroughbred races are typically shorter (5 furlongs to 1.5 miles) and faster, while harness races follow a mile distance at controlled gaits. Thoroughbreds race at venues like Saratoga and Churchill Downs, while harness racing dominates tracks like Meadowlands and Hoosier Park.
Yes, online horse betting is legal through Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) platforms in most states. The Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 permits online pari-mutuel wagering across state lines. Currently, 28+ states explicitly allow ADW, including major racing states like New York, California, Kentucky, and Florida. Licensed ADW providers like TwinSpires, TVG, and NYRA Bets offer legal online betting on races nationwide. Bettors must be 18+ (21+ in some states) and physically located in states where ADW is authorized.
The Kentucky Derby ($3M purse) is America's most prestigious race, followed by the Preakness Stakes ($1.65M) and Belmont Stakes ($1.5M). Other major races include the Breeders' Cup Classic ($6M, rotating venues), Pegasus World Cup ($3M, Gulfstream Park), Pacific Classic ($1M, Del Mar), Travers Stakes ($1.25M, Saratoga), Arkansas Derby ($1M, Oaklawn Park), and the Breeders' Cup series featuring 14 championship races with total purses exceeding $30 million annually.
The Kentucky Derby is held annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Derby Week festivities begin the weekend before with the Kentucky Oaks (premier race for 3-year-old fillies) running on Friday. The 2025 Kentucky Derby is scheduled for May 3rd. Gates typically open at 8:00 AM with the Derby post time around 6:57 PM ET as the final race of the day.
Pari-mutuel betting pools all wagers together, with bettors competing against each other rather than against the house. The track deducts a percentage (takeout, typically 15-25%) for operations and purses, then divides the remaining pool among winning ticket holders based on the amount wagered. Odds fluctuate in real-time based on betting volume until post time. Win, place, and show bets have separate pools, as do exotic wagers like exactas, trifectas, and Pick 6 bets.
California leads with 10+ active racing venues including Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Golden Gate Fields. New York follows with 7 major tracks (Saratoga, Belmont, Aqueduct for thoroughbreds, plus harness facilities). Ohio has 7 licensed venues dominated by harness racing. Pennsylvania operates 6 tracks combining thoroughbred and harness racing. Other states with significant racing industries include Florida (5 tracks), Kentucky (5 tracks including Churchill Downs and Keeneland), New Mexico (5 tracks), and Illinois (3 tracks).
Quarter horse racing features American Quarter Horses competing in short-distance sprints, typically 220-870 yards (hence the name, originally quarter-mile races). These horses can reach speeds exceeding 55 mph over short distances, making them the fastest breed in the world for sprints. Major quarter horse racing states include New Mexico (Ruidoso Downs hosts the $3M All American Futurity), Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and California. Los Alamitos Race Course in California is considered the premier quarter horse facility, while thoroughbred-dominated tracks often include quarter horse meet seasons.
Horse racing contributes over $40 billion annually to the U.S. economy and supports approximately 491,000 jobs nationwide. The industry includes racing operations, breeding farms, training facilities, veterinary services, feed suppliers, and related businesses. Annual wagering exceeds $11.6 billion, with purses totaling more than $1.3 billion. States like Kentucky, California, New York, and Florida see substantial economic benefits from racing and breeding operations, including tourism revenue from major race events like the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup championships.