With the sport being so much more global these days, it pays to know about horses and races from a little further afield.

The US has always staged some of the biggest events on the horse racing calendar. But since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to ease the restrictions on betting, sportsbooks such as BetUS have been able to offer markets and insight for races taking place on “home” soil.

Whether you are an American horse racing aficionado or just a fan who wants to know more, we’ve put together a list of the biggest races in the US. There is nothing the Americans like better than putting on a show – and these are some of the grandest events on the planet.

Kentucky Derby

Where else to start but with one of the most iconic races in the history of the sport? This is the kind of race that even non-horse racing fans know and get excited about. It has transcended the sport to become part of the social and cultural calendar, not just in the States, but all around the world.

First run in 1875, the race itself is actually a fairly brief affair. Scheduled on the first Saturday of May, the Kentucky Derby is known as “the most exciting two minutes in sports”. This race for three-year-old thoroughbreds takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky and is the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Preakness Stakes

Avid Triple Crown fans don’t have to wait too long for their next fix, as the Preakness Stakes comes around just two weeks later on the third Saturday in May each year. It actually predates the Kentucky Derby by two years and takes place at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

This Grade I race is, once again, for three-year-old thoroughbreds and is run over just 9.5 furlongs on a dirt track. The race has been won by just six fillies in its 148 runnings and comes with a purse of around $1.65 million. The Kentucky Derby winner is always closely monitored before this one as punters hope for another Triple Crown.

Belmont Stakes

Known as “The Test of Champions”, the Belmont Stakes is the third and final jewel in the Triple Crown and is one of the most eagerly anticipated races in the US. It takes place in June, three weeks after the Preakness Stakes, over 12 furlongs at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

The legendary Secretariat is the horse most associated with the Belmont Stakes, after he won the 1973 Triple Crown by finishing this leg a whole 31 lengths ahead of the field. He also managed to shatter the track record that still stands to this day. To show just what a feat that is, only 13 horses have ever won the Triple Crown.

Breeders’ Cup

This is actually a series of races that takes place over two days under the Breeders’ World Cup Championships banner. Unlike the three Triple Crown races, it doesn’t have a home racetrack, as such, although Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California has hosted the most meetings.

Even though the first Breeders’ Cup didn’t take place until 1984, it has become one of the biggest events in US horse racing, only coming behind the three Triple Crown races in terms of popularity and media attention. The purse for the races varies from $1 million to around $6 million for the highest-profile events.

Travers Stakes

Often referred to as the Midsummer Derby, the Travers Stakes is actually the oldest major stakes race in the country, dating back to 1864. Held at the famous Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, it is another race for three-year-old thoroughbreds and takes place over 10 furlongs on a dirt track.

With a purse of around $1.25 million, the Travers Stakes attracts some of the best horses but only four Triple Crown winners have ever run the course. Whirlaway will be forever remembered as the only one to ever win this race as well, a feat referred to as the “superfecta”.

Arlington Million

Part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, this event is named after the racetrack where it was held for the majority of its history since the first running in 1981. But now that Arlington Park has closed, it has been moved to Churchill Downs in 2002, before switching to Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia in order to return to its original length of 1 ¼ miles.

The Arlington Million was the first thoroughbred race to offer a purse of, you guessed it, a million dollars, and takes place in August each year. This year’s winner, the Brad H. Cox-trained seven-year-old Set Piece became the first from Great Britain to take the prestigious prize.

Haskell Stakes

There are plenty of other big races and meetings in the US over the year – each bringing a sense of history and glamor to the sport. Our final race is the highlight of the summer season at the world-famous Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey.

It has had a number of different names over the years and was an invitational right up until 2020 – hence the final change of name. It is run over 1 1/8 miles on dirt and is regarded as the major race for three-year-olds between the end of the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup.