A horse race is a spectacular event involving hundreds of beautiful horses, some carrying hefty amounts of weight, and thousands of spectators who cheer with a mixture of excitement, desperation, and hope. The thrill of watching a powerful animal fly through the air and run to the finish line at breakneck speed is unmatched by any other sport, although it may not be very healthy for the horses themselves. The sport is a major source of revenue for many states.

In the past, horse racing was one of America’s most popular sports. Bettors poured millions of dollars into the sport each year, and the money paid to jockeys and trainers was enough to lift some people out of poverty for a week, a month or, if a long shot won a big race, even a lifetime.

The sport is extremely dangerous, however, and in the 21st century Congress decided that it was not willing to let horses die to satisfy bettors, so it passed laws requiring safety standards for the industry. A new agency, the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority, was formed to implement these standards. The industry has been loth to change, but these new measures seem to be working and the number of race-day deaths has fallen significantly.

Horses are powerful animals that have been bred for centuries to be used in racing and jumping, the most arduous of all sports. The earliest writing on the care and training of horses dates from 1500 bc in Asia Minor, and there is a full description of chariot racing in Homer’s Iliad. Bareback — or mounted – races were part of the Olympic Games as early as 740 bc, and steeplechases, which involve jumping over a variety of obstacles, have been around since the 5th century bc.

From the beginning of organized racing, until the Civil War, stamina was the key to success. In the United States, six-year-olds ran in King’s Plates that were essentially endurance races, and winning was often a matter of coaxing the last few yards out of a tired horse. After the Civil War, speed became more important, and dash racing was introduced, with a single heat for each race.

In the modern era, most races are won by horses that can be rated early on. These are the horses that should be favored, and their owners should receive a certain percentage of the total pari-mutuel payoffs (the amount bet by everyone, not just those who win). A horse rated late is one that was in contention early but drops back toward the middle of the pack in the final stretch. This can be a sign of weakness, but is less drastic than stopped and may still earn the owner some money.

The judging of a horse race begins with the riders, or jockeys, weighing in and reporting to the paddock, where their mounts are saddled. An official is present to verify their identities, and they then parade the horses through a gate into the starting stalls. At this point, an electronic signal is sounded, and the race begins.

A small rectangular wood or plastic block, the face of which is divided into halves, each half being blank or marked by dots resembling those on dice. A domino set consists of these blocks in various arrangements, with some having multiple sides. The word is also used for a game played with the blocks, a form of tabletop chess.

Dominoes are the key to many games, including those that involve blocking or scoring. Most domino games are played with a double-6 set of tiles, although larger sets (double-9, double-12 and double-15) allow more players to play at one time.

In a game of domino, players take turns picking a domino from the stock until someone has an opening double. The player who has the highest opening double then plays it. This is repeated until the entire hand is played.

Most domino games have rules that specify the values of the pips on each tile. These are called suit and value combinations. For example, a domino with the value of 6-5 may be connected to another domino by its long side or by its short side, but not by its blank side. The values of a particular domino are important for understanding how to match up dominoes and form domino chains.

Traditionally, dominoes were made of ivory or a dark hardwood such as ebony, with black or white pips inlaid in them. More recently, sets have been produced from other natural materials, such as marble, granite and soapstone; metals like brass and pewter; or ceramic clay. These sets often have a more elegant look, and their heavier weight gives them more of a feel than modern polymer dominoes.

Domino art ranges from simple lines and grids that form pictures when they fall, to stacked towers and pyramids. Many people find it therapeutic to create these designs, which can be quite meditative. For example, a person who is suffering from anxiety or depression may find that domino constructions help them calm down.

The game of domino has been used for many purposes, from settling disputes in rural England in the 19th century to introducing a younger generation to arithmetic and algebra. It is a popular party game for children and adults.

A domino was once also the name for a hooded robe worn together with an eye mask at a masquerade or carnival celebration. Its origin is obscure, but the link to the game may be because of the similarity in shape between the domino and the hooded robe.

In fiction, the domino effect is the way a character’s actions cause other events to occur. This can be a very powerful tool for creating suspense and building tension in a scene, but it’s important that the writer knows how to use this technique well. The domino effect can be overdone if the scene feels long and drawn out, or underdone if it moves too fast and is not properly spaced. The writer should know how to pace the scene to make it a true build-up to a major plot point.