Many people think of horse racing as an age-old sport that remained the same for hundreds of years. Although the thrill of the races and the excitement that bring to fans is the same, if we peel back the first layer, we can see that the sport has introduced many technological innovations.
In fact, I would say that it is one of the most technologically forward sports today.
I know it’s a bold call, but technology is everywhere in horse racing. From organizing the races to improving user experience and big data, tech has truly revolutionized the Sport of Kings.
This is a good thing. The sport hasn’t changed much in terms of entertainment, and most of the technology used in the sport is invisible to the spectator. Therefore, the sport’s soul remained the same, but technology helped to make it safer, more accessible, and of course, more entertaining.
At this point, you are probably wondering what are some of the new technological advancements introduced in the sport. Well, we’ve made a list of the latest tech innovations in horse racing that made the sport future-proof.
Advanced Timing Systems
Can you imagine running a competitive sport without the proper technology and with a close action like the 150th Kentucky Derby, where Mystic Dan won by a nose? It must have been a nightmare finding out the true winner of the race in a close-action race down the finish line.
In the past, there was a spotter at the finish line, and bettors had faith in the person calling the winner. Next, the sport introduced photo finish, where a camera takes a picture of the first horse that crosses the finish line. But even that had some troubles.
Nowadays, we have powerful technology that can declare a winner even if the horse is just a few millimeters up front. Yes, these are called advanced timing systems. Systems like ProChip Plus Go by MYLAPS and several others are truly revolutionizing how races are timed.
These technologies are 10 times more accurate than the traditional GPS. Plus, we are not only talking about the finish line. These sensors pick up valuable data during the race. It picks up the position of every horse, its speed, acceleration, and many more factors that can be very valuable for trainers.
In a sport like horse racing, split-second differences often mean the difference between winning and losing.
Synthetic Track Surfaces
When we talk about technological advancements, not many people think of the surface of the races just because it is not a piece of tech with a chip in it. However, the new materials used on some of the most popular horse racing tracks, like Churchill Downs, have truly revolutionized the sport.
How? Well, they are easily maintainable, they provide good water drainage, and they are a lot safer for horses while running and if the horse or jockey falls.
If you still don’t know what we are talking about, it’s time for you to learn more about Polytrack and Tapeta, which are the modern synthetic surfaces that revolutionized the Sport of Kings.
The most important change that the newly introduced synthetic surfaces bring to the table is the reduction of the risk of injury and the creation of a more level playing field, which eventually makes the races fairer.
AI and Data Analytics
We live in an AI era, which to be honest is getting out of hand. We see AI on devices that shouldn’t have AI. Artificial Intelligence also got into horse racing, which shouldn’t surprise us since we are talking about sport based on data.
And data is worthless if you cannot analyze it!
AI systems analyze genetic data, training performance, and even health metrics to predict future performance and identify potential issues before they become serious.
We also have the bettors, which are an important aspect of the sport. Horse racing betting is quite popular and even got to a point where we have handicapping tournaments by TwinSpires.com.
So, AI in the world of horse racing betting will introduce a new level of precision and will give handicappers access to information and data leading to more accurate bets.
Wearable Technology
We cannot talk about technological advancements without introducing wearable technology. We live in a digital world where we take tech devices everywhere we go. So, it is not weird to find out that companies manufacture wearable tech designed for horses.
Why?
Well, in case you haven’t noticed, horse racing is a sport that relies on data. And these wearable devices are perfect for collecting many different data points. They can monitor heart rates, speed, recovery times, and even real-time data that can be used to improve the training of the horse.
This not only makes horse racing more transparent, but these data can also help people involved in the process identify potential problems or issues on horses.
Real-Time Streaming and Microbetting
The betting landscape has also transformed with the advent of real-time streaming and micro betting. Gone are the days when bets had to be placed well before the race began. Now, fans can place bets right up to the starting gate, thanks to real-time streaming technology. This dynamic betting environment keeps fans engaged and enhances the thrill of the race.
Moreover, real-time data streaming levels the playing field by eliminating the advantage of courtsiders—those who relay information from the track to gain an unfair betting edge.