Dog racing is a sport in which greyhounds compete on an oval track. It is also called greyhound racing. The dogs chase a mechanical lure that may resemble a bone, another greyhound, or a rabbit. Sometimes a wind sock is used. A mechanical lure is effective because greyhounds chase by sight rather than by scent. The lure moves around the track on an electric rail. Greyhound racing developed from an ancient sport called coursing. In coursing, two dogs chased a live rabbit over an open field.
Most dog-racing tracks are 1/4 mile (0.4 kilometer) in length. Eight greyhounds compete over 7/16, 3/8, or 5/16 of a mile (0.7, 0.6, or 0.5 kilometer). Champion dogs can run faster than 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour.
Before each race, the dogs are put into individual stalls in a starting box. The lure is then started. When the lure is opposite the starting box, the doors of the stalls are opened, and the dogs are released. During the race, the lure is kept several yards ahead of the leading dog. The lure is moved out of sight of the dogs after they cross the finish line, and they stop running.
Dog racing is a popular sport in parts of the United States and in several other countries. Fans bet on the greyhounds through the pari-mutuel system. This system is also used in horse racing (see Horse racing (Betting)).
