Horse riding came from the Arab regions of centuries B.C. They were considered a fine means of transportation and beasts of burden, but not even their royalty thought much of using them for sport. England was the one to popularize horse racing, sometime in the in the 17th century during the reign of King James I (it was reputed that His Majesty devoted more time to horses than to his kingdom.) The sport spread to the American continent once Britain took over the Dutch colonies around what is modern-day New York.

On this day, March 25, the first horse recorded horse race came on a racecourse built over the Salisbury Plain in present-day Long Island, New York – just south of the New Hyde Park train station.

Continuing the tradition of a “Cup” award to the winner, the Long Island race recorded the first winner received a silver porringer (a type of porridge dish produced in the colonies.) The Newmarket race was the first on the continent, joined later as the sport evolved by other notable ones, like the annual thoroughbred derby in Kentucky.