It's sometimes called the Sport of Kings. But no one knows for certain who the "kings" are...maybe it's because royalty enjoys watching it. Or maybe the horses themselves are the royalty. It's plausible...they certainly deserve the title.
My own horse, Truman, is a son (of 998) of Seattle Slew, the undefeated Triple Crwn Winner. But he never actually raced. I believe that makes him a Prince in exile...
~Elizabeth