Although horse racing might look like an antique sport, it is a sport packed with technology and we can safely say that one of the most highly advancing sports on the planet. Over the last couple of decades, horse racing hasn’t been the same.

Yes, the races might look the same, but everything that happens behind the curtain has advanced thanks to technology. The sport is now safer for both jockeys and horses just because of the introduction of tracking systems.

But we are not talking about tracking systems that declare the winner in a tight situation (by a nose), we are talking about AI-infused tracking systems that might predict if the horse is going to obtain an injury.

This technology revolutionized horse racing forever, and it is the perfect time to learn more about it.

RFID Technology

Radio-frequency identification started this tracking boom back in the early 2000s. We are talking about tiny chips, about the size of a grain of rice, that get tucked into a horse’s saddlecloth or bridle, and they are like antennas pinging signals for key points like the start, finish, and furlong markets.

But by 2007, tracks like Keeneland already could clock exact positions on the track, which made the sport easier to track for bettors, fairer and of course, more accurate.

Nowadays, RFID is still used in the horse racing industry just because they are cheap and reliable, and they can sync to betting apps or official apps from the organizers, which improves the overall user experience for fans.

After all, horse racing is a sport relying on data, and being able to access this data is very helpful for everyone in the industry, including us, the fans. You can now get all the information about the live Kentucky Derby race, even if you are not watching the race in person.

This is very important for bettors, who are waiting to see whether their horse will claim the title. If you also want to make a bet on the Kentucky Derby, click here to check out the odds for the upcoming race: twinspires.com/kentuckyderby/odds/

GPS Tech

Fast forward to the 2010s, and had the big GPS outbreak, which was an advancement to the RFID technology. GPS allowed better tracking, where organizers can record not just checkpoints, but also track every horse’s move.

Lightweight units, often clipped to the girth or rider’s vest, beam latitude, longitude, and speed via satellite—say, 38 mph on a straightaway—straight to race control. Australia’s Trakus system, rolled out in 2012, mapped entire fields in real-time, down to a horse’s nose crossing the line.

Smart Wearables

By 2025, the track’s gone beyond the finish line—wearables strapped to a horse’s leg or chest monitor heart rate (normal 28-40 bpm, spiking to 200 mid-race) and stride length (about 20 feet at full tilt).

Systems like EquinEdge, pair GPS with sensors to flag fatigue or lameness—vital after 2021’s 493 U.S. racing deaths sparked welfare calls (Jockey Club stats). Trainers watch live feeds—imagine a colt’s pulse hitting 210 bpm—and pull the reins if trouble brews.

Additionally, some of these smart wearables are also beefed up with artificial intelligence. They can track the horse’s movement, and spot imperfections in the run. Then they use this data to find out how likely will the horse suffer from injury. This is a huge deal in a sport where the safety of the horses is in the spotlight, and these trackers can help trainers spot anomalies and pull the plug on some races.

Drones

Drones swooped into racing around 2018, and in 2025, they’re the aerial ace. Fitted with GPS and HD cameras, they hover over tracks like Santa Anita, syncing with ground systems to capture every angle—think a bird’s-eye of a photo finish or a pack splitting at the turn.

They are boosting viewer immersion—NBC’s Derby coverage now cuts to drone shots tracking a horse’s burst from fifth to first.

Data Fusion

Here’s where it gets wild—2025’s systems don’t just track; they fuse. RFID pings the gates, GPS plots the run, wearables pulse the vitals, and drones stitch it into one feed.

At tracks like Meydan, software crunches this data—speed (say, 40 mph), distance (1.25 miles), heart rate (180 bpm)—into real-time graphics for bettors and stewards.

So, our data collecting systems have also advanced, which kind of makes sense. After all, collecting all the data from the race is the easier part. The harder part is to analyze that data and learn something from it.

Why It’s Charging Ahead in 2025

This tech tidal wave isn’t slowing— pegs tracking systems as a $500 million market by 2026. Why? Its precision—RFID’s millisecond splits, GPS’s inch-by-inch maps—meets welfare, with wearables cutting breakdowns by 10% since 2022.

Fans win too—70% of betting app users now lean on live data, —turning races into a numbers game as much as a spectacle. It’s the sport’s new heartbeat, blending legacy with tomorrow.

Which bit’s your pick—drones or health tech? I think it is a great combo of technology that not only focuses on equine welfare but also on fan’s entertainment.