Horse races are competitions in which people or horses vie for something, most commonly something tangible like power or money. A succession horse race occurs when senior executives compete to become their company’s next chief executive officer (CEO). Governance observers sometimes disfavor this overt leadership competition — in which an incumbent CEO is appointed via majority vote — while others view it as an effective method for selecting capable leaders.

The term horse race has come to symbolize political battles marked by fierce attacks, mud-slinging and name calling–comparable to that seen during this year’s presidential election. Although its usage dates back centuries, its meaning has evolved as it’s come to be used more broadly over time.

Although 2016’s political contest is often described as a horse race, we should keep in mind that its real stakes go well beyond partisan bickering or campaign tactics – at stake is how our nation will be run under whomever wins this presidential race and this must always remain top of mind while we watch its unfolding drama.

Before participating in a horse race, runners begin training and conditioning themselves for it early each morning by engaging in routine jogs or gallops at regular intervals in the early hours. Over time, their trainers may require them to run at higher speeds for set periods called breezes; these “breezes” help assess a runner’s fitness to compete in an important race.

As eleven horses gathered on the backstretch for this year’s Preakness race, War of Will emerged as champion to lead them off cleanly from their stalls and towards the clubhouse turn. He was followed closely by Mongolian Groom, a small-framed chestnut colt; Mongolian Groom, another small-framed chestnut colt; and McKinzie, another small-framed bay.

War of Will and Mongolian Groom had become fatigued nearing the far turn, while Vino Rosso quickly passed them and surged past into second place, leaving War and Groom in their dust.

As they neared the finish line, thirsty horses needed something extra to quench their thirst; as race officials administered Lasix (marked with a boldface L on racing forms) each received an injection to prevent pulmonary bleeding that can occur as a result of hard running. Hard running tends to cause exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage which increases with exertion – this medicine reduces how much blood their lungs release during final furlong races.