horse race

noun

a contest of speed among horses that either are ridden by jockeys or pull sulkies and their drivers.

any formidable contest or competition:

The primary election is expected to be a horse race among four opponents.

Related forms

horse racing, noun

Examples from the web for horse race

T his is not a story about the presidential horse race.
What it takes to get the jockeys in the right colors for each horse race.
Elaborate was another length back in third in the five-horse race.
It is obvious that they show a profound appreciation of anyone who has wagered an odd bob or two on a horse race.
But an election that had seemed a soporific canter has suddenly turned into a horse race.
But as attention shifts towards the presidential horse race, the parties will start to matter less.
Manned spaceflight is now no longer a two-horse race.
In this, they truly are gambling, as if on a horse race.
Add to this an ineffective media that only covers politics as a horse race and the picture gets worse.
Worth keeping in mind for when the horse race is really underway.

Slang definitions & phrases for horse race

noun

A serious contest; a hard-fought competition: Suddenly what looked like a shoo-in turned into a real horse-race (1970s+)