Horse racing began as early as the 12th century, being one of the oldest sports still practiced today. The horse was the third animal to be domesticated by humans (following the dog and cat) and were used especially in times of war for their agility and speed, therefore, a contest of speed was an inevitable progression. In 1750, American horse breeders and racers established the Jockey Club. The two types of horses used in horse racing are thoroughbreds and American standardbred horses. All American standardbred horses can trace back their lineage to the horse named Messenger and his son, Hamiltonian, known as the father of the American Standardbred breed. Today, horse racing is not as popular as it was 30 years ago causing the cost of horses to go up. For the first time in history, a standardbred horse was sold for a million dollars, very unusual for a standardbred but usual for a thoroughbred.