Horse racing is a passion for bettors and race enthusiasts in Turkey. Stud farms operated by the General Directorate of Agricultural Enterprises (TIGEM) are the main source of supply for purebred Arabian horses who have left their mark in nationwide races for decades. Currently, a breeding season is underway in three farms in northwestern Bursa, central Eskişehir and eastern Malatya provinces, where about 380 foals are expected to be born this year.

Most are foals bred from prominent, champion horses, who themselves were born in government-run farms. TIGEM Chair Sait Kocabay said 87 foals were born this year so far and the breeding season would continue into June. "Our farms staffed by expert breeders and carers provide an ideal environment for future champions of races," he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday.

The farms host some 1,250 Arabian horses and boast a legacy of horse breeding dating back to Ottoman times. Every year, some 260 foals are born at the farms.

Breeding is a profitable business for TIGEM, which earned $3.3 million (TL 45.2 million) last year from the sale of 273 foals, the highest in a decade.

Because of their strength and durability, thoroughbred Arabian horses were popular in the Ottoman Empire. The horses were obtained from the Arabian Peninsula through trade, diplomacy and war. The Ottomans encouraged the establishment of private stud farms to ensure a steady supply of cavalry horses. The prized stallions were often given as diplomatic gifts to European nobles, and later to Americans. In 1877, Sultan Abdul Hamid II gifted United States President Ulysses S. Grant with an Arabian stallion named Leopard.

Arabian horses are still among the favorite breed of horses in the sports field today.