The Messenger of Allah ﷺ held a horse race. He sent the horses that had been trained for racing from al-Hafya (or al-Hayfa) to Thaniyyat al-Wada, and the untrained horses from Thaniyyat al-Wada to the mosque of Banu Zurayq.Abdullah said, "I was among the riders that day, and I outstripped the others. My horse leapt over the mosque of Banu Zurayq."
حدثنا إسماعيل أخبرنا أيوب عن نافع
سبق رسول الله ﷺ بين الخيل فأرسل ما ضمر منها من الحفياء أو الحيفاء إلى ثنية الوداع وأرسل ما لم يضمر منها من ثنية الوداع إلى مسجد بني زريق قال عبد الله فكنت فارسا يومئذ فسبقت الناس طفف بي الفرس مسجد بني زريق
Its isnad is sahih, and it was narrated by the group, as in al-Muntaqa 4490.Tadmir al-khayl (conditioning horses for racing) means feeding them generously until they become fat, then feeding them only enough to sustain them, so that they become lean and light. It has also been said that it means placing saddles on them and covering them with blankets until they sweat beneath them, so that their flabbiness disappears and their muscles firm up. This is from al-Nihaya.Al-Hafyaa, or al-Hafyaa, is a place near Madinah, and both readings of the name are found in Mujam al-Buldan 3:303-381.Thaniyyat al-Wadaa is a mountain pass overlooking Madinah, which is crossed by anyone heading toward Makkah. In al-Muntaqa it is noted that in the Sahihayn, Musa bin Uqba reported that the distance between al-Hafyaa and Thaniyyat al-Wadaa is six or seven miles. Bukhari added that Sufyan said, "From al-Hafyaa to Thaniyyat al-Wadaa is five or six miles, and from Thaniyyat al-Wadaa to the masjid of Banu Zurayq is one mile."The hadith will come again in abbreviated form at 4594.