Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1700
جامع الترمذي#1700Sahihحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، عَنْ نَافِعِ بْنِ أَبِي نَافِعٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ سَبَقَ إِلاَّ فِي نَصْلٍ أَوْ خُفٍّ أَوْ حَافِرٍ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ .
Narrated Abu Hurairah:That the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "No stake is acceptable except in archery, racing a camel, and racing a horse
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
Ahmad Muhammad ShakirSahih
Al-AlbaniSahih
Zubair Ali ZaiIsnaad Hasan
In-book reference: 23:31