Handicap Races

by Dave
(Silver Spring, MD USA)

Beholder Wins Breeders Cup

Are there still handicap races?

Weight-for-age; that sort of thing?

Answer supplied by Laurie Ross:

Sadly, handicap races are mostly a thing of the past. Fillies and 3 year olds facing older horses get a weight break, but it's rare to see a graded stakes horse tout more than 125 lbs.

Gone are the days when great (and good) horses carried significant weight. The best we can hope for is a 5 pound spread nowadays.