Ebook: Kentucky Handicap Horse Racing: A History of the Great Weight Carriers

In a handicap, horses are
assigned weights based on their past performances as a way to try to create
evenly matched fields. The better the horse, the heavier the weight assigned.
In the United States, handicaps once accounted for the majority of stakes races
and were known to boast large purses attracting the leading horses of the day.
Kentucky-bred horses such as Discovery, Equipoise and Kelso won under the
heaviest of weights, dominating the handicap division year after year, and were
immortalized in the hall of fame. These equine stars brought recognition to the
Sport of Kings and became renowned athletes for their courage, fortitude and
durability. Join author and turf historian Melanie Greene as she recounts the
harrowing tales of these noble steeds.