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

Download or read book Kentucky Handicap Horse Racing: A History of the Great Weight Carriers written by Melanie Greene and published by History Press Library Editions. This book was released on 2014-04-08 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.