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

by Melanie Greene

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781625850027
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	04/08/2014
Series:	Sports
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Melanie Greene is a doctoral candidate in the faculty of education at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed academic journals. She holds a BA and MA in sociology and has completed programs in equine studies at the University of Guelph. She is also the author of "Nasrullah: Forgotten Patriarch of the American Thoroughbred." Melanie has been an avid equestrian for much of her life.

Table of Contents

Foreword Allan Carter 7

Preface 9

Acknowledgements 11

1 History of the Handicap 13

2 Roseben: The Big Train 19

3 Roamer: The Accidental Champion 25

4 Exterminator: Old Bones 33

5 Equipoise: King of the Handicap Horses 41

6 Discovery: The Iron Horse 49

7 Devil Diver: The Record Holder 55

8 Tom Fool: Horse of the Decade 63

9 Kelso: King Kelly 71

10 Damascus: A King Among Giants 79

11 Forego: The Last Great Weight Carrier 85

12 The End of an Era 93

Appendix A Champion Handicap Male Horse Winners, 1900-70 99

Appendix B Champion Older Male Horse Eclipse Award Winners, 1971-2013 103

Notes 105

Sources 115

Index 119

About the Author 123