What is the difference between weight for age race and a handicap race?

Question

in horse racing

Answer 1

a handicap race can be all ages -and dependant on ability

a weight for age means generally the younger the horse the less weight particularly in summer/autumn when 3 year olds are not as good as 4 year olds generally

Answer 2

In a weight for age race, weights are set according to the age of the horse, because horses get stronger as they get older. it's a sort of handicap.

In a proper handicap race weights are set according to the horses performance. i.e. if they win their last race the weight will be put up by the handicapper.

Answer 3

In a handicap race the stewards give more weight to the horse or horses that have won more races and graded Stakes winners/ placers. Here is an example: Santa Anita Handicap vs Santa Anita Derby. The Handicap is open to all racehorses (male or female) ages 4 years and up. This year Lava Man won, and he had around 130lbs on him while some of the others had only 115lbs on them. The Derby is open to all racehorses( male or female) only 3 years old. A colt racehorse going against a filly racehorse will ALWAYS be given more weight because the stewards think that a filly has almost no chance against a colt. If you saw the Belmont you would know filly's can beat colts.

Answer 4

in order to get the good 3 year olds to race against the

older horses they came up with the weight for age race..

all 3 year olds carry 121lbs

all horses 4 years and up will carry 124lbs