How Does Everyone Feel About the Increased Weights?
 

When I first began following this game (in the late '70s), older horses generally carried 122 lbs. in 3-and-up claiming and allowance races.

Now, 126 lbs. appears to be the standard - and the weight break for 3-year-olds in 3-and-up races tends to be less now than it was then.

Does this affect how you handicap these races?

A few pounds on a bunch of 1200 pound horses? And no evidence of disproportionate changes?

Yawn!

As long as I’m not carrying it…

Three or five pounds doesn't seem to make a difference unless your horse loses by a nose.

For what it's worth, the scale at the NYRA tracks in the late '70s and early '80s for claiming and allowance races was as follows (for open-sex races; it was generally 1 lb. less across the board in claiming and allowance races for fillies and mares):


March: Three-year-olds, 113 lbs.; older, 126 lbs.

April: Three-year-olds: 113 lbs.; older, 124 lbs.

May: Three-year-olds, 113 lbs.; older, 122 lbs.

June: Three-year-olds, 114 lbs.; older, 122 lbs.

July: Three-year-olds, 115 lbs.; older, 122 lbs.

August: Three-year-olds, 116 lbs,; older, 122 lbs.

September: Three-year-olds, 117 lbs.; older, 122 lbs.

October: Three-year-olds, 118 lbs.; older, 122 lbs.

November: Three-year-olds, 119 lbs.; older, 122 lbs.

December: Three-year-olds, 120 lbs.; older, 122 lbs.