The Fall Highweight Handicap is an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

held annually near the end of November at

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack located within New York City limits. Its racing ...

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Currently run at a distance of 6

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use i ...

s (1,207 m), it is open to horses three years of age and older under handicap conditions. The race was given its current Grade III status in 2009 by the American Graded Stakes Committee. As the name implies, the race is known for the unusually high handicap weights assigned to each of the horses. In the past the top-weighted horse was assigned a minimum of 140 pounds (63.5 kg). Although the 140 pound rule is no longer in place, horses still carry more weight than they normally would. The highweight in the 2015 renewal, for example, carried 134 pounds. Run at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Raci ...

from its inception in 1914 to 1959 and again from 1963 to 1993, the Fall Highweight was open to horses of any age until 1959 when it was changed to its present format. It was raced on a straight course prior to 1921, from 1926 to 1939, and again from 1942 to 1957. A large field resulted in the 1976 edition being run in two divisions. The inaugural running of the Fall Highweight in 1914 was a remarkable victory for Comely who was not only a

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

that defeated male rivals, but the only two-year-old to ever win the race.

Records

Speed record: * 1:08 2/5 - Ariel Lad (1944) & Hitex (1952) - (Both were ridden by

Eddie Arcaro George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997), was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Tri ...

) Most wins: * 2 -

Miss Merriment Miss (pronounced ) is an English language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as " Doctor" or "Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, ...

(1934, 1936) * 2 - Cassis (1943, 1946) * 2 -

Ta Wee Ta Wee (1966–1980) was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame race horse. Background Ta Wee was bred at the Tartan Stable of William L. McKnight (chairman of the board of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.). (The W. L. McKnight Han ...

(1969, 1970) * 2 -

Honorable Miss ''The Honourable'' ( British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certa ...

(1975, 1976) * 2 -

What A Summer What A Summer (foal in 1973) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who defeated both male and female competitors. She was bred in Maryland by Milton Polinger. She was a gray out of the mare Summer Classic who was sired by Summer Tan. H ...

(1977, 1978) Most wins by a jockey: * 5 -

(1937, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1958) * 5 -

John L. Rotz John L. Rotz (December 16, 1934 – July 12, 2021) was an American Thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred horse racing jockey and a World Champion in Western riding competitions. Early career After graduating from Warrensburg-Latham High School i ...

(1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972) * 5 - Jorge Chavez (1991, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999) Most wins by a trainer: * 5 - D. Wayne Lukas (1985, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2001) Most wins by an owner: * 4 - Joseph E. Widener (1919, 1929, 1931, 1941)

Winners

* In 1918, Fairy Wand finished first, but was disqualified.

References

{{Reflist Aqueduct Racetrack Horse races in the United States Open sprint category horse races Recurring sporting events established in 1887