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General Category => Thoroughbred Racing => Topic started by: andrew on October 18, 2026, 09:18:02 PM
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When I had came into the New York Racing scene as an apprentice in 1980, It was pretty common to have these starter handicap series of races, most being marathon-distance events at 1-1/2, to 2 mile events, or more. These were races handicapped by weight, similar to how some of our major graded races in America are weighed by the official racing secretary's handicapper. If I remember correctly, the horses eligible to run in these races had to have participated in lower class claiming races, example $10,000 - $20,000 claiming races. This would prevent nicer, well-bred allowance horses from entering, allowing some of these tough "war horse, fan favorites" to compete in these fun handicapping events. It was an era where fan favorites like, Creme de le Fete, King's Swan, Peat Moss could shine as the greats they were. In 1980, Peat Moss was claimed by Gil Puetes and owner Murray Garren for $20k in October 1980. They instantly entered him back in the 2 mile Kelso Handicap where he would be running against New York's finest. Ring Of Light was one of them that I had won the Massachusetts Handicap on earlier that summer. Pancho Martin replaced me on Ring Of Light which left me without a mount in the Kelso. Peat Moss was assigned 104 pounds in the Kelso Handicap, a weight few riders could manage to make I also could not do the 104 weigh assignment but I could make the 5 pound overweight limit at 109 pounds at the time. Side note, this was my first day riding as a journeyman as I lost my apprentice jockey status just the day before. So we agreed to ride Peat Moss, who appeared to have virtually no chance in such a race. I believe he went off at odds of 24-1 which was not bad as someone saw something. He wins the 2 mile Kelso Handicap and pay's $50 to win and eyebrows were raised. This 6 year old gelding, who had six screws in his cannon bone from an earlier injury, was only an average claimer at a mile, but at two miles, he was a lion! The fun part was, because he participated in these lower class claiming races, he was eligible for the starter handicaps! Nothing could touch him in these races. The track handicapper would pile on more and more weight and it made no difference! In this photo, he carried 145 pounds over 2 miles and he won so easily that day; my job as a jockey could not have been easier. Later in 1980, we went on to win the Display Handicap on the inner track at Aqueduct at 2-1/4 miles. The next summer was when we almost defeated the great John Henry in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at a mile and a half, which was too short a distance for Peat Moss. I needed one more jump and we would have had that win! We went on to win the Kelso Handicap later that October in 1981. The week after, I broke my leg at the Meadowlands and Peat Moss had a couple of races without me, but was winless. We would be briefly reunited the next summer, both of us with screws in our legs, though Peat Moss, now an 8 year old gelding would not be up to the amazing things he had done and was retired. Definitely one of the greatest racehorses I had ever sat on. I truly believe there was not a horse on the planet that could have beat him at 2 miles.