Olden Days:

The problem is on the lower end, I’m not sure there are many “naturally light” riders around today. But I do recall a rider named Daryl Montoya, who could tack 112 and as such picked up many low weighted mounts back when there was a large handicap weight spread. I also seem to recall Jose Amy (later banned 20 years for alleged race fixing) winning a handicap race with his mount carrying 108 pounds. Seems like today’s top NY riders can do no better than 118, and I am not sure how low NYRA’s other journeymen can go.

On the top end, with kinder and gentler racing the days of runners carrying Forego like weights, or anything near that, are likely long gone. Ok, I will not mention how animal rights folks could have so much fun with the medieval notion of adding lead to whatever weight a horse is asked to carry.

Also with regard to high weight, there seem to be more highly funded graded stakes opportunities at various tracks, so an owner or trainer has the option to “just say no” to an unfavorable weight assignment.

Recently(?), NYRA seems to have nudged the scale up a couple of pounds so that the top weight in overnight races is 125 or 124, where it used to be 122. For years H. Allen Jerkens was a vocal opponent of any adjustment of this sort (kind of surprising in that “The Chief” employed some legendary plus sized exercise riders).