Suburban Handicap

[Calzone Lord]

The Suburban Handicap was the most important and popular horse race in all of North America until the top 3yo Classic event, the Kentucky Derby, took over the title about 100 years ago.

The weights for the Suburban Handicap would often come out in early Feb. Top weight would typically be around 129lbs. Bottom weight of the horses who nominate for it would typically be about 84lbs. The spread would be 45lbs from top to bottom.

Future book betting on the contest would be tremendously popular. Great fortunes would be gambled in the Suburban futures. Great horses like Salvator and Raceland won early editions in the late 1800's. It was often the first time when top 3yo's would step up and take on top older horses at 10 furlongs. The Handicap Triple Crown was the Met Mile, Brooklyn, and Suburban.









The 126th running of the Suburban Handicap will be run as Belmont Park's 9th race today. It's a Grade 2 now. It's no longer 10 furlongs now.

It is still run under handicap conditions -- but top weight in this years edition is 120lbs (To Honor And Serve) and low weight is 115lbs (The fast but yet to even be Graded Stakes placed Buffum)

In the old days, Buffum might have got in very light for this race. Probably 100lbs or less. Stay Thirsty, a Travers Winner, is assigned just 2 pounds more.

The Suburban is no longer much of an attraction for top class 3-year-olds. Why would it be when you could run in races like the Iowa Derby, West Virgina Derby, Ohio Derby, Indiana Derby, or that $400,000 Red Legend Stakes for 3yo's at Charles Town that Hansen scratched out of to run in the more prestigious Iowa Derby the same day.

Anyway, the Suburban is still a pretty decent race today, but it's not quite the Kentucky Derby's greatest rival as an event anymore.