The Carter Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack. Open to horses three-years-old and up, it is raced over a distance of seven furlongs.
First run in 1895, the race was named for Brooklyn contractor and tugboat captain, William Carter, who put up most of the purse money. The race was hosted by the old Aqueduct race track from 1895 to 1955, except for 1946 when it was held at Belmont Park. It returned to Belmont Park from 1956 to 1959, 1968 to 1974, and again in 1994.
The Carter Handicap is the only American Thoroughbred horserace in which a triple dead heat for a win occurred when Brownie, Bossuet and Wait A Bit crossed the finish line at the same time in 1944. There was another dead heat between two horses in 1977, a year when the number of entrants resulted in the race being split into two divisions.
Contested at seven furlongs since 1903, prior to that the race was run at various distances:
- 1¼ miles - 1895
- 1 mile, 1 furlong - 1896
- 11/16 miles - 1897
- About 7 furlongs - 1898
- 6½ furlongs - 1899-1902
There was no race held in 1909, 1911–1913, and 1933-1934. It was run in two divisions in 1977 and 1978.
Famous quotes containing the words carter and/or handicap:
“The awareness that health is dependent upon habits that we control makes us the first generation in history that to a large extent determines its own destiny.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
“I have the handicap of being born with a special language to which I alone have the key.”
—Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880)