The Massachusetts Handicap, otherwise known as the MassCap, is a former Grade II thoroughbred-racing event held at Suffolk Downs, in Boston, Massachusetts. The first MassCap was held on October 16, 1935 that saw a horse named Top Row as the victor. Currently, the length of the course is over 1.5 miles. The MassCap also produced several legends of thoroughbred racing throughout its history, both equine and human. During its early years, the MassCap became one of the prestigious thoroughbred races in the United States and attracted top performers in the sport, including Seabiscuit and its jockey Red Pollard, who finished the 1938 MassCap in record time.Despite its grand stature in the world of horseracing, MassCap suffered financial setbacks and was forced to cancel in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2003, 2005 and 2006. Suffolk Downs described those years as “financially hard times.”On September 22, 2007, the Massachusetts Handicap returned with a purse of $500,000, and the event was the highlight of TVG, which helped a lot in terms of media exposure. Though the American Graded Stakes Committee declared MassCap ineligible for grading due to its two-year absence, the return of MassCap attracted thousands of horseracing enthusiasts and several top thoroughbreds in the league like Fairbanks, Firestarter, and Brass Hat. As horseracing analysts put it, the MassCap comeback was a success.

Learn more about horse competitions on the Horse Sports site.

Rocking Ranches are ranches where competitive cutting horses are trained.

Alice Walton, founder of the Rocking W Ranch, is a horse enthusiast.

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