racing gender

Question
Which gender of horse is the better racer?  What is the approximate ratio of male to female horses that race?  Is a spayed colt or filly any faster than one that has not been spayed?  In terms of speed and endurance, what is the optimal age for a horse to race?

Thanks!

*race refers to events such as Kentucky Derby

Answer
Hi Serenity:

As you might expect, males are the dominant racehorses.  However, it is very rare for a female to race against males.  Half of all races are restricted by sex, so the females can compete at their own level.
Once in a while, though, a female (like Eight Belles) takes on males and beats them, but these are rare occurrences.  

Sometimes trainers decide to castrate their male horses to reduce the movement of the testicles when the horse runs, or to reduce the sexual urges of the horse (supposedly resulting in an animal more interested in racing and less interested in female horses).  Although there are a few instances when these maneuvers are practical and fruitful, in most cases, they do not really help a horse run faster.  Females are almost never "altered."  

The optimal racing age for a female is 3.5- to 4-years old; 3.5- to 5-years old for a male.     

Hope this helps.

Brad Adler
www.superthoroughbred.com