racing plates

Question
Dear Ms. Frost:

What year, in general, were steel racing plates replaced by aluminum? Thank you.

Sincerely,
C. Justice

Answer
Chuck,

I can't give you an exact year that aluminum shoes replaced steel in racing, because there was a gradual changeover.  As always happens with any innovation, some trainers embraced aluminum plates very quickly, while many resisted for quite some time.  There still isn't any rule against using steel, but aluminum is pretty much universally used anyway.

I can tell you that the first aluminum plates were used in England, but weren't used much in the United States until the 1920's.  The first US company to make aluminum shoes was the Victory Racing Plate Company, out of Baltimore, Maryland, which opened in 1929.

Thanks for your question,

Stephanie Frost
www.alchemybloodstock.com
www.stephaniesellsocala.com