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In respect to this, why do race horses carry extra weight?

Handicapping in action. In a horse handicap race (sometimes called just "handicap"), each horse must carry a specified weight called the impost, assigned by the racing secretary or steward based on factors such as past performances, so as to equalize the chances of the competitors.

Furthermore, how does the rating system work in horse racing? Before a horse can be assigned a rating, it needs to run a few races first, to give the judges an idea of how fast it is. An official rating will be assigned after one of the following happens: It wins a race. It doesn't win three races, but finishes in the top six in one of those races.

Just so, how does a weight handicap work in horse racing?

A handicap is a race where each horse is allocated a weight, according to its ability, in an attempt to equalise every horse's chance of winning. Handicaps are run on the flat and over jumps. A better horse will carry a heavier weight because the handicapper thinks they have more ability to win races.

Why do jockeys ride standing up?

American jockeys of the time began wondering what would happen if they did a little work on their own, standing up in the stirrups, bending forward and surfing the motion of the horse as it galloped. What happened was, they went faster — 5% to 7% faster between 1890 and 1900, as more and more riders adopted the idea.