Claiming Race
Also called: claimer, claiming price, claim
A claiming race is a race in which every horse entered is for sale at a set 'claiming price' — any licensed owner can 'claim' (buy) a horse by filing a claim before the race.
Claiming races are the workhorses of American racing: they fill most of the daily card and let trainers find value by spotting a horse that's better than its tag. The risk cuts both ways — run a horse too cheap and you can lose it for a fraction of its worth.
Examples
- arrow_rightMario Lorito claimed Straight Fax for $800; the horse went on to win four races, and Mario was offered $200,000 for him after the third.
- arrow_rightEds Dog was a $1,000 claim that went on to win $60,000.