Claiming races form the bedrock of the American program. Connections set a value to their horse then enter it at an appropriate price level. This is a most effective way to ensure competitive racing as every horse is entered for sale at a specified, and most often, realistic amount determined by the owner/trainer, with no interference from any official handicapper. Before the race anybody can buy or “claim” the horse for the advertised price, though the prize money goes to the “old” owner.
Putting a thoroughbred legitimately worth 60K into a 20K claiming race would be a good way to pick up stakes in a weaker contest but at the risk of losing the horse via the claim. The opposite holds true – there’s little chance of picking up prize money by running a cheap battler against more valuable merchandise. So, the claiming concept is an eminently fair, self-correcting way to get horses of similar levels running against one another.
I believe it’s something that, if done properly, could revive the SA racing program, leading to competitive races that promote greater interest and betting turnovers. Depending on the horse demographics in different centres, claiming races could be set up across suitable price categories and over varying distances to cater for the peculiarities of each local population.
An important additional advantage, (especially given our shrinking ownership band due to prohibitive costs,) is that claiming races arguably make it easier to own horses. No more “guessing” at Yearling or even Breeze Up Sales using pedigrees and conformation to chose, then waiting ages to find out if the purchase is swift or sluggish. Instead, the claiming race structure is based on exposed race-track ability with a quick turnaround time to either vindicate or refute any buy/sell decision.
Here’s a fun story from the USA to illustrate both the potentials and pitfalls inherent to the claiming game. In December 2018, a superficially low key, 16 000 U.S.D. claiming race was staged at Gulfstream Park. The easy winner, Maximum Security, who, in a massive missed opportunity, wasn’t claimed out of the race, has since gone on to score spectacularly in the Florida Derby and Haskell Invitational (both G1’s.) He was also controversially Dq’d after passing the post first in the Kentucky Derby.
Then, on Saturday, 33/1 outsider, Math Wizard, who was claimed after finishing third in that same Claiming race @ Gulfstream, and subsequently claimed again for 25 000 USD in January 2019 for his current connections, came out to earn a cool, million buck purse when winning the G1 Pennsylvania Derby!
Math Wizard’s 32 year- old trainer Saffie Joseph is quoted by Bob Ehalt in an uplifting Bloodhorse.com news piece; ” We were blessed. We just claimed him at the right time. You dream about it, but when you think about it realistically, you can’t expect to win a $1 million race with a $25,000 claim,” said Joseph, “Racing gets a bad rap, but nothing gives me a feeling like this, outside of my kids. These horses mean everything to me.”