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Maddy's Rules for Claiming
Original article written by Madelene Gilbert posted 12 years 1 week agoI write this guide with all-weather races in mind, but the rules are meant to be universal. With the addition of the high-end/low-end claiming races for all surfaces and distances, you can find good horses to fit any price range. This is especially true for all-weather; considering a majority of the races are claiming type, you can easily find competitive and winning horses under $35k. In other words, these horses can be claimed for less than what might be asked for them on the sales page, but are good enough that they aren’t thrown away for minimum bid in the auction house. If you have an eye for spotting quality, you can definitely come away with some bargains.
I’m not saying that every horse claimed will make its purchase price back; I doubt most do. If you’re looking to generate a large income rapidly, I still recommend the $100 or $1000 AJ horses (plus the addition of the $500 to $5k claiming races will help you do this too). However, if you’re looking to expand your racing string selection and have the money to spend on nicer horses, this is where I would start.
Rules for Claiming:
1. Know what you’re looking for. Are you looking to claim horses who will make profit beyond their purchase price? Are you looking for broodmare prospects? Are you looking for those sneaky horses who would be the next big thing if their trainer wasn’t blind? (ok last one was in jest, but sometimes you’d be surprised!)
2. Know what your budge is. Don’t just browse the page and start claiming $50k ticket horses when your bankroll is only $200k. Should your claims be successful, you’ve just spent most of your money on a handful of horses. Figure out how much total you can afford, and stick with it.
3. Using rule #1 and #2, know how much you want to spend per horse. If you’re looking for profit, look for horses in the $500-$10k range who have been OTB (on the board) in the last three starts. If you’re looking for broodmare prospects, I usually spend in the $20k to $40k range (more on this later). I wouldn’t spend more than $50k on a horse unless the horse was a prior stakes earner (or similar) and was consistently bringing in more than $5000 each start. Of course, sometimes you find that horse which you simply MUST have; in which case, make sure you budget for a prospectively expensive claim.
4. Search for claiming races following rule #1. If you want to look for, say all-weather route fillies, use the search parameters to do just that. Don’t bring up every all-weather claiming race, because you’ll be wasting your time looking through colts, geldings and sprinters. Plus you’ll resist the temptation of putting in a claim for something you don’t need. I also find it helpful to click the "Show Entries/Results" checkbox, so I don't have to open race windows.
5. Tab horse profile pages while searching and before putting in claims. This is pretty easy if you’re using a mouse with a wheel; click the middle wheel button on your mouse on the link in your internet browser and it opens the link in a new tab. Or just right click and choose from the popup menu. Why do this? Well, rather than claim horses willy-nilly I recommend this approach: As you’re searching, tab open the profile of the horse in which you are interested, then continue searching. After you have multiple tabs (I say about 5), go back through each horse’s profile. Ask yourself if a) this is really a horse you need, b) if the horse is worth the claiming price, and c) how the price fits into your budget. If you answer “definitely affirmative”, then keep the tab open. If you have any doubts, concerns, or just get a general “meh” feeling from the horse, close the tab. Continue searching, rinse and repeat. By the time you finish going through all the available entries, the horses you feel are a must-have are left tabbed. Now’s the time to do a final evaluation of all the horses again; once you feel confident about your selections submit your claims. Trust me, the little extra time and second look at a horse will prevent you from making sporadic (and sometimes costly) claiming mistakes.
6. Don’t be afraid to wait. If you like a horse, but think the price is too high or aren’t sure if it warrants the price tag, then add it to your alerts. This is good practice for two reasons: 1) you can see how the horse finishes in later races, and 2) it’s possible the horse may be entered in another claiming race for a lower ticket price. But don’t wait too long! Trainers aren’t going to put the horse in a $5k race simply for you to claim it. If the horse hasn’t been entered with a price tag you like after a few races, then it’s either out of your budget or you’re being unreasonably cheap.
7. Know when your claims are due to run. This is vital, especially if you have multiple claims out at the same time. The last thing you want is a surprise when you go to make a purchase or ship horses and you have no money. Keep an eye on your claims and your bankroll; that way, if you find yourself in trouble you can cancel claims before you’re committed. Unless you like biting your nails anxiously waiting to see if someone else has claimed the horse and spared you the expense.
Additional Notes about Broodmare Prospects:
This is my of rules I try to keep in mind when looking to claim fillies/mares. As I mentioned above, I usually don’t like to spend more than $40k on a single horse, unless she has a pedigree that I’m dying for or I have specific plans for her career (should I win the claim).
1. Racing career. Has she won and what are her earnings? What distances/surfaces has she run on? What kind of competition has she faced? What kind of speed ratings is she running? Since equipment has come into play, does she seem to have the required pieces, or do her running lines say differently? Does she have longevity on the track, or will she be retired immediately? If the former, what will I need to do to get wins from her?
2. Pedigree and family. What has her dam done, both on the track and in the breeding shed? How have her siblings worked/run? How strong is her female line? What kind of stats and winners does her sire have? Is her pedigree a “niche” or unique?
3. Compare/Contrast #1 and #2. For me, I’m a bit more lenient of a filly’s record if she has a unique pedigree that would be useful for future matings. However, if her pedigree is a highly used cross (Seraph x Relaunch, or anything x Loki Dynasty) then she has to have a better than average record to keep me interested.
4. Ask the Bloodstock Agent, provided you have the funds. If I’m debating on putting in a claim for a filly, I have no qualms with using the Bloodstock Agent. If the comment is favorable and the price within my range, I’ll put in a claim right then and there. If not, I’ll add the horse to my alerts, save the BA comments in my notes and then see how she runs in the next race (see also #7 above).
And that’s it! If you keep these rules in mind, you should be able to make some successful claims and boost your racing barn. Good luck!