AboutStephanie Frost Expertise Questions about Thoroughbred training, racing and breeding. Rules and regulations regarding Thoroughbred racing. Mainly focused on racing in the USA. I can also answer breeding and bloodstock questions, along with pedigree advice, plus advice about forming a realistic plan for starting into the racing or breeding business. No handicapping questions, please.
Experience I have been a licensed Thoroughbred trainer for 20 years, a thoroughbred farm owner and Thoroughbred breeder. Owner of Alchemy Bloodstock, a full service bloodstock agency, specializing in locating quality racing and breeding stock for clients, and representing clients at various Thoroughbred sales. Alchemy Bloodstock has been instrumental in the purchase and training of several graded stakes horses, as well as many extremely profitable sales horses.
Question I am a little confused on claiming races. If you put the money up before the
race for a horse, does that horse have to win in order for your claim to be
honored? What and who are qualified buyers?
Answer Stephen,
Claiming can be confusing, so I'll try and explain without muddying the waters further.
Any horse entered in a claiming race is eligible to be claimed, whether it eventually wins or not. At most tracks, the horse belongs to the claimant the minute the gates open in front of the horse in the race. But if the horse earns any money in the race, then that money belongs to the former owner, and not the claiming owner. I guess the best way to explain it is that the horse belongs top the new owner when the gates open i front of it, but the purse money belongs to the listed owner at the time of the entry into the race.
The exception to this is if there is more than one claim on a single horse, then the owners are each assigned a number, and little "pills" or balls with those numbers are put into a bottle, shaken up, and then a single ball is shaken from the bottle. Whichever owner's number corresponds to that ball wins the horse, and the other claimants get their money back.
To be qualified to claim, you have to have an owner's license at the racetrack, as well as a licensed trainer of record to take possession of the horse. Most tracks offer a first time claiming license for anyone who hasn't previously owned a horse. You basically fill out paperwork proving that you are eligible to get an owner's license, and tell them who your trainer will be. Then they issue a temporary license that is good for a limited time period, giving you time to claim a horse.
Once you have your license, and have chosen a horse to claim, you need to deposit the full claiming price with the horseman's bookkeeper before the race, along with a correctly filled out claim slip. Different tracks have different deadlines for dropping the slip in, but 15 minutes prior to post is fairly standard.
Some tracks will only allow an owner who has run a horse at the meet to claim a horse. You would need to contact the stewards at your local track to find out that tracks rules regarding claims.
