First Timer in Maiden Claimer Question

[phystech]

Originally Posted by Scav

Recently, I have realized how HARD claiming is. The people that do claim either have to have a serious reason (change of surface, equipment, rider) for it to be valid or they are looking for one race and then the drop so they can become someone else's problem. I think that the reward is far better to acquire talent as yearlings/2 year olds within the sales if you have someone with a good eye

Claiming is very, very difficult - but I couldn't disagree with you more about your comment that "...the reward is far better to acquire talent as yearlings/2 year olds within the sales if you have someone with a good eye".

When you buy at a sale, you have very little to go on as it relates to how the horse is going to run when you eventually put it in the gate to start. With a claim, you have a lot to go on as you can see the horse's running line. It helps to have contacts at the track to get a little help with info, such as you received from your jock friend. And, in my opinion, it is most important to understand not only the trainer's racing habits, but also the owner's racing habits.

It's all about doing your homework and having an exit strategy if your claim isn't a good one. You have to have a keen understanding of the condition book, i.e., which races go and which ones don't. Your exit strategy has to incorporate your claim price as it relates to purses, i.e., how far can you drop to win a race and pray for a claim to get out and get back to or close to even.

No doubt it is a tough game but I love it because of the challenge it presents. Nothing is more rewarding than to find a horse that is running ok, has a condition or two left, understanding the horse is in a bad barn, maybe getting bad rides, and know that a little better feed program, a different training regimen and a better jock can move a horse up the few lengths it is getting beat by.

And you don't typically have to wait months and months to run and make some cake!!!!

[Scav]

Originally Posted by phystech

Claiming is very, very difficult - but I couldn't disagree with you more about your comment that "...the reward is far better to acquire talent as yearlings/2 year olds within the sales if you have someone with a good eye".

When you buy at a sale, you have very little to go on as it relates to how the horse is going to run when you eventually put it in the gate to start. With a claim, you have a lot to go on as you can see the horse's running line. It helps to have contacts at the track to get a little help with info, such as you received from your jock friend. And, in my opinion, it is most important to understand not only the trainer's racing habits, but also the owner's racing habits.

It's all about doing your homework and having an exit strategy if your claim isn't a good one. You have to have a keen understanding of the condition book, i.e., which races go and which ones don't. Your exit strategy has to incorporate your claim price as it relates to purses, i.e., how far can you drop to win a race and pray for a claim to get out and get back to or close to even.

No doubt it is a tough game but I love it because of the challenge it presents. Nothing is more rewarding than to find a horse that is running ok, has a condition or two left, understanding the horse is in a bad barn, maybe getting bad rides, and know that a little better feed program, a different training regimen and a better jock can move a horse up the few lengths it is getting beat by.

And you don't typically have to wait months and months to run and make some cake!!!!

I meant from a reward standpoint. Upside is alot smaller with horse that is claimed, compared to a yearling, at least in my opinion

[phystech]

Define "reward" for me.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by phystech

Define "reward" for me.

Stakes horses....

This conversation can go many ways, but what I am trying to convey is that claiming or yearlings, it is all on what the goals are for that owner....

[phystech]

I'm currently in a claiming partnership and our $25k claim has won 4 times this year with $67k+ in earnings and is targeted for a stake entry this week. Claimed the horse in Jan 09, so after 5 mos worth of bills totalling around $17k, we're profitable and looking for stake action soon.

Your yearling you purchased last year for $25k was saddle broke early in the year, then turned out for 30 days for a freshening. He's back under saddle and needs about 4 more months of works to get ready for a race. Assuming everything goes perfectly, which it never does, you might race in Sept. That's 8 months worth of bills just this year alone (doesn't include the pasture time after purchase) before you ever stand in the gate on race day. You may have bought lightning in a bottle but it takes a year+ to ever find that out.

If the $25k claim had peckered out the day after the claim, he'd have been in for $15k next out. A win and a claim would have netted us a slight loss but we'd have $22k in our pockets to go find another one. Or, if it had been a really bad claim, we'd be out the full $25k max and someone would have received a new riding pony or lawn ornament. We wouldn't be out $25k plus 8 months of bills.

I'd rather not shoot for the sky and simply understand my modest means allows me to be a part of the claiming game. My stake races are the N1X allowance races I'm lucky enough to win.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

She worked an 1/8th in 10.20 at OBS March without getting the best run up .. obviously must have had a serious issue - as she showed decent quickness in her under-tack preview .. but only sold for 12K after selling for 70K as a yearling. Tough luck for the pinhooker.

http://obssales.com/marcatalog/2009/35.wmv

[Linny]

Not sure when she sold as a yearling but the market (globally) tanked after September and everything dropped. Looking at her work she looks like she hits the ground hard and those types can be hard to keep sound. She may also have had some othr physical issues (poor radiographs/bad scope) that kept her price down.
Obviously someone knew something. A few weeks ago (maybe a month) at Calder there was a 2yo race with a Ward filly in it. Another filly opened at about ven money which shocked me. She was 8-1 on the ML off average works, modest conections/breeding. Ward's filly took late money and went off favored (maybe 8/5) but that one that opened at even ran by Ward at the 1/8 pole and opened up. She was 4-1. Someone knew something.