Some of you may have already seen my question on another bulletin board, but if not…I’m only a partner and our filly has been running in claiming races for over a yr., but I’d long ago quit worrying about it. I just assumed she’d eventually retire and come to live with me and be bred. :no:
She’s my 1st, and only, race horse. I SOOOOOOO wish I hadn’t been at the track when it happened. I will do all I know how to keep up with her, but I’ve never heard of this trainer, or owner. My trainer swears he doesn’t know them either, but they also claimed another of his horses a few days b4.
It’s a tough game sometimes. I’m sorry.
Any chance you and/or your partners could claim her back? I’ve known of other people who did this; one horse was claimed back in his next race, the other one got reclaimed towards the end of the meet.
You can always claim her back next time she runs! The trainer who gave me all my OTTBs back when I was a kid used to routinely do this for the ones he was fond of. More often than not, they ended up pulling into my farm in his trailer… 
Well, getting claimed [I]is[I] the nature of the beast. Run in a claiming race, be prepared. I know a trainer’s wife who is not afraid of in-your-face confrontation when one gets claimed off of them (I witnessed this once, rather humorous).
Nevertheless, the first horse claimed off of me I bawled for like half an hour until my husband yelled at me, “There’s no crying in horse racing” (a phrase he still utters at me from time to time!) and then brought me to my senses telling me that $15,000 just paid for our fencing on our new ranch. Once put in that perspective, I couldnt’ wait to drop our other one in for a tag!
Yes, claiming her back was my 1st thought, but it depends on what level they run her at. She’s been paying her way, but we’re not ahead so I think only one of the other partners (there are 5) would go in with me.
Not being familiar with the new owner/trainer can make it a bit more difficult. I can tell you one story with a happy ending - one of our partnership’s homebreds got claimed (she was doing pretty well) and we were very sad about it. The people who did so were reputable & our managing partner went to talk to them and tell them if they had to retire her or whatever to call her. She ran a few times for them, then started having knee problems (shades of her mom) so they called and some of the partners purchased her back for less than they had claimed her for. They didn’t exactly ‘give’ her back, but they asked a fair price.
A lot of times, it’s just a matter of approaching the other party diplomatically. Keep her in your stablemail and keep an eye on what she’s doing.
Good luck!
One of my first racehorses got claimed and I was standing on the track with his halter ready to pick him up. I was nearly in tears until I realized we were getting a $12,500 check for him…we had claimed him for $4000.
It’s the name of the game, either claim him back or go and claim yourselves another one----think of it as an adventure.
Query
Can someone please explain (in very lay terms) what “claiming” is all about…how and especially why it takes place?
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Essentially claiming races are to determine levels and keep racing competitive for both the bettors and the participants. Every race has conditions–in a claiming race, one of the conditions is that you will accept a certain amount of money for the horse by other licensed horsemen and owners. The theory is that most people won’t give away a $20,000 horse for $4000, so you will enter an appropriately competitive horse for the level. And if someone wants your horse, you have to sell if the horse breaks from the gate in that race and a claim slip has been dropped.
To the OP, you have some options: you can approach the new owners and offer to buy the horse back. The problem is: you don’t know them and don’t be surprised human nature being what it is if they want a whole lot more than you were paid for the horse and they jump the horse up knowing you are out there. If you want to approach them, a better thing is to say “Let me know when the horse’s career is over, because she’ll always have a home with me.” That still could open you to emotional blackmail but it also could result in you getting the call you want.
Or you can do what we just did…a friend of mine had a horse claimed away from him back in 2004. We just bought her in foal at Barretts (mainly out of sentimentality but also because she’s a nice mare.) 
You can wait, and watch. A mare that just arrived at Wood End for retraining was claimed from her owner a while ago for more than $20K. Her performance tailed off, and her original owner, who followed her career, recently purchased her back for a token and retired her. She’s letting down now and is going to make such a cute pleasure mount.
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I’m so sorry. There’s nothing worse than watching one of your favorites get claimed right out from under you. Unfortunately, that’s the game.
Keep an eye on her. And I also agree with trying to get in touch with the new owner/trainer. Just give them a heads up that you’d be interested in giving her a home when she’s done. It can bite you in the butt if the new connections are creeps that will hold it above your head, but most of the time people are decent enough to do the right thing. Most people who’ve been in the game any amount of time know what it’s like to get your favorite claimed.
Here’s to hoping you and your partners can claim her back!
I have nothing to add, but I am sorry your boy got claimed. I hope you can get him back, if you so choose.
I had an old 5 claimer that was a 9yr old Standardbred gelding. Legs like champagne bottles. Raced him in 5 claimers for 3 years with nary a nibble, which was fine with me. A trainer I loathed claimed him. I did not however share any of his secrets with them. Got him back for half that a year later. Still hate the guy though.
Sorry!
It IS hard to have any of them claimed (even when it’s not a favorite lol). We’ve claimed back - sometimes waiting for them to drop in cheaper or to be listed on CANTER, and sometimes the very next week when we felt the horse was not in good hands and did not look well. In other cases we’ve let the claim stand and just kept an eye on the horse. It is very hard. I feel the same way when I sell a show horse - they don’t always end up in the best situation either. I’m watching one now that I kinda wished I had raced instead of sold as a hunter… Never easy!
If it helps…money winters better than horses. That is what I tell my owners. I know that sometimes you like some of them, so it’s tuff for you. They don’t go anywhere, and some one thought enuff of the horse to pay you for it so it will be looked after. Good Luck
