MCL vs. other claimers

[elhelmete]

As a % of races carded, are more horses claimed out of maiden races than out of other claiming 'conditions'?

[GaryG]

I don't have the data, but I am sure there are many more claims from open claimers. Maiden claimers are usually not worth half the claiming price. That is why MCL winners are dropped in class to face two lifers and then dropped some more to face open company.

[tbwinner]

I agree with GaryG there. Very rarely do horses get claimed out of maidens unless they show something special. Especially between the 10k and 30k level they are usually worth half that in conditioned claimers/open claimers and aren't likely allowance material. MCL prices are usually overpriced so to speak.

[elhelmete]

I'm kind of sniffing around a notion that a drop from MSW to MCL may not always be as huge a drop insomuch as one might risk losing a good horse via the claim box.

[pondman]

I'm kind of sniffing around a notion that a drop from MSW to MCL may not always be as huge a drop insomuch as one might risk losing a good horse via the claim box.

I'd be carefull with this one.

In addition to running for less money, you also need to factor in the experience being gathered by the horse. It's a common practice of trainers at the high end to run a few msw, work out bugs, and then hit the field at the highest MCL their horse is capable of winning, often with a change in distance, surface and track. The trainers prefer avoiding losing a green horse the first couple of trips, until they get a feel for where the horse belongs.

This doesn't mean however that MCL races are on par with MSW. The majority of the winners of MSW will be future runners and potential winners of stake and allowance races. The MCL winners probably will run for lower purses in claiming races, with only a few exception. Most trainers know this and don't claim out of MCL.

If you are looking for value, you may want to try horses breaking their maiden at mcl30,000 to 20,000 at the high end tracks and then shipping into an A28,000 at lower end tracks. Therese can be hot plays with value. But you should have the data to do this.

[lamboguy]

i had one claimed from me this year that was an 0/7 maiden. she was off a year and had a torn visable tendon. she went on to win $150,000 in 2011 after she was claimed and she is still running.

[pondman]

i had one claimed from me this year that was an 0/7 maiden. she was off a year and had a torn visable tendon. she went on to win $150,000 in 2011 after she was claimed and she is still running.

An exception?

[tbwinner]

Wasn't there a maiden that kept getting claimed back and forth a few times on the NY tracks? Don't know if it ever won a race.