in Triple Crown Articles

The stakes horses get the headlines, but it is the cheap claimers that are the backbone of horse racing. Horseplayers are fed a steady diet of these types of races on an everyday basis. If we can't master the claimers, it's tough to keep our bankroll in the black.

Here are five keys to beating the cheap claiming races:

Conditions:
Not every claiming race run for the same price is the same, and an astute handicapper needs to understand the conditions of the race.

Here are examples of four different races all run for the same tag of $5,000:
$5,000N2L: This race is for $5,000 claimers that are non-winners of two races in their career.
$5,000N1Y: This race is for $5,000 claimers that have not won a race in six months.
$5,000B: This race is for $5,000 claimers with different conditions, usually meaning "four year olds which have not won two races in the their careers or three year olds" (which can have multiple wins).

So here is the question: Which is tougher, a $5,000 open claimer or a $10,000N2L? In most cases the $5,000 is likely to come up the tougher of the two races. It is open to horses that could have an unlimited amount of wins in their careers, while the $10,000N2L is for horses that only have one win and, in most cases, that usually is a maiden race.

It's a no brainer, but look for horses that fit the conditions of the race!

Speed:
Knowing what the par is for a particular class is important. Knowing what horses in a cheap claimer are capable of running that number is even more important. In most cases, all of the participants have run numbers that exceed par for the class at some point in their career, but for one reason or another have found their way to the bottom of the claiming ranks.

The trick is finding a candidate that consistently runs figures that exceed par for the class or finding one that is heading toward running a number that exceeds the par. Often times a good place to look in a cheap claimer is a horse making his or her second or third start off a short layoff. Or a horse going to a higher percentage barn via the claim box. 

It's also important the horse has run to par at or near the distance in recent starts.

Comparing speed figures is a obvious way to find the main contenders, but finding the horse that can move forward off his or her last figure will lead to better profits.

Pace:
You have heard the old saying, "Pace Makes the Race." This is especially true in claiming races. Even a sore 11-year-old gelding can get brave and start to feel like his old self if he is able to set easy early fractions. They get brave in the stretch and the competitiveness they showed in their younger days versus tougher may come to the surface. If that happens they will prove tough to pass in the stretch.

Some older, cheap horses can get discouraged when they have to work too hard early. When they are pressed for the early lead, they tend to "spit the bit" and can come home staggering in the stretch.

It is important in these types of races to figure out how the early pace is going to effect the race. Lone speed is a dangerous weapon in claiming races. Look at the early fractions of each contender and also compare pace figures, which are now readily available in most past performances.

Class:
With veteran bottom level type claimers, figuring out what horses have the class to win at the level is tricky. For the most part you will find that most (if not all) of the horses in the race have been competitive at the level, or possibly even at a much higher level earlier in their career.

Often times in lower level claimers you will encounter horses taking drastic drops in class. This is where it is important to know trainer tendencies.  At the bottom level, speed, pace and trainer tendencies are more important handicapping factors than class.

Trainers:
Understanding trainer tendencies has never been so important. There are trainers that claim cheap horses and suddenly turn them into world beaters. They might reel off three or four wins in a row while stepping up in class.

Know which trainers on your circuit have high numbers with horses first and second time off the claim. Some trainers fire at a high rate first off the claim and then the horse seems to run out of gas. Other trainers claim a cheap horse and keep them in top form for three or four races. Get to know your trainers.

It is also important to know how trainers do raising and dropping horses in class. These types of stats are readily available now. Also pay attention to the ROI (return on investment) stats for trainers. There are some trainers that bettors consistently overlook that can lead to solid profits when playing claiming races.

Cheap claimers can be an inconsistent group and a challenge to handicap. But by paying attention to a few small details, turning the bankroll from red to black is easier than you think.

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