claiming race

A claiming race in thoroughbred horse racing is one in which the horses are all for sale for more or less the same price (the "claiming price") up until shortly before the race. Race types form a hierarchy in terms of the quality of horse they attract, with handicap races and graded stakes races attracting the "best" horses and maiden races the most unseasoned. Claiming races fall at the bottom of this hierarchy, below maiden races, and make up the bulk of races run at most US tracks. For example in Kentucky in 1999, 54% of all races run were claiming races, but had only 20% of the purse dollar value, the lowest average purse among race types.