What are claiming races?
A claiming race is a type of overnight race that has been given an assigned value, for example $10,000. Any horse entered in a claiming race is then subject to be “claimed” or sold at that value. At the end of the race, any horse that was claimed or “bought” must picked up by the new owner. The purse earned belongs to the owner of the horse at the start of the race. Claiming races serve a self-regulating function in establishing competitive racing. The purse money offered on claiming races increases with the value of the claiming race.