First Timer in Maiden Claimer Question

[phystech]

Define "reward" for me.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by phystech

Define "reward" for me.

Stakes horses....

This conversation can go many ways, but what I am trying to convey is that claiming or yearlings, it is all on what the goals are for that owner....

[phystech]

I'm currently in a claiming partnership and our $25k claim has won 4 times this year with $67k+ in earnings and is targeted for a stake entry this week. Claimed the horse in Jan 09, so after 5 mos worth of bills totalling around $17k, we're profitable and looking for stake action soon.

Your yearling you purchased last year for $25k was saddle broke early in the year, then turned out for 30 days for a freshening. He's back under saddle and needs about 4 more months of works to get ready for a race. Assuming everything goes perfectly, which it never does, you might race in Sept. That's 8 months worth of bills just this year alone (doesn't include the pasture time after purchase) before you ever stand in the gate on race day. You may have bought lightning in a bottle but it takes a year+ to ever find that out.

If the $25k claim had peckered out the day after the claim, he'd have been in for $15k next out. A win and a claim would have netted us a slight loss but we'd have $22k in our pockets to go find another one. Or, if it had been a really bad claim, we'd be out the full $25k max and someone would have received a new riding pony or lawn ornament. We wouldn't be out $25k plus 8 months of bills.

I'd rather not shoot for the sky and simply understand my modest means allows me to be a part of the claiming game. My stake races are the N1X allowance races I'm lucky enough to win.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

She worked an 1/8th in 10.20 at OBS March without getting the best run up .. obviously must have had a serious issue - as she showed decent quickness in her under-tack preview .. but only sold for 12K after selling for 70K as a yearling. Tough luck for the pinhooker.

http://obssales.com/marcatalog/2009/35.wmv

[Linny]

Not sure when she sold as a yearling but the market (globally) tanked after September and everything dropped. Looking at her work she looks like she hits the ground hard and those types can be hard to keep sound. She may also have had some othr physical issues (poor radiographs/bad scope) that kept her price down.
Obviously someone knew something. A few weeks ago (maybe a month) at Calder there was a 2yo race with a Ward filly in it. Another filly opened at about ven money which shocked me. She was 8-1 on the ML off average works, modest conections/breeding. Ward's filly took late money and went off favored (maybe 8/5) but that one that opened at even ran by Ward at the 1/8 pole and opened up. She was 4-1. Someone knew something.