Level Playing Field

[phystech]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

This horse was running back for $5K, after being claimed for $5K in her last start, which she won by two lengths, after dropping from $12.5K. I'm honestly curious, why is it even remotely surprising there was a shake for her? To me, it would have been surprising if there wasn't. She's a 5YO with 47 starts, including 17 in 2011, thus if anything she has shown to be very sound.

A little more background for you - I've owned this horse a few times before and we've won 9 races with her. So, I kind of know the horse. She's a solid $5k mare.

PennNat has a 30 day jail - you have to move 'em up 25% in claiming price, including starter races - can't even go in a $5k starter for 30 days. So, her next race within 30 days has to be for $C6.25k, $6.25k starter or higher - and the $C6.25k doesn't seem to go very often.

Take a closer look at her pp's. She ran for $C12.5k and $C8k at PennNat - and she really wasn't close. The drop was logical last time, and running back for the same tag made sense too. And it's not the claim I wonder about as it is not surprising the former owner/trainer came back and got her again. It's the shake for a horse with no conditions that confuses me. If she runs back in less than 30 days, she's got no spot to go in next time but back into a race she has been beaten soundly in recently.