AE,

That's probably a pretty good analogy. Others surely know a lot more than me, but when you claim one for 15 or 20K you pay less for the horse but you might be getting one with hidden problems that require it to take a break from racing for awhile or altogether. Especially a horse that has been dropped signigicantly in class over it's career. I'm a novice when it comes to claiming and ownership, but it's just like anything else. You get what you pay for. If I pay a little more for the assurance that a horse will have the best chance possible of remaining sound, who cares? I could've claimed one for 15K and it never run well again. To me, clearly, it's best (unless you have THE scoop on a particular horse prior to claiming) to pay a little more for peace of mind knowing your horse is one that can compete given the proper preparation (ie. Chuck's job) before a race.

Chuck, did you see anything in this horse's disposition that made her attractive to you as a trainer? Or was it like Steve said mostly a decision based on the horse's pedigree and potential to be a good broodmare?