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Understanding the Types and Classes of Horse Races

What Do The Different Races Mean?

Maiden Races

A maiden race is a class for horses who have never won a race. There are Maiden Claiming Races and Maiden Special Weight Races.

Claiming Races

Race in which horses competing in the race can be purchased (claimed) by a qualified buyer by entering a claim slip before the race is run.

Maiden Special Weight (MSW) Races

These are races in which your horse who has not won a race and saddles an equal weight to the rest of the field.

Maiden Claiming Races

Maiden Claiming Races are simply claiming races for maidens or horses who have never won a race.

Allowance Races

In an allowance class, the weight that an individual horse carries is assigned by the track’s racing secretary. Specific weight allowances are given to horses based on career statistics. Some will carry more or less weight than each other in the race. Allowance races are distinguished by entry conditions which restrict the race to horses which haven’t won more than a certain number of races. Horses generally compete only against other horses who have won the same number of allowance races. You will hear the term “A other than” or “never won 2 other than” (NW2x) or NW3x. The number means number of races. The x means to qualify for this race, the number of wins that a horse has won at the maiden, claiming, starter allowance or hunt meet level are not considered. There are also allowance, have not won certain number of races, lifetime (NW?). The “?” would be a number representing number of races the horse has not won.

Starter Allowance Races

Starter Allowance races are races in which a horse’s eligibility is bases on the past races in which the horse has started. For example, a $10,000 Starter Allowance race means a horse is eligible if he has started for a claiming price of $10,000 or less in the past year or whatever stated in the description of the race. Starter Allowance race can be written many ways by the racing secretary but usually is a race where horses that have been running for a claiming price have a chance of running without a tag.

Stakes Races

The big races, the races usually broadcast on network television, are called stakes races (sweepstakes). Owners pay a nomination fee, an entry fee and a starting fee at the time of entry. The “added money” comes from these fees and is added to the purse money. Breeders bonuses are sometimes available as well from the state in which the horse is registered.

Thoroughbred racing in United States and Canada distributed almost a billion dollars in purses in recent years. The betting contributes to the purses, through a percentage of the handle (money bet). The total annual handle in North America is about $18 billion in the past few years. Purses have more than doubled in 15 years , but the number of races has declined. The average purse per race and the average earnings per horse has increased. So this means now one of the best times for owning racehorses ever!