Home | List of Articles | Submit an Article | Contact Us

Types of Horse Races

Horse Races come in several types, namely, stakes, handicap, allowance, claiming or maiden races. Each one of these have important differences in terms of the types of horses entered into the race, as well as how horse owners and trainers will decide to run their horse in the race.

Stakes races are those which occur annually, offer very large purses, and attract very high quality horses. Examples of stakes races include the Belmont Stakes and the Kentucky Derby.

Handicap races are such that the weights of the various jockeys are equalized through the use of lead weights. Many consider the weight that a horse is carrying to be one of the critical factors in handicapping races. Older, stronger horses are typically allowed to carry more weight than younger horses, and these differences are one of the many factors savvy handicappers take into account when choosing their winners.

Claiming races are far and away the most common type of race. In a claiming race, each horse is entered at a specific price, and may be purchased, or “claimed” by another owner. Claiming is one way in which competition between horses can be equalized. For example, an excellent horse which is valued at $20,000 will not run in a claiming race where the claiming price is $5,000 or less. Conversely, a horse with a low value (e.g., due to poor past performance) is unlikely to run in a race with a high claiming price, simply because it will be outclassed. In fact, it is unlikely that track officials would even allow such discrepancies to take place.

Allowance races are essentially non-claiming races, usually designed for horses which race infrequently.

Lastly, Maiden races are for those horses who have never won. Other conditions may be applied to maiden races as well, such as “Non winners in last 3 races.” Maiden races are sometimes difficult to handicap because the entire field may consist of horses with minimal past performance histories. However, careful handicappers will spot maiden races which have a horse or two which has some history of winning relative to others in the race.

When one is placing a bet on a horse, the better is actually betting on the skills of the horse, the jockey, and the trainer. In the hands of skilled trainers and jockeys, horses with poor past performances can have their careers rejuvenated, oftentimes by making changes such as race distances, conditioning regimens, and so forth. Similarly, jockeys with excellent records can improve the potential of even the most mediocre of horses, under the right conditions. This is part of the reason why professional handicappers tend to stick to a limited number of tracks for their wagering. As they bet at particular tracks, they become increasingly familiar with the trainers and jockeys who work at that track, and this knowledge is taken into account as they pick their winners.

John Timmons is a horse racing player who lives in Florida. His website http://www.5minuteracingsystem.com helps people handicap horse races effectively. If your a horse racing enthusiasts be sure to visit and sign up for his free monthly Racing Tips Newsletter.

Related Articles:

The News at Meucci Appaloosa Horse Ranch - We’re back from the 2005 nationals, held in Oklahoma City. We were competing, as usual, in only Open Halter Events. Our entries on July 7th and 8th were weanling colts, weanling fillies, yearling mares, and two-year-old mares. We were victorious garnering four top tens in large classes. These classes represented t ...

Buying a Horse - A horse is a companion like no other…it feels very mystical when you get a horse that’s right for you… If you are venturing out to buy a horse, then that means you have done all of your homework and have researched and understand all that is involved in horse ownership—you are aware of the long-term commitme ...

Intuitive Horsemanship - A horse is a companion like no other…it feels very mystical when you get a horse that’s right for you… If you are venturing out to buy a horse, then that means you have done all of your homework and have researched and understand all that is involved in horse ownership—you are aware of the long-term commitme ...

How To Stop Your Horse From Rearing And What To Do If He Does It Unexpectedly - There is a dangerous problem that horse owners should be very aware of. It’s when a horse stands up on his back legs. It’s called “rearing.” This problem can be quite dangerous and cause severe injuries to the rider and/or horse. Rearing is perhaps a horse’s most effective defense against the rider. It is dangerous in that the horse can fall ove ...

JOINT HEALTH for Horses Ages 6 and Up - Nutrition is a pro-active way to keep joints from deteriorating even during heavy work. As horses progress in their athletic careers, you may need to use a different set of nutrients to address thinning of the joint fluid or damage to the cartilage while still providing solid nutrition and plenty of antioxidants to prevent any further damage. De ...

Why Difficulties In Horse Training A Good Thing - I'll never forget one of the first horses I trained by myself. I could not have picked a better horse to give me problems. This horse was slow to motivate. He was very much his own "person" so to speak and was going to do what he pleased...at least...that's how it seemed. There are plenty of horses in this world that will move when yo ...

How To Use Smart Horse Training To Stop Your Horse From Bucking - It can be enormously frightening to be on a bucking horse. If you're a novice rider, a bucking horse can almost force you to give up the "owning a horse" dream. But it doesn't have to be that way. I've read where people who can ride a bucking horse feel they're a good rider. That may be. But it doesn't mean they're good at training. And training ...

For a Complete list of Articles with summaries Click Here