Whether you love to watch a good horse race or are looking to claim your spot on the track, knowing the structure of the race is a must. Today I will introduce you to the general structure of horse racing.
When it comes down to it, all horse racing falls into four main categories: maiden racing, claim racing, allotment racing, stake racing. Within those categories there are several classes, but for this article we will focus mainly on the main categories.
maiden horse racing
Maiden races are my favorite, because as a horse race bettor, I get the most “rush” when betting on them. An inaugural race features a field of horses that have never won before. And one thing is for sure; one of those horses is about to enjoy his first victory.
When one horse finally gets that elusive first victory, her maiden snaps. As a horse racing bettor, you deal with the unknown a lot. How do you measure a field of horses that were always too-rans? But when you do it right, it feels great.
By the way, the horses that have not yet won are not limited to the maiden races. They can be bred into other types of horse racing. If you’re looking for the best maiden horses to watch, check out a special Maiden weight race. This class is all horses that are expected to be solid.
racing claim
You might call these races “shopping time,” because in a claiming race, all the horses are for sale. Before the race, anyone with the cash can claim the horse.
It is a simple process to understand. An interested party claims the horse before the race. After the race is run, the previous owner gets the claimed price and any purses owed to him and the claiming party gets the horse.
Sometimes horses are executed above their value and someone below them. It can be a game. You will most likely watch and bet on a lot of claim races, because this is by far the most active category in horse racing.
Assignment runs
The purses (cash prizes) at this level are higher than the previous two and this is a level just below the big one (betting races). Generally, these will be horses that meet certain non-winning conditions. For example, NW3X is for horses that have not won three races other than maiden, winner or starter.
There are several classes of assignment races, as there are in all categories.
betting races
This is the big moment. Most casual horse racing fans and horse racing punters watch these races. Some popular ones are the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and the Breeders’ Cup. All the top horses (and some filler horses) enter these races. The betting races have the highest purses: millions of dollars. The stakes are high.
When it comes to classic racing, graded classic racing is the top of the mountain. These races are classified as G1, G2 and G3, with G1 being king. Graded stakes races often feature horses from all over the country and sometimes from other parts of the world, especially the big ones.
And don’t be fooled by the numbering system. There is a huge talent drop from G1 to G3.
Now that you know the four main horse racing categories, you are ready to start breaking down the classes within each category. Horse racing is one of the most exciting sports out there. I wish you the best of luck on the track.
