Digger - Why Entered in a $20,000 Claiming Race?

I never thought of Rick Dutrow as a very logical guy!

I have to wonder if it has something to do with where the horse was running before and if the rules were changing there. Digger was an IEAH horse and they're going drug free. Maybe Dutrow knows something about Digger... maybe he can't run without the drugs. He could have sold for a higher price, but if he needed to be sure to dump the horse quickly.

Maybe it was a clever plan to confuse the public into believing that Big Brown is a better horse than Curlin! ??

Honestly, I don't know.

Because the walls keep closing in on Dutrow's "juice barn". This is classic, it's the same reason that you see harness horses win $5K claimers five starts in a row from the top barn and they DONT get claimed. The other locals KNOW! Now Digger for $20K isn't that big of a risk considering purses on the NYRA circuit, hence the claim. However, expect to see the inner dirt this winter!!!!!

For most horses, there is no other choice. Most races in North America are claiming races. The higher one goes, the better the horse must be. Most horses don't have the talent for allowance races, never mind stakes races. The idea behind claiming races is simple: to keep horses of roughly the same talent level competing against each other. Put the horse in at a price that's too high, and the horse won't be able to win. Put the horse in too low, and it will be much more likely to be claimed. Claiming prices range from around $2500 to low six figures, depending on the track. Some owners don't mind having a horse claimed, if the claiming price is more than they bought or claimed it for, or if the claim price is higher than the horse would have bought on the open market. I know of someone who is trying to sell one of his horses for $3000 OBO, so I imagine he'd be happy if the horse were claimed for $5K. Also, if a horse is claimed, there's nothing to stop the previous owners from claiming it back. One of the horses I follow was claimed recently, run back at the same level and same track after a break, and was reclaimed by his previous connections. One often sees Allowance/Optional Claiming races in which the horse may or may not be run for a claiming tag. Usually the claiming prices on these horses are high--well into five figures, occasionally six. Horses that run in these races, whether for a tag or not, have a fair amount of class and may also be stakes runners at other times. It is uncommon to see a horse run for a price in these races, but it does happen. A type of race available to maidens (horses that have not won) is the Maiden Special Weight. These are for talented horses that their connections don't want to risk losing in a Maiden Claiming race. It means the horse can start against other maidens rather than having to start in allowance or stakes company.

A drop in class. Hmmm he's a sure bet, unless the odds go off @ 1/9 or 2/5 then that means he will get dumped. The Owners and Trainers are the crooks, so you have to think like them.

I don't know the horse or trainer but if he is a stayer or being aimed towards staying races than maybe the trainer is trying to get the miles up in the horses legs as they call it.

Good question. I'll put him in my virtual stable and see what happens to him next. He may fall apart in the next few weeks.