Understanding Class can be the difference between winning and losing in horseracing betting. When reading the daily racing program they let you know the type of race that is going on along with the prior races that each horse has raced in. This gives you some key insight into whether the horse is facing some tough competition or if it going against a weaker field and with this knowledge you can begin to visualize how the race will play out. For starters there are different classes that a horse can race in, so in from the lower class to the higher classes they are as follows:

Maiden Claiming

Claiming

Srtr Allowance

Allowances

Handicap

Derby/Stakes Races

With these classes Maiden Claiming being lower class going up to the Derby races as the cream of the crop they also have a number associated with them. You will see in the program it will tell you Claiming 10,000 or another number letting you know the amount the horses are racing for. The higher the number the higher the class. For example if you have a horse that is running in a Claiming 10,000 and its last race was Claiming 5,000 this horse is going against a tougher field then it did its last time out. Called moving up in class.

Also if you have an Allowance 10,000 and last time it raced a Claiming 40,000 it actually is dropping in class~ note that Allowance races are higher classes than a claiming. Don't just look at the last race it is important to look at what level he is used to running and see where he is at today. If he is used to running higher claiming and dropped down today this is a horse to watch.  This information is crucial when handicapping horses because trainers are constantly moving up and down in classes and even though it does not seem like much of a difference between Claiming 7,500 and Claiming 5,000 its definitely something to be taking into account for.

Claiming races are very popular and an ideal contender to win these horse races have these 3 qualities:

1.)Early Speed

2.)Improved or peaking form

3.)A drop in class

This year I have found that at Gulfstream track the horses that were winning the race all had something in common. They were being maneuvered and dropped in class. I shifted my betting strategy for the rest of the day to eliminate all horses that did not drop in class and came out with a couple monster tickets. This is some basic information for a beginner, professional handicappers look at this information daily as part of their routine. Its also important to not just refer to the last race but look at the entire race history of the horse. Has the horse always raced at a higher class? Has the horse showed it can compete at the current class that its racing in? How many horses or what horses are taking a significant drop in class? These are some general starting questions to ask yourself. Class is and will always be a huge factor in horseracing.

Happy Handicapping

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