Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Claiming Game Strong in the Windy City

March 14, 2007

Despite concerns among horsemen about the state of racing in the Prairie State, the claiming game isn’t showing signs of slowing down. In fact, during the first two months of racing at the sister tracks of Maywood and Balmoral, horsemen spent $757,946 on claims. From January 1 through March 4, the total amount spent on claimed horses in Chicago was $1,110,750. Through the first four days in March, which featured two programs each at Maywood and Balmoral, a total of $157,000 was spent claiming horses at Windy City harness venues.

At Maywood Park, from January 1 through March 2 (18 programs) horsemen plunked down $437,000 for horseflesh in the claiming game—ranging in prices from $4,000 to $25,000. In January there were a total of 13 claims at the Melrose Park facility, ranging from $4,000 to $25,000 claimers for a total of $175,000. Of those, four were claimed for $15,000, two for $20,000 and one for $25,000.

In February, 20 claims were made for a total of $196,000, again with the prices ranging from $4,000 to $25,000 at Maywood. This time, five horses were claimed for $4,000, three for $6,000, three for $8,000, and one each for $10,000, $12,000 and $20,000. Four horses were claimed carrying a $15,000 tag and two switched stables for $25,000 each.

From just two programs to date in March, six horses were claimed for $66,000 at the half-mile oval, including one $4,000 claimer and one $6,000 claimer and a pair of $8,000 claimers. Two horses were snagged for $20,000 each.

Balmoral-based trainer Bruce Pacitti, spent more than another other trainer at Maywood Park during this same time frame—$80,000—taking a pair of $20,000 claimers, as well as one horse for $15,000 and one for $25,000. The 57-year-old conditioner currently sits 19th among all trainers in the combined Maywood/Balmoral standings with $48,857 and a 8-5-7 record from 53 starters for a .247 UTRS. Pacitti, a long-time Chicago-based trainer, had his best year ever in 2006, winning 100 races from 462 starts and earning $661,594 in purse revenues.

Trainer Kimberly Roth, 39, also based at the Crete oval, spent $51,000 on three horses—one for $6,000, one for $20,000 and one for $25,000. Roth has trained 12 winners to $73,362 in earnings this season in Chicago, for a .308 UTRS from 69 starters. She sits fourth in the Maywood Park trainer standings and 12th overall. Roth had her best season in 2005, when she harnessed 33 winners from 278 starters to $303,667.

Maywood-park based conditioner Dave McCaffrey paid $45,000 for two horses—a $20,000 and a $25,000 claimer at the half-mile oval. McCaffrey, 39, currently sits atop the Maywood Park training standings and is the leading conditioner in the combined Chicago standings with over $107,163 and a 23-15-10 record from 111 starts for a .312 UTRS. McCaffrey has trained 1,154 winners lifetime to the tune of $8,862,211.

At Balmoral Park during the month of January 2007, a total of 30 horses were claimed for $364,250, ranging in prices from $4,000 to $27,500. Six horses each were claimed for a price of either $10,000 or $15,000, while three horses were claimed for $17,500 each. Trainer Robin Schadt claimed two horses for $27,500 each—the highest amount spent by any conditioner during January—for her Odds On Racing operation.

In February 16 horses were claimed at the Crete one-mile, ranging in cost from $4,000 to $30,000. Again, the higher priced horses proved to be popular with horsemen as five horses were claimed for $15,000, two for $17,500, one for $27,500 and one for $30,000.

From only two Balmoral programs in March to date, seven horses were claimed for a total of $91,000, ranging in prices from $5,000 to $37,500.

Conditioner Guy Calvert has been the most prolific of all trainers thus far this year, spending $138,000 on seven horses at Balmoral Park, including the highest-priced claim of the year at either track—Nifty Fellow—whom Calvert plucked from this past Saturday night’s third race at Balmoral for $37,000. The 51-year-old Iowa native also claimed two horses for $17,500 each, as well as one horse each carrying a $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, and $27,500 tag from January 1 through March 4. On Saturday night, February 10, Calvert spent $92,500 on four horses—the highest amount spent by any trainer on a single night in Chicago during this time frame.

Conditioner Robin Schadt, 46, was the second highest spender in the claiming ranks at Balmoral, via her $55,000 total she spent on two pacers in January. She currently six 16th in the Balmoral training standings, and has trained 509 winners to $5,483,556 in her career. 2005 was her best season ever, as she amassed a 120-116-88 record from 776 starters for $1,316,121 in earnings.

Trainer Brad Moffitt spent $45,000 for three $15,000 claimers at Balmoral. This 48-year-old conditioner has trained 234 winners during his career to $1,264,793 in earnings. A native of East Moline, Illinois, Moffitt had his best year in 2006, scoring a 32-22-24 record from 200 starters who earned $239,274.