TG w/ Cheap Claimers

[sekrah]

Does anyone use TG data with cheap claiming races where the horse is being run 2 or 3 times a month?   You see this kind of horse at Penn National, Philly Park, Suffolk Downs, Mountaineer, River Downs, etc..

What do you make of a field full of these guys with numbers ranging all over the place and seemingly pulling tops out of nowhere.

Any patterns out there that anyone has had success with?

[jack72906]

I learned the hard way to stay away from these races. There is nothing wrong with the data, but bad/slow horses at the lower claiming levels are just too inconsistent.  

If you must bet them though, I would recommend going into the Redboard Room and looking at some data from previous days and take a few notes.

[TGAB]

Lots of the cheap horses do run in form cycles somewhat similar to their healthier and more talented counterparts. But jack is right, these types not only are slower but much more inconsistent as well. That\'s part of the reason why they\'re cheap. What happens often with these types is that trainers and their connections will run them through their bounces or bad periods. A good horse off a big effort may be given time to recuperate. The less expensive counterpart will run and bounce. Poor performances can muddy form and thereby make the horse eligible for a cheaper level although it\'s actually recuperating--that\'s the training game. I do play cheap claiming races and I will grant you it can be difficult with a lot more inexplicable results, but you\'re also likely to be well rewarded if you find your way through the bad performance camouflage. Often these guys will run 5th losing by 8 or so lengths but the figure will be live--good and potent--although the effort looks poor on paper. Also with these types, trainers can play a big role and it\'s wise to see if the spot fits a trainer strength. In short it is a tougher game but it can be rewarding.