What a claiming race is
- A claiming race is a race where a horse or horses are entered and raced subject to be sold for the entered claiming price.
- Claiming races allow an owner to enter a horse at a level designed to give an opportunity to win races and prize money.
- A claiming race system forces horses to compete at values reflected by the claiming price when other owners are willing to claim.
Filing and declaring a claiming race
- Horseowners or their authorized agents wishing to run in claiming races must fill out a declaration form stating the name of horse, race number, claiming price, and other necessary information.
- The declaration form must be signed by the owner or authorized agent.
- The horseowner must attach the horse’s foal or registration certificate to the declaration form so the new owner receives the certificate together with the horse if claimed.
Who may claim horses
- Any registered horseman in good standing, or his registered and licensed authorized agent, is eligible to claim horses.
- The claimant must make the required cash deposit in his own name.
- A non-licensed owner wishing to claim horses must first file for intentions to become a horse owner and must be cleared for licensing by the Philippine Racing Commission, including identifying who his licensed trainer will be.
Claim money deposit and claim form process
- The claimant must deposit cash, cashier’s check, or any other immediately cashable bank draft with the racing club bookkeeper or cashier.
- Personal checks are not acceptable.
- The deposit must be for the full amount of the claiming price plus 5% sales tax and 3% service charge before the running of the race from which he wishes to claim.
- The claimant must fill out a claim form stating the date, name of the horse to claim, and the number of the race the horse is running in.
- The claimant must time clock stamp the claim form and drop it into a locked claiming box thirty minutes before post time of the race from which he is claiming.
Effects of a successful claim and delivery rules
- After the race, if the claimant is successful, the claimed horse becomes the claimant’s property.
- The horse must be immediately delivered to the claimant, together with the foal or registration certificate, signed as a deed of sale.
- All purse money earned from the claimed horse becomes the property of the owner who originally entered the horse for that race, along with the amount of the claiming price transferred to his account.
- A claim horse becomes the claimant’s livestock property when it leaves the saddling paddock to race.
- Any claim on a horse withdrawn or scratched before leaving the saddling paddock is void.
- Prize money and claim money are held in abeyance until after the result of the drug test.
- If a horse is found positive for prohibited drugs, the horse is penalized under the existing rules, and any claim made on such horse is considered void unless the successful claimant is willing to accept the penalty imposed on the claimed horse.
Multiple claims, draw by lot, and supervision
- If more than one person files a claim for the same horse, the aspiring claimants must draw for ownership of the horse by lot.
- The drawing by lot is conducted under the supervision of the stewards or Club Managers.
Restrictions on owners and prohibited conduct
- An owner who refuses to give his horse up after being claimed has his license revoked and is barred from future racing.
- An owner who refuses to accept responsibility for a horse he claimed—alive, dead, or crippled—has his license revoked and is barred from future racing.
- No owner may claim his own horse or cause his horse to be claimed through collusion.
- No owner may claim more than one horse from the same race.
Validity of declarations and protests
- Any horse declared in the claiming race and appearing in the racing program is considered valid unless the owner files a protest with the Board of Stewards.
- The protest must assert that the horse’s declaration in the claiming race is without the owner’s authority.
- The protest must be filed before Race 1 of the day the horse is scheduled to run.
- If the protest is sustained, the horse is scratched, and the person making the false declaration is penalized accordingly.
- If a horse wins or places in a claiming race, the purse of such horse is based on the highest bracket of the horse that competed in the said race.
Weights and claiming-race format rules
- Standard handicap weight is 56 kg, subject to any weight allowance condition.
- Two year olds carry 54 kg.
- Females carry 2 kg.
- Weight allowance conditions apply.
Required format and step-by-step claiming procedure
- Format and Procedure for Claiming Race: The registered owner (or registered authorized agent) must fill out a CLAIMING DECLARATION FORM (Attachment 1) with required particulars.
- The declaration must state the horse’s name, age, sex, sire, dam, race number, claiming price, race weight the horse will carry, and name of the jockey, and must be signed, with attachment of the horse’s foal or registration certificate.
- The declaration must be done privately with the racing club handicapper, not publicly.
- The completed declaration is held in abeyance until time for the abollahana (drawing of lots for post position).
- The racing procedure of the claiming race follows the same procedure as all other races.
- Format and Procedure to Claim a Horse: The claimant must obtain a claim form (Attachment II) from the club handicapper.
- The claimant must deposit the full amount of the claiming price plus 5% sales tax and 3% service charge in cash, cashier’s check, bank or other immediate cashable draft acceptable to the cashier three (3) hours before post time.
- The claimant must obtain a receipt from the cashier for the deposited amount.
- The claimant must fully complete the claim form with the name of the horse, race number on the program, and amount of claiming price plus tax and service charge for total amount, and must sign the form.
- The claimant must place the claim form in a claim envelope, indicate race number and date on the outside of the envelope, and seal it.
- The Racing Club must maintain a locked claiming box in the Racing Club manager’s office with an envelope drop slot and time stamp clock, and the claimant must time stamp the envelope and drop it into the claim box.
- Immediately after the race, the Racing Manager and Chairman of the Board of Stewards unlock and open the claim box.
- If there is a successful claimant, the stewards notify the track announcer to announce the claim and instruct the horse to be taken to the saddling paddock and delivered to the new owner.
- The Club Manager or Steward signs the claim form as confirmation and presents it to the new owner.
- The new owner presents the signed claim form to the previous owner (or representative) during the exchange at the paddock.
- The Racing Manager or representative provides a prepared Deed of Sale for signatures by the previous and new owners.
- The deed of sale is given to the new owner, and a copy is furnished to the original owner.
- The claiming money is remitted to the original owner only after the original owner signs the deed of sale.
- The claiming price plus all purse money won by the claimed horse, if any, is paid to the original owner.
- The sale tax money is held by the Racing Club and paid to the government by the Racing Club.
Fees and service charges
- The Racing Club is entitled to a service fee equivalent to 3% of the claiming price for every successful claim, payable by the claimant.