Handicapping Tip of the Day for AGOS Visitors
by Rich Nilsen
I wrote an article roughly 20 years ago for Brisnet about the “For Sale” runner. This is a horse entered for a claiming tag that makes absolutely zero economical sense. The horse is damaged goods and the entry into the lower-level claiming race is like flashing neon lights “Sale!” Punters and horse racing fans can use the William hill grand national betting offer for 2019 and look for these types of “for sale” horses before this year’s event.
Sadly, recurring events are still happening from time to time in horse racing to this day. A case in point was Monday, August 20 at Saratoga. Note that in this article I will not hide the names of the guilty.
A runner named King Kranz was entered for the bottom of the barrel claiming tag of $12,500. The 5yo son of Munnings was a former stakes winner and in only 19 career starts, he had earned an amazing $412,630. It was only this past April at Aqueduct when he scored in a “three other than” optional $80,000 claimer for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. After a subpar 5th place finish in a stakes event at Belmont in May, King Kranz was back in a similar optional claimer on July 7, this time for $62,500.
His sharp spring form and back class was too much to resist for high percentage trainer Danny Gargan and R A Hill Stables. They put up the money and submitted the claim form. When King Kranz finished 7th, beaten over 15 lengths, he was now their horse… and their problem.
King Kranz would work out twice for his new connections prior to his first start for the new barn, and one of those works was a half mile in a pedestrian 53.4. This is hardly fast enough to be given an official clocking by the New York clockers.
Then came the clearance sale. Gargan, a 23% first-off the claim trainer, entered his new runner for $12,500 on Monday, $50,000 less than the purchase price six weeks ago. This race featured a total purse of $25,000. If a horse wins, the owners will “clear” about half the purse; so, in this case, approximately $12,500. If the horse is claimed, they also receive the claiming price; which in this case was another $12,500. Does any of this make sense?
Off at odds of 8/5, King Kranz made a gallant effort to the top of the stretch in the 6 furlong affair before calling it a day. In the final 1/8th of a mile he was literally galloped down the stretch by leading jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. He was eventually eased and the margin of defeat in the 5-horse field listed at 28 lengths.
He was claimed by low percentage trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul.
