THE NONWINNERS ALLOWANCE SERIES

Allowance races come in two basic varieties, nonwinners allowance races and classified allowance races.

The nonwinners allowances are carded as a series of progressively more testing races restricted to relatively inexperienced, unseasoned, and unclassified horses. The "nonwinners" label is attached, because the eligibility conditions specify that the horses may not yet have won one, two, three, or perhaps four, nonclaiming races. The purpose is to restrict the competition to better horses of high potential at comparable stages of development, so that the horses can sort themselves out, some moving ahead to the stakes, most repairing to the claiming division.

Classified allowances are carded for mature, experienced horses that, while unable to prosper in the stakes division, are nonetheless too talented to be offered for a claim, and deserve opportunities to earn richer purses. The key to coping well with nonwinners allowance races is to limit action to the kinds of horses whose records remain nicely suited to the restrictions in the conditions of eligibility.

That is, horses that fit the conditions and purposes of the nonwinners allowances are accepted as contenders, horses ill suited to the conditions are summarily rejected. It's an aspect of class handicapping.

The main contenders of nonwinners-once allowance races emerge from three groups:

1. Any lightly raced 3YO that has finished close in good time in few attempts under today's conditions or better. An acceptable finish in a stakes race is especially attractive, but not definitive.
2. A recent impressive 3YO maiden graduate, with extra credit to the nicely bred types from leading stables. "Lightly raced," means fewer than a dozen starts. If the race is restricted to horses 4up, prefer the 4YOs.
3. Younger horses (3YOs) whose recent efforts or clockings under similar allowance conditions indicate continued or dramatic development.

One step removed from horses' introduction to the allowances are the next eligibility conditions in the sequence:

The main contenders for the nonwinners-twice race come together from four distinct groups:

1. Younger, lightly raced 3YOs that have already demonstrated a good race, or an acceptable finish, in a stakes.
2. The same kind of 3YOs that recently have won an
allowance race, and in few attempts have finished close in rapid time under conditions similar to today's. If the nonwinners-twice race is restricted to 4up, prefer the 4YOs.
3. Late-developing, lightly raced, nicely bred 4YOs that
recently won an allowance race, and were not disgraced
in an open stakes. In recent years foreign-raced horses have entered the preliminary nonwinners allowance races of southern California and New York with consistent success. Imports from Europe, in particular, tend to be talented, relatively expensive horses. If the imports have finished in the money, or close enough, in a graded or listed stakes of France, England, Italy, or Ireland, they presumably outclass preliminary unexceptional allowance competition in the states.
4. Any import from Europe that has finished close in a graded or listed stakes overseas, particularly horses that have won such a race and remain eligible for nonwinners allowances here.
Regarding imports from South America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, prefer horses that have competed consistently in Grade 1 and Grade 2 stakes with some success. Discount the others, until they demonstrate local form.

Claiming horses can sometimes be threats in nonwinners-twice allowance races, especially if they formerly won one allowance race.

Once two allowance victories have been stashed away, horses have arrived at advanced nonclaiming territory. No more easy pickings. The nonwinners allowance series has progressed to:

"...nonwinners three times other than maiden or claiming..."
or
"...nonwinners four times other than maiden or claiming..."

These are "advanced" nonwinners allowances. Not only has the contention already won a pair of allowance races, but several eligible horses will have impressed in an open or graded stakes. Ordinary horses hit the brick wall. For that reason, handicappers are advised to prefer contenders whose credentials include a snappy stakes performance.

In descending order, here are the possibilities to anticipate:

1. Impressive winners of two recent allowance races that have impressed in a graded or open stakes.
2. Imports from France, England, Ireland, or Italy that have won, or finished close; in any Grade 1 or Grade 2 stakes overseas.
3. Any impressively improving lightly raced three-year-old
that has done everything asked, and despite a lack of
stakes experience, is merely taking the next logical
step-up in class.

The guts of any advanced nonwinners allowance race can be unearthed in those three profiles. If no horses qualify, duck the race. Of three-year-olds without stakes credentials, the pace ratings obtained by the second allowance win should have been sparkling, and the horses should never have run for a claim.