ALLOWANCE
Probably
no racetrack term eludes newcomers and novices, even casual racegoers,
as does reference to an "allowance" race. Indeed, it's a
puzzling term. Literally, "allowance" refers to weight allowances
horses may be entitled to (such as three pounds off today's assigned
weight for horses that have not won in the past three months), based
upon their recent records or age-sex differences.
In
handicapping terms, an allowance race is best regarded as a non-claiming
event (horses are not for sale) intended either for younger horses
not yet ready for stakes competition.
Thus
handicappers must deal with two broad categories of allowance races:
Non-winners
allowance races
Classified
allowance races.
*
Many maiden graduates proceed directly to a series of allowance races
that are restricted to horses that have had preliminary levels of
success. The conditions may specify:
There
are several variations on the theme, but the basic idea is to limit
eligibility to horses that have not yet won one, two, or three allowance/stakes
races.
As
a rule, therefore, handicappers best prefer younger, lightly-raced,
improving horses that might be any kind,as opposed to older, highly
experienced horses that have looked rather ordinary in ability and
are still eligible to compete at these levels.
*
Classified allowance races are carded for older horses 3up that have
not won one, two, or multiple races offering a specified winner's
share (first money) since a specified date, such as for non-winners
of $35,000 since March 1.
1.
Classified allowances conditions can be complicated and challenging,
but in general the more wins and first money allowed and the shorter
the specified date in the past, the more good horses will be eligible
and the stronger will be the fields.
2.
Where no recent wins are allowed, and the first money is ordinary
and the specified date six months ago or longer, many good horses
and recent non-claiming winners will be barred, and the fields will
be weaker. Slightly inferior horses in particuarly sharp form and
well-suited to the surface, distance and probable pace may be preferred
to better horses returning from long layoffs.
