Allowance Races
Allowance races by definition are based on weight alotments give to horses to make the competition more even, based on the assumption that by horse carrying extra weight during a race will slow him down making the race more competitive with lessor horses. In the SIM we don't have to deal with weights (thank goodnes), so enough has been said about them.
Although your horse has to be of a certain level of quality ( from it's breeding ) to compete and be successful in these events, there is no guarantee that after winning at the allowance level (like a horse breaking it's maiden in the Maiden Special Weights ranks) that it will be able to win for a second time in allowance company. This is why when you rush a horse into stakes races when all the horse has achieved is a maiden win, this move can be and usually is detrimental to a horse. In doing this, it could be a sure way to teach your horse how to loose.
Recently, one of the best 3yo's in the country; Menifee (who probably would have won this years Kentucky Derby had he drawn a better post position) won the $1 million Haskell Invitational Handicap (gr.1) at Monmouth Park. As talented a colt that Menifee is, however, his owners; Arthur Hancock III and Jim Stone were worried about his racing carreer prior to the race. Said Hancock, comparing Menifee's scenario with that of Sunday Silence; "He had lost the Belmont and the Swaps, and you don't know if they'll ever win again". It would have been quite a loss to horseracing if Sunday Silence would have folded and not won again, but understandable, if losing took the mental toughness from him. How many Menifee's or Sunday Silence's do you have in your stable?
Maiden Special Weight
The biggest advantage to racing your maiden in Maiden Special Weight races (or any horse in any allowance race), is that you don't have to worry about losing your horse to claim. Although the horse has to be bred well enough to show ability in handling this level of competition, there is a broad range of class for which to choose from to race your horse. The purse (total amount of money that will be distributed, usually to the first five finishers on a percentage basis) in these maiden events is directly indicative to the class level of the track, it is the best way to analyze the class level of the track in relation to the others (Unbridled has posted the purse amounts of all allowance level races for every track, at the Kentuckiana site). The higher the purse amount of the MSW races = how high the class of horses that will be drawn to that particular track, in general.
An1x
Allowance, Non-Winners of ONE, except Maiden, Claiming, Optional or Starter (I have explained Optional allowance and starter allowance further down the page).
Although your horse is eligable to race in any allowance race, by letting him develop to his full potential in conditioned allowance races he will be better prepared to step into higher class races. This will also serve as a way to get to know your horse and understand his capabilities as well as his likes and dis-likes.
An1x ; This is the next condition for your horse to step into in the allowance ranks, after winning their MSW. The purse amount will be stated after the conditions, different tracks will have a different amount posted to coincide with the class of the track. This condition is a catch all , so to speak. Your horse may meet the future star of tie SIM here, hopefully this horse will be from your stable. This is also the place where you will find a claiming horse that may have won their maiden race in MSW ranks, but found allowance races a little too tough, so the O/T dropped the horse into the claiming ranks where the horse flourished. This horse now has 6 wins (1-MSW, 5 at the claiming level), and since the horse looks to have improved, the O/T now wants to try conditioned allowance races again, which the horse is perfectly eligable for. Also, horses that the O/T's tried to have jump their conditions and failed to win at a higher level (allowance or stakes) may now be coming back to a level of where they can win.
Before any race, you should have a definite plan for your horse, whether it wins or loses, a plan that in some way your horse will benefit from the race so it is always preparing for it's next race. This way, you will always have done the best for your horse to point it toward that next race.
An2x
Allowance, Non-Winners of TWO, except Maiden, Claiming, Optional or Starter
This is the next lowest condition that your horse would be eligable for after winning a MSW and another allowance or stakes race. Yes, stakes race, your horse would still meet the eligibality requirements of this condition even after winning a stakes race. It does not make econamic sense to drop a horse this far down in class (to move the horse backwards in class) after the horse has proven capable of handling higher competition unless maybe the stakes race was actually lower in class or equal to this condition at this track. Another scenario might be that the horse was injured from the previous stakes race and this is the first time it's raced since. Any horse eligable for An1x, would also be accepted in this race, just remember that the competition should be tougher. This type of horse is said to be jumping conditions, usually when a horse is entered at one step or two higher in class,that race is used for a prepatory race, afterwards the horse would be dropped back to their lowest eligable allowance condition, where hopefully the horse benefitted from the higher class race and is ready to win today.
An3x
Allowance, Non-Winners of THREE, except Maiden, Claiming, Optional or Starter
You will find pretty much the same types of horses here, only with three allowance wins already; MSW, An1x, An2x .
An4x
This is the last of conditioned allowance races that your horse can use for it's benefit before taking on Classified Allowance foes. Remember, the more races your horse wins, the stronger and more competitive it will become.
Classified Allowance
These are the highest class allowance races offered by a given track. The purse amount will always be the highest dollar amount of all allowance races at the given track. The title of the race will read Allowance , nothing more, they're aren't any conditions for this race. It is one step below stakes competition, many stakes horses use this race as a prep race for higher stakes competition, it is also for horses that have expired their conditioned allowance race eligability. There is no limit to how many wins a horse may have to race here, a horse may also have multiple stakes victories and race here.
An2L , An3L
- Allowance, Non-Winners of TWO, Lifetime
- Allowance, Non-Winners of THREE, Lifetime
Usually you will find well seasoned horses that have had a difficult time winning in allowance conditions or may have been rushed into stakes competition and failed to win but still ran strong races. The horse may have a racing record of; 20/ 1-10-9 , and just can't get over the hurdle of winning it's second race. Another type may be the horse that may have had a MSW win, then won quite a few claiming races, the non-winners of two or three only applies to allowance wins. To win under this condition is not as easy as it looks, the purse amount will always be larger that the An1x or An2x, given at the same track.
Optional Allowance
This race is not available in the SIM, it's real life use and popularity is almost entirely in the Southern California racing circuit. The race is constructed so that the owner has the option of running their horse for the already set claiming price or the horse can be entered without the option to be claimed and it will be protected under the allowance conditions of the race. Which ever way the horse is entered, upon winning the race the horse is charged with an allowance win. If, going into the race, the horse was eligable for an An1x , by his winning, the lowest level conditioned allowance race the horse would be eligable for would be An2x , even if the horse was entered with a claiming price on it's head.
Starter Allowance
These are designed to be preliminary allowance races, where a horse is tested to see if it has what it takes to be effective in conditioned allowance races. There is a dollar amount for the purse and there is a maximum claiming price listed. The horse must have been in a claiming race, the lowest claiming price that the horse ran for cannot exceed the listed claiming price given for the race, it may equal the price but not exceed the price. When a horse wins a starter allowance race, the win does not jeopardize it's current non-winners allowance eligibality. In other words, the horse has not lost an allowance condition.
One of the best uses of this race I've seen in the SIM was for Irish Tarbash (a 2yo colt from the Funster stable). Irish Tarbash was claimed from the computer for a very low claiming price, that made him eligable for a starter allowance race which he won easliy. A couple of races later, Irish Tarbash is winning stakes races and is one of, if not the, best 2yo's in the SIM.
Wahoo
August 31, 1999
Quote taken from: The Blood-Horse, August 14, 1999 / vol.33/4568