The number of horses claimed at mid-Atlantic tracks in the week ending July 3 rose 13 percent from the prior week, and the average value of those horses climbed a bit more than 18 percent. The tracks included in the report are Charles Town, Colonial Downs, Delaware Park, Monmouth, Parx Racing, and Penn National.
A total of 69 horses changed hands via the claimbox, versus 61 the week before. The claimed horses had a combined value of $836,000, with an average of more than $12,100, versus an average of $10,241 the prior week. All told, the value of claimed horses rose by more than a third from last week. The median, $10,000, was unchanged.
Monmouth was by far the busiest track, reporting 21 claims with a total value in excessive of $288,000 during the period. Fifteen horses were claimed at Parx, and their value was more than $218,000; the Parx average price of over $14,500 was the region’s highest.
Four trainers — Jamie Ness, Henry Worcester, Patricia Farro, and Julio Cartagena — claimed three horses each to lead all trainers. Ness’s three claims were worth $56,000, tops among trainers.
