August claiming activity was essentially flat in the mid-Atlantic versus July, though it declined versus August 2013.

Some 284 horses were claimed during the month of August at Charles Town, Delaware, Monmouth, Parx, Penn National, and Timonium.  Those horses were worth a combined total of just shy of $3 million, an average of a bit over $10,560 per claim.

Those figures were virtually identical to those of July 2014.  That month saw one fewer claim — 283 overall — with a combined value of just over $3 million.  In all that meant an August decline in claim value of less than one percent.

The number of horses claimed and the gross and average value of those horses all declined versus August 2013.  That month saw 299 claims — five percent more than the most recent month — with a combined value of over $3.4 million (nearly 12 percent higher).

Charles Town, Delaware, and Parx Racing all saw fewer claims this month versus the same month last year, with Charles Town experiencing a decline of 13 horses claimed.  In terms of dollar value, the biggest drop came at Delaware Park, where claim value dipped from $410,000 in August 2013 to $236,250 last month.

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For the week…

Claiming activity in the region plummeted during the slowest week in five months, that ending September 9.

Overall, just 37 horses changed hands via the claimbox last week, a drop of 46 percent from the 68 claimed a week ago.  The value of those claims was less than $331,000, a drop of 59 percent versus a week ago.  That left a 25 percent drop in average claim value, to $8,939.

Parx Racing saw the most claims in the region, 13; it was the only regional track to hit double figures in claims.  It also led all tracks in gross value, checking in at $99,000.  Charles Town led the region in average claim value, with its three claims averaging $13,750.  Delaware (six claims), Monmouth (seven), and Penn National (eight) all saw between six and eight claims.  Laurel Park, which opened on Friday and ran two days during the week, did not see a single horse claimed.

The claimbox report covers claiming activity at Parx Racing, Penn National, Charles Town, Laurel Park, Monmouth Park, Timonium, and Delaware Park.

Weekly Dollar Value of Horses Changing Hands

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