Claims Race...AGAIN!

Question
I just watched "Jockeys" and read your response, but I still don't understand why someone would put a good horse (Bullybullybully) in a race like that.  The trainer was saying he's a great horse, she's raised him, etc.  Why risk losing a great horse?  Sorry, I must be a little dense.  Thanks

Answer
Susan,

I don't watch a lot of TV, which includes the series "Jockeys", so I'm not really sure who BullyBullyBully or his trainer are, but horse racing is a business, not a hobby, and there is a saying in the business, "keep yourself in the best company, and your horse in the worst", meaning that you always want to run your horse in a place where he has the best shot to win.  Often that is in a claiming race.  
Also sometimes trainers try to "steal" a claiming race by dropping a much better horse in for the tag, hoping that everyone will think that there must be something wrong with the horse, and not claim it out of the race.  This is risky, but oftentimes trainers get aways with an easy win without losing the horse.  Sometimes it backfires and they lose the horse to a claim.
But basically, if you want to survive in the racing business, the sad fact is, you cannot get too attached to a horse.  You can't keep them all, especially if they aren't paying their way.  Soemtimes the hard reality is that you have to risk losing the horse in order to give the horse a shot at a win, especially if that win will allow you to keep the horse with you a little bit longer.

Stephanie Frost