posted April 3, 2008 at 13:35 in Triple Crown Articles

Great golfers including Tiger take advantage of the rules of the game and astute horse bettors should do the same thing.

The California Horse Racing Board recently approved the ability for owners to ‘claim proof’ runners that have been the bench for at least 180 days for the first start back.

On the surface, this would probably give trainers that are very good with layoff horses and therefore ultra patient a cushion so that all the work they did to get a horse ready, is not lost in one run around the oval.

A horse that return from a 6-month layoff or more and is entered back at its prior claiming level or higher can be declared ineligible to be picked up right away.

It’s a unique deal and it will help the big barns, the small barns and the clever horse bettors that try to take advantage of the new rule.

For horse bettors, knowing which trainers on your circuit are exceptional with layoff horses now becomes all that more important.

The players in Southern California can look to guys like Rafael Becerra, Peter Miller, John Sadler, Eoin Harty and even though he doesn’t play the claiming game often, bettor should know that nobody is better than Bobby Frankel off an extended layoff.

Rafael Becerra learned his trade under the great California trainer Gary Jones, whose son Marty is continuing on the road to success. All Becerra has done the last few years is win with 26% of his returnees off a 6-month layoff or more.

Peter Miller had a break out meet at Del Mar last year and one of the reasons is that he is 20% with that same kind of layoff.

John Sadler, who has been on a flat-out roll for about 2 years now, pops at the same 20% while the venerable Frankel has won at nearly 25% with this kind of returnee over the decades.

Eoin Harty, who worked under Bob Baffert at one time, is coming off a career year and is about 19% with those that have been on the pine.

A rule that is still being addressed by the CHRB and one that must come to the forefront is a penalty for not properly reporting ‘the ultimate equipment change’.

The ‘ultimate’ is a recent gelding and anybody that has been around a horse knows what it does to a horse’s demeanor.

When I worked on a horse farm in New Jersey when I was a young man I helped the veterinarian geld one of our horses and it was quite an experience.

My job was to hold the rope over the stall that was tied to the horse’s tail while ‘the change’ was taking place.

You can only imagine how hard a horse would fight when he realized what was happening and although I only weighed about 160 pounds in those days, the horse lifted me off the ground with his tail alone.

As far as betting, a new gelding has long been a tremendous handicapping angle. Runners suddenly have nothing on their mind except running and dramatic form reversals can occur.

The CHRB is contemplating increasing the fine for not reporting from $300 to $1000 and from a horseplayers view it should be a $10,000 fine.

For a mere $300, a trainer can bet and have the eventual fine paid for if the horse wins and a hefty fine will deter those that walk the edge trying to take chances.

Ten grand is 10 grand and that’s for anybody.

Bottom line is that horse bettors should zero in on patient trainers on their circuit and pay special attention to first-time geldings.

That information is available on the overnight for Santa Anita races.

Keep checking the Locker Room all through the Triple Crown season, as we will cover the trainers, horses and jockeys in each race. You can get your early Kentucky Derby Odds at Churchill Downs bets in now in the BetUS sportsbook in the Future / props section, under Horse Futures: 2008 Kentucky Derby Betting.