When a horse runs in a claiming race, it carries a price tag that anyone can pay to buy the horse before the race begins. If the horse wins or earns money, the original owner keeps any prize money in addition to the price paid by the new owner. Because the new owner buys the horse before the race starts, they take on the risk that the horse could be injured during the race. Regardless of how the horse finishes or its condition afterward, the sale is final. Claiming races are a great way for stable owners to develop promising horses and then sell them to larger interests that might be able to train a horse into a champion. They also work well for owners with deep pockets who want to find promising race horses without raising them from birth. Horses that win claiming races move up to starter races, which protect them from being claimed by other trainers.