These are surely not normal times. With the entire world facing the frightening specter of the coronavirus pandemic people across the nation are isolating themselves and what was once a steady stream of sports has been reduced to a trickle.

Only a handful of racetracks remain open and if you are playing one of them, there’s one angle to keep in mind.

Typically, gamblers should be wary of horses taking a big class drop. Often it’s a sign that the connections want to lose the horse or the runner is in a poor form cycle.

Yet with so much uncertainty these days, we’re at a time when claiming a horse comes with some risk. If you make a claim, there’s no telling when and where you could race your new horse. Meanwhile, the bills for caring for the animal grow.

With that in mind, you can expect that some horsemen will take advantage of the situation by running their horses for a lower claiming tag than usual. Considering the situation, and knowing there’s a better than average chance that their horse may not get claimed, it’s a logical move to take a chance and practically dare someone to claim your horse.

Look at it this way, by facing lesser company, it increases the horse’s chances of winning and the connections probably keep the horse.

And if the horse is claimed, then the connections pocket some money and don’t have to worry about training costs for a horse who probably will not be able to race.

Put all of those factors together and you’ll understand why trainers will be willing to run horses in sharp form for lesser claiming prices.

In most instances it will not make sense, but now, at a time like none other in recent history, it’s the logical course for horsemen and the gamblers wagering on those races.