Following the race, the horse is brought back to the paddock where a halter is placed on its head and the new owner takes it away. Once the horse comes out of, or away from, the starting gate, it is considered the property of the new owner, whether it finishes the race or not. Any purse money it wins belongs to the original owner. Most people claim horses because they believe the horse is worth the value it is running at and will continue to make money. Also, they may have training styles that they feel would be more suitable for the horse so they can improve its abilities.
Harness horses can run back at any level after a claim.
The trainer chooses a race from the book that is most suitable for the horse and enters it in the race. Entries are taken two days in advance of the race. The day before the race the trainer has the option of requesting of the stewards if the horse can be scratched. If the animal passes the vets, then approximately 25 minutes before post time the groom takes it over to the paddock where it is saddled and the jockey is legged up for the race. In standardbred racing, entries are taken four days out.