What is a Starter Allowance?

Similar to an allowance race, a horse entered in a starter allowance race cannot be claimed. The horse, however, must have run at or below a certain claiming level (for example "$8,000 or less") during a designated time period (for example "in 2002-2003").

A starter allowance can bring together a wide range of claiming and allowance horses. If the race is a handicap, then the Racing Secretary assigns weight to each horse similar to a stakes handicap.