What is a maiden race??

Question

i thought it was a horse that was having its first race

but then i saw some horses that have had some starts

Answer 1

horses that have not won a race yet.....

Answer 2

Maiden races are types of races set aside for horses that have never won a race. Some horses break there maidens in stakes races but that is rare. Every racehorse starts out as a maiden.

Answer 3

A maiden race is for horses that have never won a race before.  Once they win a maiden race (e.g., breaking their maiden) they can advance to other claiming races or allowance races or sometimes even stake races.  There are two kinds of maiden races.  Maiden claiming races in which all the horses running can be claimed.  And Maiden Special Weight races where horses can't be claimed.  If a trainer has a horse that he believes has a lot of potential, he'll generally enter him in a Maiden special weight race so that he won't risk having the horse claimed.  A horse can run in maiden races as many times as the trainer wants as long as it doesn't win.

Answer 4

Sightseeing, great answer!!

A maiden is a horse who has not yet won a race.  In maiden races, there are often one or two first time starters.  The vast majority of horses make their first start in a maiden race.  However, sometimes a maiden will race in a stakes... there were a lot of maidens in the Holy Bull this year... and there's a maiden (Guadalcanal) racing in the Belmont this weekend!!