Following two years of bad weather, with snowfall at Churchill Downs in 2022 and rain at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in 2023 knocking races off the turf, the Claiming Crown could not have received a more picture-perfect day than it did Nov. 16.
Designed to be the claiming horses’ version of the Breeders’ Cup by a partnership between the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the Claiming Crown gives the “backbone of the industry” a day in the spotlight.
“It was established to truly be a marquee event to recognize those who are not normally recognized,” said the National HBPA’s CEO Eric Hamelback. “When you look at the importance of the claiming horse and the claiming race, you really can’t deny the number of claiming races compared to the number of stakes races. This day was really to give those owners who run horses all year long a real chance at a marquee event.”
The Claiming Crown returned to Churchill Downs for the second time in its 26-year existence. Owners, trainers, friends and family were treated to the elegant dining experience of Churchill Downs’ Stakes Room on the fourth floor to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments coming to fruition.
“When you look around today and you know how much these owners appreciate being here, it’s not something that is a regular thing,” Hamelback said of the excitement in the room. “For them to be here, to be in the Stakes Room at Churchill, to have a horse on a big marquee day, it’s joyful. I get goosebumps just talking about it.”
The HBPA and TOBA are hopeful that Churchill Downs can become a semipermanent home for the Claiming Crown, which began at Canterbury Park and has been hosted by six different tracks. Mike Ziegler, vice president and general manager of the Louisville, Ky., oval said the track is a perfect fit to host connections from across the country.
“We have the opportunity to run a card full of competitive horses under the twin spires,” Ziegler said. “It’s the right place to host this event with great racing and great horsemen.”
Churchill Downs Victory Perhaps First of Many
The main course of the day was not the food upstairs, but the racing downstairs. The finishes were not without drama as the day’s flagship race, the $225,000 Jewel, ended in a disqualification that awarded Laughing Boy the victory.
Sent to the lead by jockey Samuel Camacho Jr. off a seven-month layoff, Laughing Boy set uncontested fractions of :24.10, :49.58, and 1:14.25. As they turned for home, Welaka and Surface to Air made their runs from the outside.
The three battled for the lead for an eighth of a mile before Surface to Air and jockey Fernando Jara veered inward to a tiring Welaka with a furlong to go. Adam Beschizza took up on Welaka enough to where fast-closing Hurry Hurry got by him for third. Meanwhile up top, Surface to Air outdueled Laughing Boy by a neck while completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.47.
The stewards determined Surface to Air was at fault and disqualified him to fourth. Laughing Boy was awarded the victory despite also shifting outwards into Welaka’s path.
It was the second time in his last three starts that Lawrence Roman and David Jacobson’s Laughing Boy won via disqualification as he was elevated to victory in the Excelsior Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in March after being impeded.
The winner’s circle after Laughing Boy’s victory in the Claiming Crown Jewel at Churchill Downs
“We didn’t have to do any of the work this time,” Jacobson joked about getting elevated without being the one impeded.
The Claiming Crown came onto Jacobson’s radar late as he wasn’t sure he’d have the 6-year-old son of Distorted Humor prepared off the layoff.
“It was hard, it wasn’t easy,” Jacobson said “It took a little extra training to get him fit for the mile and an eighth.”
Jacobson plans to have a larger presence in Kentucky over the next few years and said the Claiming Crown victory was hopefully the first of many big wins.
“This might have put the final nail in it,” Jacobson said. “We may be here for a while.”
The same sentiment was expressed by trainer Rohan Crichton who won the day’s featured turf event, the $189,105 Emerald, with Echo Lane . The trainer had the opportunity to get some stalls at the nearby Churchill Downs training track this fall.
“We love (being in Kentucky),” Crichton said. “We’re planning to be back next year.”
Unlike Jacobson, Crichton had the Claiming Crown penciled in on the schedule since he claimed the colt for $25,000 at Gulfstream Park last December. What Crichton did not expect was the climb up the ladder performed by the 3-year-old this year. In his most recent start, he finished fourth beaten three lengths by Deterministic in the Virginia Derby (G3T) at Colonial Downs.
“Expectations were high,” Crichton said. “We sat (out of) a lot of other races for this race. It feels really good to have a plan come through.”
Echo Lane wins the Claiming Crown Emerald at Churchill Downs
Crichton described the 1 1/16-mile distance as “perfect” for the colt. After stalking the pace, he completed the distance in 1:41.09 under jockey Luis Saez. Owner Anthony Rogers, who shares his Jamaican hometown’s name with the colt’s sire’s name, Treasure Beach , said Saez gave him the perfect ride.
“From our end, we were expecting this day for a long time. When it finally came, it was awesome,” Rogers said. “I dreamed about it, and it came to reality. It was a wonderful day.”
“Biggest Win” of their CareerS
The day was equally, if not more wonderful for trainers Jose Muñoz Cano and Brittany Vanden Berg who both described their Claiming Crown victories as the biggest yet in their career.
Cano’s triumph came with the day’s biggest longshot, 33-1 Voodoo Zip in the $172,766 Canterbury Tom Metzen Memorial. The 7-year-old City Zip gelding closed into a strong pace to complete the 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:03.24 under jockey Francisco Arrieta.
“I’ve waited two months for this race,” Cano said. “When I looked at nominations, I thought I had a good chance. It made me so happy.”
The gelding had to yet to win since being claimed by Cano for $17,500 in March, but he knew he had the horse ready for a big run now that he was sprinting on the grass.
“This is the biggest win in my career,” Cano said. “Hopefully there’s more coming.”
The celebration for Vanden Berg was extra special following her victory with Like a Saltshaker in the $136,582 Rapid Transit as her husband, Christopher Emigh, rode the 6-year-old gelding to victory for her long-time client Marsico Brothers Racing.
Trainer Brittany Vanden Berg with Like a Saltshaker after winning the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit at Churchill Downs
“I think this is the biggest race we’ve won so far and for it being the Claiming Crown is huge,” Vanden Berg said. “We’re claiming trainers and owners. I couldn’t be happier for all my owners. I couldn’t be happier for everyone that made it here today. This is such a great stage for everybody, I’m really grateful.”
The son of Peace and Justice showed his grit in the stretch, outdueling a game Keen Cat by a head to complete seven furlongs in 1:23.52. Vanden Berg claimed the horse in May 2023 for $10,000 and has won nine times with him since.
“This has just been the best horse for us. I cannot describe how lucky I am to train a horse like this,” Vanden Berg said. “I was so happy that he ran that hard, he just has a special place in my heart.”
“It’s pretty amazing,” Michael Marsico, one of four brothers who own the horse, said of winning a big race. “This is by far the coolest race we’ve ever won. I’m over the moon. The Claiming Crown is for owners like us, it’s the premier event to compete in. We absolutely love it.”
Traveling From All Over
The Claiming Crown truly represented horsemen from across the country. The love was spread as the eight winners had made their prior start at six different tracks: Delaware Park, Horseshoe Indianapolis (two), Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park, Keeneland (two), and Colonial Downs.
Jubilant Joanie , winner of the $108,000 Glass Slipper, traveled the furthest from California for Jeff Mullins. She completed one mile in 1:37.94 under jockey Reylu Gutierrez.
Jubilant Joanie (left) wins the Claiming Crown Glass Slipper at Churchill Downs
Mullins, who trains the 4-year-old filly and is co-owner with Darren Carraway and Denise De Quevedo, said he almost did not make the trip as he would’ve had a larger expense to fly the horse from the West Coast on her own. Lucikly, several other horses decided to make the trip east and lowered the price tag for the daughter of Unified to compete.
“We knew she belonged in this spot, but you got to put a pencil to it and make sure it makes sense,” Mullins said. “We got lucky and got a couple horses to share with, and here we are.”
The filly has been popular at the claim box this year, having changed hands five times since February. Mullins claimed her for $20,000 at Del Mar in September.
“She might not be claimed for awhile now,” Mullins joked. “Ever since she stretched to a mile, she’s turned into a different horse.”
Concrete Glory traveled from Florida to win the $108,503 Ready’s Rocket Express by the day’s largest margin. The pacesetter beneath Saez, he drew off to win by 7 1/2 lengths while completing six furlongs in 1:09.30.
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Concrete Glory is owned by Big Frank Stable. Formerly run by Frank Rupolo, he gifted the stable to his daughter, Nikki, for her 18th birthday. However, Nikki was unable to make it Saturday so Frank was the jubilant celebrator in her place.
“Once I had the lead and nobody was there, it was a matter of what I was going to win by,” Rupolo said about not being concerned with a :21.40 opening quarter-mile. “On the front, nobody’s near him—nobody’s touching him, ever.”
The 5-year-old Bodemeister gelding was claimed for $6,250 in December 2022 and has won eight times since. He was a beaten favorite in the same race last year, giving the connections vindication.
“I’m the claiming king of Gulfstream,” Rupolo said. “I buy cheap, run them, get claimed, keep going. But this horse ended up being better than most so we never put him in for a claim. He ran 1:09 … not bad for a $6,250 claim.”
Rupolo was happy that Claiming Crown races for horses who have started for $8,000 or less offer lifetime conditions. In comparison, the races on the card for higher-dollar claimers require them to have run at that tag over the last two years.
“You’ll see me again,” Rupolo said.
Enjoying Victory Beneath the Spires
Ghostly Gal didn’t have to travel as far for her victory in the $170,834 Tiara, leaving her normal Churchill Downs barn for trainer Wayne Catalano to win the 1 1/16-mile turf race by a head over odds-on favorite Dana’s Beauty in 1:41.73.
A rare homebred on the card who has not left breeder Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, the 6-year-old Ghostzapper mare has been in Catalano’s barn for her last four starts, winning her last three. It was Catalano’s first Claiming Crown victory in 20 years.
“It’s beautiful,” Catalano said of the Claiming Crown being at Churchill Downs. “It’s hard to win. Winning the race is very gratifying.”
Many of the participating owners and trainers were competing at Churchill Downs for the very first time, as was jockey Jorge Gonzalez. He celebrated his first ride with a front-running 14-1 upset victory in the $111,460 Iron Horse Kent Stirling Memorial aboard King of Hollywood .
Jockey Jorge Gonzalez wins his first Churchill Downs ride with King of Hollywood in the Claiming Crown Iron Horse Kent Stirling Memorial
“I am so happy, thank you God for the opportunity,” the Mid-Atlantic-based Gonzalez said. “It’s my dream. Coming here was the dream. To win my first race here, it’s amazing.”
The Estela Garcia-owned and Daniel Siculietano-trained 5-year-old Palace Malice gelding completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.29 while holding off a strong challenge from Freedom Road .
