A total of 95 of some of the nation's top claiming-level horses, including seven also-eligible entries, have been entered in Saturday's 24th annual Claiming Crown Championship Series, which will be staged beneath Churchill Downs' historic Twin Spires in Louisville, Ky. for the first time.
The Claiming Crown features lucrative prize money for horse racing's blue-collar athletes as they compete for $1.05 million in purses over eight races with starter allowance conditions. The event will bring together claiming-level horses from around the country as horses based in 11 different states are represented: Kentucky, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
The first of 11 races Saturday is 1 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Claiming Crown will cover Races 4-11 starting at 2:30 p.m. Racing from Churchill Downs is scheduled to be televised on FS2's “America's Day at the Races” from 2-6 p.m.
Magic Cap Stables' Twelve Volt Man will defend his title against a field of 10 colts and geldings that were entered in Saturday's $175,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at Churchill Downs. The featured Jewel will go as Race 10 of 11 at 5:35 p.m.
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Twelve Volt Man has competed for the majority of his 10-race career in South Florida with the exception of a third-place finish in the $100,000 Jazil Stakes at Aqueduct in New York. The 4-year-old gelded son of Violence started for a $35,000 claiming tag on Oct. 14, 2021 to become eligible for the Claiming Crown.
In last year's Jewel at Gulfstream Park, Twelve Volt Man finished three-quarters of a length in front of Hanalei's Houdini to spring the 10-1 upset victory under jockey Edwin Gonzalez. Saturday's Jewel will be the first start for Twelve Volt Man since winning a starter handicap at Gulfstream Park on Aug. 28. Gonzalez will be in town to ride and the duo will break from post No. 9.
One of the top local hopes in the Jewel is multiple stakes-placed Intrepid Heart. Owned by Jack Wagon Stables and trained by Joe Sharp, Intrepid Heart finished a hard-fought second to stablemate Twilight Blue in the $200,000 Fort Larned on Aug. 13 at Churchill Downs. The former $25,000 claim sports an overall record of 27-8-7-4 with earnings of $520,382. Since Sharp claimed Intrepid Heart on Sept. 24, 2021, the 6-year-old gelded son of Tapit has only finished off the board once and hasn't finished worse than second in his last seven starts. Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount on Intrepid Heart and break from post 5.
Among the other competition entered in the Jewel is Happy Got Lucky Stable's $153,000 Maryland Millions Day Classic winner Ournationonparade. Trained by Parx-based conditioner Jamie Ness, Ournationonparade was claimed off Chris Hartman for $50,000 on Sept. 28 and went on to win the Maryland Millions Classic by 5 ¾ lengths as the 2-1 favorite. Jockey Paco Lopez will be in the irons from post 10.
Here's the complete field for the Claiming Crown Jewel from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Benevengo (Luis Saez, Jesus Cruz);
- Frosted Grace (Chris Landeros, Robertino Diodoro);
- Calibrator (Edgard Zayas, Saffie Joseph Jr.);
- Keystone Field (Gerardo Corrales, Mike Maker);
- Intrepid Heart (Gaffalione, Sharp);
- Digital (Corey Lanerie, Rick Hiles);
- Tiz Rye Time (Rafael Bejarano, Tom Van Berg);
- Decision Maker (Florent Geroux, Tom Van Berg);
- Twelve Volt Man (Gonzalez, Joseph); and
- Ournationonparade (Paco Lopez, Jamie Ness).
Paradise Farms Corp.'s recent allowance winner Onenightstandards leads an oversubscribed field of 16 colts and geldings entered in Saturday's $150,000 Claiming Crown Emerald at Churchill Downs.
Run at 1 1/16 miles on turf, the Emerald will go as the finale on the 11-race card with a post time of 6:05 p.m. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.
Trained by Mike Maker, Onenightstandards won a one-mile allowance event two starts ago at Kentucky Downs. The 4-year-old son of Archarcharch was claimed for $80,000 last September but became eligible for the Emerald after starting for a $20,000 claiming tag on April 7, 2021 at Keeneland. Overall, Onenightstandards has won three of 13 career starts with purse earnings of $173,762. In his last start, Onenightstandards finished third in a 1 ½-mile allowance event at Keeneland. Onenightstandards will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post No. 4.
Here's the complete field for the Emerald from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Red Flag Alert (Fernando, De La Cruz, Cheryl Winebaugh);
- Rogue Element (Corey Lanerie, Jeff Hiles);
- Driftwood (Rafael Bejarano, Matt Kordenbrock);
- Onenightstandards (Gaffalione, Maker);
- Underdressed (Edgar Morales, Rey Hernandez);
- Bear Oak (Rogelio Miranda, Ismael Bahena);
- Samui Sunset (Jean Alvelo, Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon);
- Major Wager (Santo Sanjur, Anna Meah);
- Big Agenda (Luis Saez, Joe Sharp);
- Carom (Martin Garcia, Eddie Kenneally);
- Freedom Matters (Edgard Zayas, Saffie Joseph Jr.); and
- Markitoff (Adam Beschizza, John Ennis).
Also Eligible: On a Spree (Beschizza, Juan Cano); Max K.O. (Edwin Gonzalez, Joseph); and Shady McGee (IRE) (Gerardo Corrales, Maker).
Main Track Only: Palace Coup (Gaffalione, Joe Sharp).
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