A total of 90 horses spread over eight races were entered for the 25th Claiming Crown, to be held for the first time since 2011 at New Orleans’ Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Dec. 2.
Trainer Mike Maker—whose all-time record 21 Claiming Crown victories includes two last year at Churchill Downs— and Robertino Diodoro lead the way with seven entries apiece. For Maker, that includes four in the 12-horse $150,000 Claiming Crown Emerald at 1 1/16 miles on turf, headed by United Nations Stakes (G1T) winner Therapist . Diodoro’s trio in the $200,000, 1 1/8-mile Jewel’s field of nine includes Lone Star Park‘s Steve Sexton Mile (G3) winner Frosted Grace .
Saturday’s eight Claiming Crown races all are for horses 3 years old and up, with two of those restricted to fillies and mares. Headlining the card is the Jewel for horses that have started for a claiming price of $35,000 or less in 2022-23. Three other races—all on turf—offer a $150,000 purse and have a $25,000 claiming requirement. Those races are the Emerald; its filly and mare counterpart, the Tiara; and the Canterbury Tom Metzen Memorial at 5 1/2 furlongs.
The other Claiming Crown races are the $100,000 Rapid Transit ($16,000 claiming requirement) at six furlongs; $100,000 Glass Slipper ($12,500 claiming requirement) at a mile for fillies and mares; $75,000 Iron Horse Kent Stirling Memorial ($8,000 claiming requirement) at 1 1/16 miles, and $75,000 Ready’s Rocket Express ($8,000 claiming requirement) at six furlongs. Each race has another $25,000 available in purses for accredited Louisiana-breds.
“We’re thrilled with the response to the first Claiming Crown in New Orleans in 12 years,” said National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback. “The Kentucky horsemen really hit the entry box. There’s good representation from all over the Midwest, Louisiana, the Mid-Atlantic, and Florida. These races offer full fields and promise to be entertaining and provide challenging handicapping. One thing’s for sure: Win or lose, everyone will eat well down there in the Big Easy. Without question, this would not have been possible without the support of the Louisiana HBPA.”
The New York-bred Therapist was an eight-time stakes-winner heading into 2022, when he was dropped into claiming races for the first time, being claimed for $80,000 and then for $25,000. That race made Therapist eligible for the Claiming Crown. Out-shook for Therapist for $25,000, owner Michael Dubb and Maker succeeded in landing the gelding for $50,000 in his next start. Two races later he won the Pan American Stakes (G2T) as Plan B after a starter-allowance race didn’t get enough entries to be used. Three races after that Therapist won the United Nations at age 8.
The late-running Therapist is a horse who needs a certain set-up that didn’t happen in his last two starts: eighth in the Kentucky Turf Cup (G2T) and seventh in the Sycamore Stakes (G3T).
“He’s a horse who prefers firm going and he needs a (fast) pace, and he didn’t get either in his last two starts,” Maker said.
While shortening up from 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/16 miles, Therapist also gets a class break, with Maker adding with a grin: “He should be the only grade 1 winner in there.”
Beverly Park wins a 2022 starter allowance at Churchill Downs
Among the entries, Norm Cash’s 6-year-old Beverly Park is back for another go at the $75,000 Ready’s Rocket Express. A 29-time career winner, Beverly Park prevailed in 15 of his 30 starts last year but finished fourth as the heavy favorite in last year’s Claiming Crown. This year he’s won four races out of “only” 15 starts. But the year is young. After last year’s Claiming Crown defeat, Beverly Park ran another four times before New Year’s, with three wins and a second.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
