Claiming Crown To Be Run At Churchill Downs On November 15

Concrete Glory was a winner last year in one of the Claiming Crown races and is looking for another big performance this year at Churchill Downs

Gwen Davis/Davis Innovation

On Saturday, November 15, Churchill Downs will feature the 27^th running of the Claiming Crown. An event the provides “the little guy” an opportunity to be king for a day in this royal sport, this year’s Crown will be fittingly conducted at the grandest of venues in the Thoroughbred game.

For those not familiar with the sport, a definition of the Claiming Crown is needed. Back in 1999, the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association got together and established The Claiming Crown. Comprised of eight races, this event has been dubbed “the Blue Collar Breeders’ Cup” as it is designed to provide a bigger stage for the everyday hard-knocking horses that are the back-bone of the sport. Originally run at Canterbury Park in Minnesota, the Crown has traveled to different parts of the country and for the third time in four years will be contested at Churchill.

To better understand the Claiming Crown, let us expound on the nature of the event. Every Thoroughbred race has conditions that define it. It may read “for three-year-olds and up that have not won two races this year or started for a claiming price of less than $50,000”. These conditions are established for every race as that levels the competition and puts runners together to make things competitive. For those “claiming races”, that is an event in which a horse is entered and before it is run, people have an opportunity to “claim” the horse for the specified “claiming price”. If a claim is filed, after the race is run the horse you claimed becomes yours for the agreed upon claim price as long as the runner is sound physically.

This horse-trading aspect is one of the things that keeps the game going. Most all racing cards at every track feature different forms of claiming races. Running horses for “a tag” is quite common and is in fact an integral part of the sport. With different monetary levels, the claim game offers opportunities for owners, trainers, and athletes to get into and or stay in the game.

“The claiming races are what’s reality for most people in horse racing”, says trainer Ton Van Berg. “Most people don’t deal with the $2.2 million weanlings or have $5.6 million brood mares. It’s just not feasible for most people.”

The Claiming Crown is designed to reward some of the lower-level players in the game. For instance, race 6 on Saturday offers a $100,000 purse and is restricted to three-year-olds and upward that have started for a claiming price of $8,000 or less in their lifetime. Horses that are featured for that low of a price will normally not run in a race worth six figures, except at the Claiming Crown.

“For claiming people doing what we are doing, this is a big deal for us”, says Jeff Hiles, trainer and co-owner of Time For Trouble, who will be starting in race 6 and will be looking for a record-setting third win in a Claiming Crown race. “It gives the small guy that claims a horse for $8000, and the horse gets good, a chance to have the shine on them for a little bit. Most people don’t have the clientele to buy high-end yearlings so they go out and look for a horse like Time For Trouble with hopes that a change of scenery will do them good.”

As is the case with any athlete, some times that change can be very beneficial. All athletes, whether it be a baseball, football, basketball, tennis, or a Thoroughbred can find that light switch that illuminates the bulb of brilliance. Sometimes it is just finding the right location to do it.

The money for the horsemen is outstanding at the Claiming Crown, but another great thing it offers is wagering opportunities. Full fields are expected with three of the races featuring fourteen entrants. For the speculating public, more horses in the starting gates usually equals nice payouts as the pools are bigger and the odds are evenly spread with no overwhelming favorites. Given the opportunity before them, horses are traveling from all across the country for their shot at a bigger piece of the action. That means anything can happen in the race and those that guess correctly can receive a nice return on the wagering investment.

First post at Churchill Downs on November 15 will be at 1 pm eastern. The Claiming Crown races will begin in race 4 and run through race 11. Race 4 has an expected post time of 2:28pm eastern. Because this year’s Claiming Crown will be run in Kentucky, registered Kentucky-bred horses will run for more money as the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund will provide an additional $130,000 in purse money. The per race supplements will range between $10,000 and $25,000.