The 15th Claiming Crown, to be held at Gulfstream for the second consecutive year Saturday, will feature eight races with total purses for the first time of $1 million. The Claiming Crown is designed to recognize and celebrate the sport's most enduring and competitive horses. Entries for the Claiming Crown, highlighted last year when owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Mike Maker won four of the seven races, will be taken Wednesday.
Post time Friday, Saturday and Sunday is 12:40 p.m. Fans buying a seat in Silks, the Fountain Club, Ten Palms or the grandstand Saturday will receive a free Claiming Crown polo shirt.
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have a $50,000 guaranteed pool Friday afternoon. If there is no unique winning ticket on the Rainbow 6 Friday, the $50,000 guarantee will roll over to Saturday.
The Ultimate 8, a 10-cent wager on Saturday's eight Claiming Crown races, will have a guaranteed pool of $100,000.
This year's Claiming Crown will have an additional race, the $110,000 Iron Lady, for fillies and mares. The eight Claiming Crown races, all for 3-year-olds and up who have started for a specific claiming price or less since January 1, 2012, are:
$200,000 Jewel, 1 1/8 miles, $35,000 claiming price
$125,000 Emerald, 1 1/16 miles (turf), $25,000 claiming price
$125,000 Tiara, 1 1/16 miles (turf), fillies and mares, $25,000 claiming price
$110,000 Rapid Transit, 7 furlongs, $16,000 claiming price
$110,000 Glass Slipper, 7 furlongs, fillies and mares, $16,000 claiming price
$110,000 Express, 6 furlongs, $7,500 claiming price
$110,000 Iron Horse, 1 1/16 miles, $7,500 claiming price
$110,000 Iron Lady, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, $7,500 claiming price
The Claiming Crown is a partnership between the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. The Claiming Crown was created to be the claiming horse owner’s Breeders’ Cup; a special racing event created for the “average owner” and featuring some of the most competitive horses in the country. The Claiming Crown has been held annually since 1999.
