Keystone School sweep over the original leaders Benevengo and Frosted Grace leave the last turn and resolutely return a late fee by favorite 2-1 Brave heart Nov 12 to Win $199,875 Claim the Jewel Crown at Churchill Downs.
The most lucrative of the eight subsidized races that started on Saturday cards for the nation’s top claimants, the 1/8 Mile Gem for 3 and up kids raced for a love price. demand $35,000 or less in 2021-22 . It made headlines the 24th Annual Crowning Championship Series, held for the first time at Churchill Downs.
Inaugurated in 1999 at Canterbury Park in Minnesota, the Crown of Claims has been held for the past decade at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. In its Louisville debut, the Crown claims to have attracted blue-collar horses from all over the country.
Keystone Field, who won half the length, stopped the clock at 1:53.29 on a main dirt track that was rated “sloppy” after more than an inch of early morning rain in the Louisville area , including snowfall as temperatures drop. in the mid 30’s.
“We knew when it appeared sloppy that a Candy Ride son should have great surface handling,” said Blue Diamonds Farm owner Kirk Wycoff.
Gerardo Corrales took the win for coach Mike Maker, who claimed his second Claiming Crown win of the day and clinched a record-long 22nd win in the championship series. Prior to that, Maker won $109,850 Glass Slippers with Paradise Farms Corp. Priceless piloted by Luis Saez.
“We know this horse is in good grass form but we think we can improve it when we put it on the court,” Maker said. “He had a great ride today and handled the sloppy track very well.”
Keystone Field connections enjoy title presentation for Claiming Crown Jewel
Keystone Field earned $113,000 for the win and improved his record to 6-2-3 from 21 starts, with earnings of $391,529. He paid $15.78 for a $2 winning ticket at 6-1 odds.
Wycoff said: “When I bet he was 10-1 and pretty much supported after that. “I left (Keeneland’s November Livestock Sale) a few hours ago and it was a great sale, but winning the races is better….”
Intrepid Heart completed the 7 1/4 long before Benevengo, who completed the trilogy.
Keystone Field qualifies for Gems for winning the race on January 7 at Santa Anita . Park while running with a $25,000 card. Formerly owned by Perry R. Bass II and Ramona S. Bass and trained by Richard Mandella, he was privately purchased after finishing fourth with a $25,000 startup grant on March 19 and arrived in Kentucky. This marks his third win in five starts since buying.
Wycoff said: “I am delighted to see the Crown of Claims come to Churchill. “We actually bought this horse from California to run it back on the ground. That’s usually not what we do, it’s usually the other way around (from dirt to grass).”
Keystone Field is a 7-year-old son of Candy Ride out of the mare In Excess She is an Eleven, and was bred in Kentucky by CRK Stables. He sold for $525,000 to agent Steve Young from Paramount Sales to 2016 Keeneland Sales September 2016, and made 15 starts for the Bass family before he was taken by Wycoff. Okay.
She’s an Eleven has generated six winners from seven starters, with her last reported horse dropping in 2017. Her most notable performer was the 2014 winner. Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) Candy Boy, who made $1.2 million.
Big day for Van Berg, Lopez, Saez
Also on the Claiming Crown card, coach Tom Van Berg and jockey Florent Geroux teamed up to win the second Claiming Crown race of the day when The Queens Jules determined to rush back from the inner rail to hang the nose Divine leader in $138,755 Fast Transit. Earlier, Petit Verdot won $160,600 Tom Metzen Memorial. Both horses are owned by Van Berg partner Grit to Glory Racing. Van Berg also guarantees the winner of the first race, an event that requires $8,000, with Justin’s Quest for three wins of the day.
Paco Lopez rode the two winners to extend his crowning record to 16. He won $167,150 aboard the Tiara Unusual for owner John Fanelli and coach Bobby Mosco, and ended the show with a win on board FAS Racing (Adis Smajlovic) of Palace Coup in $160,010 Emerald for trainer Joe Sharp, who also trains Intrepid Heart.
Out of Sorts was one of only two horses shipped from Pennsylvania’s Racing Parx to win the Claim the Crown event. The other is from Gregg O’Donnell Tiger hero ($10.32) in $106,899 Ready’s Rocket Express for trainer John Kirby and second Claiming Crown win of the day for Saez.
All other Claiming Crown winners are based in Kentucky, including Jeff A. Hiles and Thorndale Stable’s It’s time to get into trouble who won the Kent Stirling Iron Horse Memorial worth $108,433 for Hiles and jockey Joe Talamo.
The Canterbury Tom Metzen, Tiara and Emerald Memorial has been turned from lawn to dirt because of snowfall.
This press release has been edited and styled by the BloodHorse Staff.
