Claiming Crown
I love the idea of the Claiming Crown. It’s a fantastic event — celebrating the claimers that make up the majority of races, treating cheap horses like stakes horses. Some of the starters are both, such as Lord of the Game, claimed for $10,000 last Janauary and now a grade 2 winner. Only five will start against the Cornhusker victor in the $150,000 Jewel Stakes, where Lord of the Game is easily the best. “When you look down at his record, the only horses who have beaten him were Pollard’s Vision and Badge of Silver,” said trainer Tom Tomillo said in reference to Lord in the Game’s third-place finish in the National Jockey Club Handicap. “He gave Badge of Silver all he wanted (so) I think they’ll have to beat him. He’s tough” (Blood-Horse).
