Claiming Crown by the numbers (and they’re great!)
BY THE NUMBERS: 26TH CLAIMING CROWN AT CHURCHILL DOWNS
By Churchill Downs publicist Kevin Kerstein (Photo of Juan Cano, one of 83 trainers with horses entered in the Claiming Crown. He’s shown aboard Global Sensation, one of his four entries and the 2-1 favorite in the $125,000 Rapid Transit)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024) – Churchill Downs will host the 26thClaiming Crown on Saturday, showcasing eight supercharged starter allowance races worth a combined $1.1 million in purses. First post for the 11-race card is 1 p.m. and the Claiming Crown will be staged from Races 4-11 beginning at 2:28 p.m.
Here’s a closer look at the day’s highlights:
· Average Field Size: The eight Claiming Crown races feature an average of 11.8 horses in the body of each race, plus an additional 24 horses entered as also-eligibles.
- Diverse Competition: Horses in these races last competed at 30 different tracks across North America: Aqueduct, Arapahoe Park, Belterra, Canterbury, Century Downs, Churchill Downs, Colonial Downs, Delaware Park, Delta Downs, Ellis Park, FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing, Finger Lakes, Gulfstream Park, Hawthorne, Horseshoe Indianapolis, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Laurel Park, Mahoning Valley Race Course, Meadowlands, Monmouth, Mountaineer, Parx, Presque Isle Downs, Remington Park, Santa Anita, Saratoga, Thistledown and Woodbine.
· Winningest Horse on the Card: North America’s winningest horse of 2024, Tennessee Moon, ships from Arapahoe to Churchill Downs, aiming for her 12thvictory this year in the Glass Slipper.
· High Earners in the Field: Seven horses entered have each earned more than $500,000 in career purses:
o Bizzee Channel – $549,376
o Dana’s Beauty – $633,033
o Kentucky Ghost – $614,900
o Mid Day Image – $501,994
o Money Supply – $734,681
o Stage Left – $767,627
o Sugoi – $646,018
· Experienced Runners: Horses in the Claiming Crown have averaged 26 lifetime starts. The most among them, Gins and Tins, entered as an also-eligible in the Canterbury Tom Metzen Memorial, has made an impressive 63 starts.
- A Field of Talent: A total of 83 trainers have entered horses in the Claiming Crown this year.
- New Jockeys: Eleven jockeys who are named on horses in the Claiming Crown have not raced at Churchill Downs this year: E. T. Baird, Julio Felix, Jorge Gonzalez, Dexter Haddock, Albin Jiminez, Francisco Martinez, Kevin Roman, Alexandra Sherman, Lindey Wade, Bailey Weatherly and Andrew Wolfsont.
Fans can watch and wager on all the action at Churchill Downs on TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
DOWN THE STRETCH – Live racing resumed Thursday at Churchill Downs for a nine-race card that had a first post of 1 p.m. The main track was listed as “sloppy” following steady rain Wednesday night. The lone turf race was moved to the main track. There was a $22,117 carryover in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot in Races 4-9. … Trainer Dallas Stewart began Thursday one win away from 1,000-career victories. He had four entries spanning Races 5, 7 and 8. … For more information about the Fall Meet, visitwww.churchilldowns.com.
