Canterbury Park will host this year’s Claiming Crown on July 24. The Claiming Crown, which was patterned after the Breeders’ Cup, was designed to reward claiming level horses. It will offer six races at varying distances on dirt and turf with a total of $500,000 in purses.
This year will mark the 12th renewal of the Claiming Crown, and the 10th time Canterbury has hosted the event. They also hosted the inaugural running in 1999.
"Claiming Crown has always attracted top trainers, jockeys, and claiming horses from throughout the country," said Randy Sampson, president and general manager of Canterbury. "In 2009 we saw the winningest rider in this sport’s history, Russell Baze, win two races and the 2009 Eclipse Award-winning jockey, Julien Leparoux, win one. The competitiveness and ability of many of the Claiming Crown horses was emphasized when Furthest Land, fourth in the 2009 Claiming Crown Jewel, went on to win the $1,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I).”
Like in 2009, to be eligible to participate a horse must have started for or below a specific claiming price since Jan 1., 2009. The races will again have purses ranging from $50,000 to $150,000, and the claiming levels will range from $7,500 to $35,000.
The six races are as follows:
--Iron Horse: $50,000 for 3-year-olds and up, starters for $7,500 or below, 1 1/16 miles.
--Express: $50,000 for 3-year-olds and up, starters for $7,500 or below, six furlongs.
--Glass Slipper: $75,000 for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, starters for $16,000 or below, six furlongs.
--Rapid Transit: $75,000 for 3-year-olds and up, starters for $16,000 or below, six furlongs.
--Emerald: $100,000 for 3-year-olds and up, starters for $25,000 or below, 1 1/16 miles on turf.
--Jewel: 150,000 for 3-year-olds and up, starters for $35,000 or below, 1 1/8 miles.