The 6-5 favorite in the eight-horse field, Sing Because returned $4.40 for the win and led a $116.40 exacta completed by 40-1 longshot Halo Kris.Trainer Scott Lake earned two wins on the day, taking the $48,000 Winticket.com Claiming Crown Express Stakes with Leo Gaspari Racing Stable's The Maccabee ($2.60) and the $74,250 Claiming Crown Glass Slipper Stakes with Anthony Centurione's French Teacher. Both of Lake's winners romped in wire-to-wire style, with The Maccabee winning by 9 1/4 lengths over Lord of Time and French Teacher finishing 6 1/2 lengths ahead of second-place Beauty's Due.In other Claiming Crown races, Christopher West and John Mentz's Secret Squall ($22.80) won the $49,500 Vetrap Claiming Crown Iron Horse Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths over Home a Winner; Toby Roth's Sassy Hound proved best in the $99,000 Claiming Crown Rapid Transit Stakes; and John Castro's Al's Dearly Bred edged out Metatonia by a head in the $121,250 Daily Racing Form Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes. (Charts, Equibase)
Richard Englander's Sing Because tracked an honest pace set by Power of Humor and Five Straight, then drew off in the stretch to win Saturday's $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel Stakes at Canterbury Park. Under Jose Valdivia Jr., the 8-year-old gelding completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.74 on a fast track.The win is the 11th in 37 career starts for Sing Because and his fourth from eight starts this year. He earned $82,500 for the win to boost his career earnings to $354,860. The Claiming Crown win, his first in a stakes, marks the third straight win for Sing Because.Sing Because (Seattle Song--Little Hailey, by Blushing Groom) is trained by Nick Canani and was bred in Kentucky by Dr. William Seabaugh & Charles Whittingham.