Claiming Crown

The Claiming Crown, inaugurated in 1999, is a series of once seven but now eight races run under starter allowance conditions, with purses usually ranging from $50,000 to $200,000. Drew Couto, former president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and Scott Savin, formerly with the National HBPA, together launched this event. It will have its 18th running in 2016.

It is seen as a "blue collar” Breeders' Cup series for claiming horses. Any claiming horse owner can participate subject to stipulated conditions.

The Claiming Crown, held under the auspices of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the TOBA (Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association), has for much of its existence been run at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. The track last held the event in 2008. In 2002, the Claiming Crown was held at Philadelphia Park Racetrack. In 2007, it took place at Ellis Park Racecourse in Henderson, Kentucky.

The Claiming Crown returned to Canterbury Park on August 2, 2008 with new conditions meant to entice more horses to participate. Until 2007, the cut-off for which a horse needed to have run for a certain claiming price to qualify was almost a year in advance of the Claiming Crown series. In 2008, the conditions for entry were similar to those of starter allowance races held at most tracks around the country.

In 2008, the 10th running of the Claiming Crown, the races were for horses that have started for $7,500 to $35,000 in 2007 and 2008. The new conditions shortened the cut-off for eligibility by almost seven months.

Since its inception, the Claiming Crown has been Canterbury Park’s biggest day of racing. At Ellis Park, it set a record for total handle.

On December 3, 2011, the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana hosted the 13th running of the Claiming Crown.

For its 14th running on December 1, 2012, the Claiming Crown was held at Gulfstream Park. To honor these horses, which the industry calls the "backbone of racing", Gulfstream raised the purses of each event to a total of $850,000. The "Crown" took place on Gulfstream's Opening Day. In addition to the six Claiming Crown races conducted at the 2011 event, the Tiara for fillies and mares on the turf returned this year.

Gulfstream Park hosted the Claiming Crown for 2013 and will do so for the next two years (2014 and 2015). The track has raised the total of the purses to $1,000,000 and expanded the number of races to eight. The added race is for fillies and mares run at 1 1/16th miles for a purse of $110,000.

In late March, 2016, Gulfstream announced it will continue to host the increasingly popular racing series until 2018.

Aside from 2014's record number of entries, there have been two changes made to 2014's Claiming Crown. The Iron Lady was replaced by the $110,000 Canterbury. The Canterbury, named for the track that originated the Claiming Crown, is a five-furlong turf sprint for horses entered to be claimed for $25,000 or less since Jan. 1, 2013. The $110,000 Glass Slipper for females three-years-old and up, once a seven furlong event, is now a one-turn mile for horses entered to be claimed for $12,500 rather than $16,000.

The popularity of the Claiming Crown increases each year. In 2014 Gulfstream Park's handle during Claiming Crown Day was up 36% on-track and 13.1% overall over last year's event. In total, $10.06 million was wagered compared to $8.8 million in 2013.