Joseph has two good shots to win Claiming Crown Jewel

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mike Maker is widely considered the King of the Claiming Crown, having had more success in the event than any other trainer. But that title could be in jeopardy this season, with his colleague Saffie Joseph Jr. sending out seven Claiming Crown starters Saturday at Gulfstream Park, including likely favorite Girolamo’s Attack in the $125,000 Jewel, the main event.

The 1 1/8-mile Jewel will be the eighth of nine Claiming Crown races on Saturday’s 11-race program, which begins at noon.

Girolamo’s Attack will enter the Claiming Crown in peak form, having won his last two starts, both open handicaps at a mile. Most recently, he defeated Grade 2 winner Fearless here on Nov. 21. Girolamo’s Attack will wheel back on just 13 days’ rest while stretching out around two turns for the first time in his career in the Jewel.

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“This is kind of an experiment with him, to see how he goes around two turns,” said Joseph, who will also send out longshot Twelve Volt Man in the Jewel. “And if he handles it well, as I think he will, it opens up a lot of avenues for him next season.

“He’s definitely a much better horse going longer. The added distance has definitely been a key factor in his improvement of late, and he handled a mile and one-sixteenth going one turn well last fall at Belmont Park when finishing third despite getting bottled up inside.”

Twelve Volt Man has won three of six lifetime starts, including a starter allowance race on Oct. 14 here when racing under the optional $35,000 price tag, which made him eligible for the Jewel. Twelve Volt Man came from near the back of the pack to finish fourth in the Showing Up going a mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta here a month ago.

“We put him in for the $35,000 off two bad races with this race in the back of our mind,” Joseph said. “He’s never been two turns, either, on dirt, but he handled that well on Tapeta in his last start, and if he gets the right tempo I think he can be close at the end.”

Joseph said he’s excited at the prospect of competing once again on Claiming Crown Day.

“This is like the Breeders’ Cup for claimers,” said Joseph. “Claiming horses is how we made a name for ourselves and I’m looking forward to Saturday. We have a lot of good opportunities, but obviously all these races are very competitive, very tough.”

The Joseph duo will face eight rivals in the Jewel, among them Glory of Florida, who finished second, beaten less than a length by Girolamo’s Attack, when the pair met at a mile on Oct. 23. Tune In has won the last four times he faced starter allowance competition and is 5 for 8 lifetime over the local strip.

Strike Appeal, who shipped in from Ohio, and Hanalei’s Houdini, a Kentucky shipper, also demand respect.

Strike Appeal has won three in a row and five of his last six starts, all at Thistledown, where he was claimed for $25,000 out of a 10 1/4-length victory on Sept. 13 by trainer Odin Londono Jr.

Hanalei’s Houdini was also haltered recently with the Jewel in mind, taken by Maker for $50,000 out of a fifth-place finish at Keeneland on Oct. 16.

Ludington, second behind Tune In three weeks ago and another horse for the course, is well drawn on the rail and helps fill out the field, along with Hard Lighting, Braccio Di Ferro, and Mo Hawk.