Keystone Field holds off Intrepid Heart to win Claiming Crown Jewel

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Keystone Field gave trainer Mike Maker a record-extending 21st victory in series history Saturday when holding off favored Intrepid Heart in the marquee race of the Claiming Crown, the $199,875 Jewel, as Churchill Downs hosted the popular event for the first time.

Keystone Field, owned by Three Diamonds Farm, returned $15.78 in giving Maker his second Claiming Crown victory of the day, following Invaluable in the Glass Slipper earlier on the card. Gerardo Corrales was aboard Keystone Field, a 7-year-old Candy Ride gelding, when getting 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.29 over a track that produced slow clockings all day.

“He’d run a big race at Keeneland last out,” said Maker, alluding to Keystone Field coming off an easy score in a $62,500 claiming route last month. “He was originally purchased with this day in mind.”

Keystone Field sat just off the pace in the Jewel before swooping to the front leaving the quarter pole and building just enough of a cushion over the oncoming Intrepid Heart to win by a half-length. Benevengo, the only 3-year-old in a field of nine, faded to third after leading from the opening jumps.

The Jewel, the 10th of 11 races, was run under the Churchill lights and over a main track rendered sloppy by sleet and snow earlier in the day. All three Claiming Crown races carded for the turf had to be transferred to the main track, and high temperatures on a bitterly cold day barely made it out of the 30s.

Combined purses for the eight Claiming Crown races, all run under starter-allowance conditions, totaled more than $1.15 million, a sum that includes bonuses paid to registered Kentucky-breds. Despite horses shipping in from New York, Florida, California, and another half-dozen destinations, all but one of the eight winners were bred in Kentucky, the exception being the Ontario-bred Palace Coup in the Emerald, the series finale.

:: DRF Bets members get FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Join now!

After 25 scratches, the combined number of actual starters was 70, down from 95 entries. Favorites went winless in the first seven races until Palace Coup came through in the Emerald at even-money.

The Claiming Crown, long touted as a mini-Breeders’ Cup for so-called “blue-collar” horses that populate day-to-day race cards throughout North America, was inaugurated in 1999 at Canterbury Park, where the series was a mainstay in its formative years. It had been run the last 10 years in early December at Gulfstream Park. The event is underwritten annually by the national Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders’ Association.

Maker, based primarily in Louisville, began the day with 19 Claiming Crown wins, more than anyone else in any category. Paco Lopez, who on Saturday won with Palace Coup and with Out of Sorts in the Tiara, leads all jockeys with 16 wins.

Here's a recap of the other 2022 Claiming Crown races:

$160,010 Emerald

Palace Coup, drawn into the off-the-turf Emerald as a main-track-only designate, ended the card by turning back all comers in this 1 1/16-mile race. Gunned by Lopez to contest the early pace from his outside post in a field of 10, Palace Coup was challenged on several occasions before drawing away at the furlong grounds and holding sway by two lengths over Big Agenda.

Trained by Joe Sharp for FAS Racing, Palace Coup ($4.14) finished in 1:46.40. The 5-year-old Bernardini gelding was coming off a winning effort in a $50,000 claiming race in September at Churchill.

$138,755 Rapid Transit

The Queens Jules ($19.14) somehow withstood a sustained stretch bid from Divine Leader when holding on to win this seven-furlong race by a nose in 1:25.10, giving a second win in the series to the team of Grit to Glory Racing, trainer Tom Van Berg, and jockey Florent Geroux. The Queens Jules, a 7-year-old gelding by the late Scat Daddy, embodies the spirit of the Claiming Crown with 12 wins and 12 seconds and more than $440,000 in earnings from 59 career starts.

$106,899 Express

Hero Tiger ($10.32), a 6-year-old Hero of Order gelding in from Parx Racing in suburban Philadelphia for owner Gregg O’Donnell and trainer John Kirby, rallied from just off a hot pace under Luis Saez in winning this six-furlong race in 1:11.89. Joyful Heart was along late to be second, 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner, while Beverly Park faded to fourth as the favorite in a field of 11.

$167,150 Tiara

Out of Sorts ($14.08), claimed for $25,000 from her last start at Parx by John Fanelli and trainer Robert Mosco, romped by 10 lengths in this 1 1/16-mile race originally slated for turf. Lopez was merely a passenger as the 4-year-old Dramedy filly finished in 1:47.34 in defeating seven other fillies and mares, with favored Misty Veil up late for second following a sluggish start.

$108,433 Iron Horse

Time for Trouble ($18.08), aggressively ridden by Joe Talamo, wore down the front-running favorite, Bless the Kitten, before striding clear to win this 1 1/16-mile race by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:46.79. Trainer Jeff Hiles co-owns Time for Trouble, a 5-year-old English Channel gelding, in partnership with Thorndale Stable.

$109,850 Glass Slipper

Maker got his first Claiming Crown triumph of the day when Invaluable ($8.18), always on the pace and in a comfortable outside position, drew off in the upper stretch to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths over Maoilin. Invaluable, a 5-year-old Include mare owned by Paradise Farms, finished the one-turn mile in 1:39.84 when giving Saez his first of two wins on the day.

$160,600 Canterbury

Originally slated for turf, the Canterbury led off the series as Race 4 with a field of five, reduced from 11 by scratches. Petit Verdot ($6.42) narrowly got the best of Towing in a prolonged stretch run, winning by a head when finishing 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.52. Geroux was aboard the winner, a 4-year-old Vancouver gelding, for Grit to Glory and Van Berg.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.