Money Supply caps Claiming Crown with Jewel victory

Money Supply won the $200,000 Jewel to cap a soggy Claiming Crown on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Money Supply was the second winner in a row Saturday for trainer Joe Sharp, who had just captured the $150,000 Emerald with Runway Magic.

All turf contests, including the Emerald and two other Claiming Crown races, were moved to the main track, and so much rain fell early Saturday in New Orleans that Fair Grounds cancelled the card’s first two races and began the program with Race 3, the $75,000 Ready’s Rocket, the first of the Claiming Crown contests.

A six-furlong sprint for horses that had started for a claiming price of $8,000 or less, the Ready’s Rocket was dominated by Caramel Chip, who won for the seventh time in 14 races during 2023. Claimed by Bianco Stables for $8,000 on Jan. 8 at Gulfstream, Caramel Chip hasn’t since been entered for a claiming tag, and he proved tons the best Saturday, stalking the pace under a confident Florent Geroux and crossing the finish 3 1/2 lengths better than runner-up Beverly Park. Jose D’Angelo trains Caramel Chip, a 5-year-old son of Midshipman who clocked 1:10.28 over the sloppy, sealed surface and paid $6.60.

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Sharp’s two winners were more recent claims. Jordan Wykoff claimed Money Supply for $35,000 this past summer at Saratoga. The Jewel, like all the Claiming Crown races, is run under starter allowance conditions and is open to horses who have run for a claiming price of $35,000 or less. Money Supply on Saturday was coming off a rich first-level allowance victory at Churchill Downs, but it was after his prior start, a win in a $50,000 starter allowance with conditions, that the Jewel became a target.

“After he won the starter, Jordan and I had the epiphany that he was eligible for this race,” Sharp said.

Money Supply got shuffled back to second to last going into the first of the Jewel’s two turns and still had no more than one horse behind him at the quarter pole. But most everything has been going right early this Fair Grounds meet for jockey Jareth Loveberry, who found two gaps for Money Supply and had plenty of horse to hit them. Money Supply split two rivals in the final furlong on the way to a 1 3/4-length win. Luigi’s Spirit was second by a neck over Frosted Grace. A 4-year-old son of Practical Joke, Money Supply ($7.60 as the favorite) was timed in 1:52.05 for 1 1/8 miles over the sloppy, sealed surface.

Runway Magic kept things simpler in the Emerald, racing about four paths off the fence while stalking the leader, Tatanka, through a moderate pace. Runway Magic took over before the quarter pole and held firm for a 1 1/2-length score despite drifting seven- or eight-wide to the wire. He clocked 1:44.71 for 1 1/16 miles and paid $12.70. Sharp and Baron Racing Stables claimed Runway Magic for $20,000 on Oct. 28 at Delta Downs. The horse, by Runhappy, already was eligible for this $25,000 starter and benefitted from the surface switch, since Runway Magic had finished unplaced in his lone turf start.

Mischievous Rogue would have been favored had the $150,000 Canterbury Tom Metzen remained a 5 1/2-furlong turf race as carded, and the gelding had no trouble getting up over the sloppy main track, either. Settling in seventh under Luan Machado, Mischievous Rogue stormed down the center of the long Fair Grounds homestretch and swept to a 3 1/2-length win. He was timed in 1:04.20 and paid $5.40 as the favorite. William Cowans trains Mischievous Rogue, a son of Into Mischief, for the Southern Comfort Stable. The gelding never has been claimed and got eligible to this $25,000 starter when he ran for a $20,000 claiming price in November 2022.

Time for Trouble won the $100,000 Iron Horse for the second straight year when he got up by a head over Proverb. Confidently handled by James Graham, Time for Trouble rallied from 10th and appeared at the eighth pole to be on his way to a clear victory, but Proverb battled back to get within a head of the winner. Favored, Time for Trouble paid $4.20 while running 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.17. The Iron Horse is an $8,000 starter, and that was the price for which trainer and co-owner Jeff Hiles and Thorndale Racing claimed Time for Trouble in June 2021. The 6-year-old son of English Channel has not raced for a claiming tag since and has earned well over $300,000 for current connections.

Time for Trouble was claimed from trainer Mike Maker, who has won plenty of his own Claiming Crown races, including the $150,000 Tiara on Saturday with Anatolian. One of two Claiming Crown winners Saturday for jockey James Graham, Anatolian came from last of seven to notch a 2 1/2-length victory over Enchanted Nile in a 1 1/16-mile race originally carded for turf. Also owned by Wycoff, Anatolian, a 4-year-old by Not This Time, was claimed for $35,000 out of her career debut in February 2022. She became eligible to this $25,000 starter when she won a $16,000 maiden-claimer in May 2022 and hasn’t raced for a tag since. Anatolian ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.11 and paid $5 as the favorite.

Xylophone ($8.80 as the tepid favorite) was 3 3/4 lengths best under Mitchell Murrill in the $100,000 Glass Slipper. Joseph Longtin claimed Xylophone for $12,500 in February, the lone race that made the filly eligible to this $12,500 starter. Xylophone, by Tonalist, ran a two-turn mile in 1:39.02.

And finally, Richiesonaroll and jockey Emmanual Giles got up by a neck over Startfromdabottom in the $100,000 Rapid Transit, a $16,000 starter allowance. Richiesonaroll, an Illinois-bred by Gone Astray, was claimed for $12,500 in June by owner-trainer Jose Rodriguez. The 3-year-old gelding ran six furlongs in 1:10.64 and paid $33.60.

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