Plenty of back class in Claiming Crown Emerald, Tiara

Stakes races dot the past performances of the horses in the Claiming Crown Emerald and its twin sister, the Claiming Crown Tiara. That fact runs counter to the “blue collar” theme popularly assigned to the series, but there’s no apparent rush to sue for false advertising.

Indeed, a welcomed undercurrent of class will become apparent as horseplayers comb through the Emerald and Tiara, which in some respects have evolved into the Claiming Crown equivalents of the Turf and Filly and Mare Turf on the far more renowned Breeders’ Cup model.

The Emerald drew such stakes performers as Black Tide, a last-out winner of the Mohawk at Belmont Park, and Special Ops, a winner of the West Virginia Speaker’s Cup Aug. 5 at Mountaineer Park. Fillies and mares in the Tiara include Starship Jubilee, a dead-heat winner of the Grade 2 Dance Smartly; Dynatail, the winner of the $200,000 Penn Oaks in June; and Martini Glass, a two-time runner-up in Grade 1 races this year.

Both the Emerald and Tiara are $125,000 races set for 1 1/16 miles on Saturday on the Gulfstream Park turf, with each restricted to horses who have raced for a claiming tag of $25,000 or less since Jan. 1, 2016.

:: Get extended Cyber Monday discounts on PPs, digital subscriptions, and more!

Emerald (race 10, 4:30 p.m. Eastern)

Black Tide, a New York-bred trained by David Cannizzo, has become semi-famous on his home circuit of New York for rushing out to huge leads in the style of Presious Passion, then trying to hold on for dear life. There’s little reason to think a similar strategy won’t be employed here by jockey Jose Lezcano, especially with only two other obvious speed types – D’craziness and Eminent Force – entered against him.

Given that likely scenario, the question is whether Black Tide will slow down to the point that any others in this oversubscribed field can catch him before the wire. Special Ops, trained by Mike Maker for the Skychai Racing of Harvey Diamond and Jim Shircliff, is foremost among those capable of such a rally. The 6-year-old Big Brown gelding exits a fifth-place finish in a rugged Keeneland allowance and a win in a key Claiming Crown prep at Kentucky Downs.

Other possibilities include Spring Up, a close second to Special Ops at Kentucky Downs; Zambian and Bingo Kitten, both two-back allowance winners at Churchill Downs; Cammack, a winner in 11 of 30 career starts; and Sinatra, entering on a four-race win streak for the ever-dangerous Jorge Navarro.

Tiara (race 9, 4 p.m.)

How the early pace unfolds doesn’t seem as easy to predict among this field of 12 fillies and mares, although Judy’s Chance, Vendita, Flattermefabulous, and Gianna’s Dream all have the early foot to make or force the running.

After they settle into position, with Dynatail and jockey Daniel Centeno likely to assume a stalking spot from her inside post, answers will be given to some difficult questions, such as: Is Dynatail still as good as she was when she won at Penn National for Mike Dini? Can Martini Glass fare as well on turf as she has on dirt, where she was second for Keith Nations in the Grade 1 Spinster and Grade 1 Delaware Handicap? Does Quebec have another left-field run like she flashed in dominating last month in the Gulfstream West prep for this? And can possible favorite Starship Jubilee further improve on her 6-for-10 record over the Gulfstream turf after taking her game to new heights this summer in Canada?