Supplemented pair add depth to Claiming Crown Jewel

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The prospective starting lineup for Saturday’s $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel grew by two shortly before entry time Wednesday with both Third Day and Noble Thought supplemented to the race at a cost of $5,000 apiece.

Third Day enters the 1 1/8-mile Jewel sporting a modest two-race winning streak, with trainer Brian Lynch attributing his recent improvement in large part to being gelded earlier this year. Third Day became eligible for the Jewel after dropping in under a $32,000 claiming tag to post a neck victory on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs. He returned just 12 days later to win a high-priced optional-claiming race moved from the turf to the main track.

The Jewel is written for horses who have started for a claiming price of $35,000 or less since Jan. 1, 2018.

“He was cut out to be a nice horse, and it seems like he’s come around again after being gelded,” said Lynch, who has 33 horses stabled at Palm Meadows. “We ran him for $32,000 with the Claiming Crown in the back of our minds, and he got it done. I was just hoping someone didn’t think the same way we did, reach in and claim him, and run him back in the Jewel, just like we are.”

Noble Thought also is coming off an optional-claiming win at Churchill in a race switched from turf to the main track. Trained by Mike Maker, who has won more races than any other trainer in Claiming Crown history, Noble Thought has competed in three graded stakes this season, all on the grass, although he has won 5 of 7 lifetime starts on dirt.

Julien Leparoux will ride Third Day, with Jorge Vargas Jr. named on Noble Thought.

The remainder of the field is Create Again, Victor Lebron to ride; Degrom, Tyler Gaffalione; Ekhtibaar, Kendrick Carmouche; Forest Fire, Paco Lopez; Holiday Bonus, Ricardo Santana Jr.; Leitone, Jose Lezcano; and Aequor, no rider listed at entry time.

The Jewel is the richest of nine Claiming Crown races on Saturday’s card.

◗ Lynch will waste little time getting into graded stakes action here when he sends out Admission Office in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 14. Admission Office was beaten a half-length in all three of his graded stakes appearances this year.

“He’s had a wide trip here, a wide trip there, and been narrowly beaten several times in graded stakes,” said Lynch. “I’m just hoping for a breakthrough this time.”

Lynch also is bullish on his top 2-year-old prospect Sounion, a son of Liam’s Map who captured a maiden special weight event around two turns at Churchill Downs in his last start.

“He’s named after a Greek temple on the coast of Athens,” Lynch explained. “And I’m looking forward to seeing him progress here this winter to hopefully become a Florida Derby-type horse.”