Headache Takes TVG Claiming Crown Jewel to Cap Perfect Day for Trainer Michael Maker and Owners Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey
July 24, 2010 - Shakopee, MN - Trainer Michael Maker and owners Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey shipped two horses to the Claiming Crown from their Churchill Downs home base, and they will leave Minnesota with two impressive victories. Just a half-hour after Inca King captured the Claiming Crown Emerald, Headache won the day’s featured event, the $150,000 TVG Claiming Crown Jewel before a crowd of 11,473.
Under Eclipse Award-winning rider Julien Leparoux, Headache settled at the rear of the pack as the field of six made their way down the backstretch through moderate fractions of :24.19 for the quarter and :48.06 for the half. Leparoux was then forced to take the overland route, but still had enough horse to run down pacesetter Smarten Destiny by a neck at the wire. Strike Impact finished third, a length behind Smarten Destiny. The 7-5 race favorite Racing Bran tired to fifth after stalking the early pace.
“He’s the kind of horse you have to wait with and then go, and that’s what he did today, said Leparoux. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Sent off as the 9-5 second choice, Headache came into the Jewel off seven consecutive losing efforts at the nonwinners-of-two-other-than allowance level at Gulfstream Park, Keeneland and Churchill Downs.
“I love this horse,” said Kenneth Ramsey, “but he had given me plenty of headaches running second, second, second so many times. Today Julien got him home, though.”
The two training wins for trainer Michael Maker gave him seven Claiming Crown wins for his career—all since 2007. Maker is now just one win behind Scott Lake in the all-time Claiming Crown trainer standings.
Headache paid $5.60 to win, $3.60 to place and $3.60 to show. Smarten Destiny, a 13-1 proposition, paid $8.80 to place and $10.20 to show. Strike Impact returned $7.20 to show. Heavy show betting on the favored Racing Bran accounted for the odd show prices. Final time for the mile-and-one-eighth was 1:50.11.
In the day’s other top events:
$50,000 Pepsi Claiming Crown Iron Horse
Roaring Home got the Claiming Crown off to a rousing beginning with a wire-to-wire, 3/4-length score in the Pepsi Iron Horse for owner Maggi Moss and trainer Chris Richard.
“We were able to make the lead, set an easy pace, and in the stretch, I still had a lot of horse,” said winning rider Daniel Centeno, who picked up the mount only after rider Chris Emigh was unable to make his travel connections to Minneapolis from Chicago.
The 7-year-old, claimed for $12,000 out of his last start on July 2 at Prairie Meadows, is now 10-for-37 lifetime. Roaring Home paid $8.60 to his backers for a $2.00 win bet.
The 2-5 race favorite, Sea Gaze, closed belatedly for second, 8 1-4 lengths ahead of longshot Benson, who captured third in the Iron Horse for a second straight year.
$50,000 Budweiser Claiming Crown Express
Moralist, the 4-5 favorite, survived a protracted speed duel with Esperamos, and held off the late challenge of Thegreatcrosby to take the Budweiser Express by a length in 1:09.92.
Rider Israel Ocampo, a late substitute for Shane Sellers who was stuck en route from Chicago to Minneapolis, kept Moralist just outside Esperamos through fractions of 21.65 for the quarter and 44.07 for the half.
“I’m still shaking,” said winning trainer Tammy Domenosky. “This is very, very exciting to win. It’s a great feeling.”
Moralist paid $3.80 to win. Churubusco closed late to take third by a nose from Prognosis Negative.
$75,000 Daily Racing Form Claiming Crown Glass Slipper
My Irish Girl won for the sixth straight time today, closing from well back to take the Daily Racing Form Glass Slipper by a length and a half over Margie Marie. Longshot Lil Dish set enterprising fractions of 21.91 for the quarter and 44.71 for the half, followed closely by Margie Marie. But those fractions took their toll, setting the table for My Irish Girl’s powerful late move under Israel Ocampo, who was in the process of winning his second Claiming Crown race of the day.
The winner, a 3-year-old, is trained by Jamie Ness for Midwest Thoroughbreds. Final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.92.
“We looked at all the speed in the race, and Jamie decided we should take her back and make one run. She’s the Claimer of the Year for me. She’s really nice.”
Margie Marie was second, a length and a quarter ahead of Hawaiian Sky, who closed belatedly for third. The 9-5 favorite, My Irish Girl returned $5.80 for a $2 win bet.
$75,000 AT&T Claiming Crown Rapid Transit
Humble Smarty tracked the early pace of Max Ahead from the outside, then assumed command in midstretch to take the AT&T Rapid Transit by three quarters of a length over 16-1 longshot Red Pete, who closed up the rail from fourth. Max Ahead held on for third, three-quarters of a length behind Red Pete. Final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.57.
“He’s been really good to me—he deserves this,” said Brett Creighton, who owns and trains the 6-year-old gelding.
Humble Smarty has now won six of his last eight starts with second-place finishes accounting for the other two performances.
“He ran a really big race,” said winning rider Alex Birzer. “Brett did a really good job getting him ready.”
The 5-2 second choice, Humble Smarty paid $7.00 to win. The 2-1 race favorite, Sweeten With Gold, finished fourth.
$100,000 Bremer Bank Claiming Crown Emerald
Inca King benefited from a masterful ride by Eclipse Award-winning rider Julien Leparoux to score a 1 ¼- length win in the Bremer Bank Emerald for trainer Michael Maker and owners Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey. Inca King, the heavy 1-2 favorite, stalked from fourth, saving ground all the way until the top of the stretch when Leparoux swung him out to run down Tiger Lake, who had lost valuable ground going three-wide on the final turn. Longshot Elusive Schemes finished third, just a nose behind Tiger Lake.
“They made us work for it,” said Kenneth Ramsey. “That Julien is something else. It’s quite an honor to win up here at Canterbury.”
Inca King, a 6-year-old gelding who ran third last time out in the Grade II Firecracker Handicap on July 4 at Churchill Downs, paid $3.00 to win.
$100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes
After the final Claiming Crown event of the day, Canterbury Park fans were treated to a thrilling renewal of the $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes run at one mile for fillies and mares on the turf. Never Retreat, under Chicago-based Shane Sellers, held on for a three-quarter-length victory over the hard charging 3-2 favorite Danzon to score a mild upset at 7-2 for trainer Chris Block.
Owned by Team Block, Never Retreat closed three-wide from seventh around the far turn, took command in midsretch, and held off Danzon, who was ridden by Julien Leparoux.
For Sellers, it was a happy ending to a frustrating day. Travel delays from Chicago had caused him to arrive late to Canterbury, costing him the mounts on two eventual winners.
“I have to give my agent credit, because he obviously put me on some nice horses. I was on the best horse today in this race. You hate to go wide, but the other horses tired in front of me.”
Never Retreat paid $9.40 to win.
Behind Danzon, the order of finish was completed by War Tigress, Afleet Deceit, Dancin Perfect, Mizzcan’tbewrong, Ansong, Wine Diva, Closeout and Whenthetimeisright.
Wagering handle for the seven Claiming Crown races was $1,593,203.
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