Has the Claiming Crown Series Outgrown Intentions?
Even though I was not sure about what it was at the time, I found myself feeling something was missing after the final race of the 2014 Claiming Crown. Call me crazy, or perhaps a sentimental fool, but the series just seemed to lack the same flavor as it did when it was contested at Canterbury Park.
With field sizes at an all-time high, exciting finishes, and substantial payouts at the wagering window, what was it the day was lacking? For starters, I was there when the series kicked off at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota in 1999. In 2012, the series was hosted by Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, and will remain at that locale throughout the 2015 edition, this December.
As described by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association the series: “was envisioned to be the claiming horse owner’s Breeders’ Cup; a special racing event, created for the sometime-forgotten “average owner,” and featuring some of the most competitive horses in the country.”
Having said that, is the series meeting those objectives? One might say that it does in certain aspects -- The Claiming Crown Stakes certainly has a Breeders’ Cup feel. For instance, it continues to bring horses from near and far together to face each other on one terrific day of racing.
Moreover, appointments and purses have each developed from the onset. Blood-Horse reported a record 314 nominations in 2014, and purses totaled $1,000,000. Nearly double what was distributed when the races initially ran at Canterbury Park in 1999. However, upon a closer examination of the winning connections of last season's Claiming Crown Stakes, we might also believe the series has dropped the ball in fulfilling at least one of its original intentions.
Finally, the key to my dilemma and something missing from this seasons Claiming Crown Series -- would be the part referring to being created for the (sometime-forgotten “average owner.”)
Can we really justify Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, Jacks or Better Farm, Inc., High Point Thoroughbred Partners, Miller Racing LLC, and White Wabbit Racing LLC as sometime-forgotten “average owners”? Of the eight races featured in the 2014 Claiming Crown Stakes, these connections captured six of the eight, with the Ramseys taking two individual races.
Conversely, these owners, and the partnerships they are part of, can be found in the winner's circle with the victors of many of the sport's most prestigious races. Ken and Sarah Ramsey, for example, have been the nation's Eclipse Award winning owners in 2004, 2011, 2013, and are favored to receive the same Award for 2014. Their seemingly endless stream of stars earned $10,544,148 in 2014, and included a victory by Bobby’s Kitten in the $1,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Jacks or Better Farm, Inc. ranked in the top 100 leading owners by earnings for five of the last six years. They failed to reach that distinction only in 2012. That year, the barn earned just shy of a million dollars.
In 2013, High Point Thoroughbred Partners were ranked ninth in the nation by races won, and the ownership registered $1,731,114 in earnings. Furthermore, the partners were recognized as the leading owners at Parx during that year. The same connections were second in the category at Monmouth Park.
Likewise, one would not categorize White Wabbit Racing LLC and Miller Racing LLC, as little fish in a big pond. Both ownerships reported more than $1,000,000 in earnings in 2014, and WWR LLC Ranked 22nd in the country by number of wins.
It may appear to be that I have something against seeing these owners winning these races. On the contrary, it is not that I have anything against these connections, nor do I begrudge them the opportunity to add another trophy to the already bolstering mantle. To the contrary, I view the participation of these owners as an invaluable asset to the industry. Furthermore, who would not enjoy being Kenneth Ramsey for a day? It would be hard not to smile when you are surrounded by Kittens.
I would however like to see another division of the Claiming Crown back at a smaller venue like Canterbury with smaller purses and more stringent guidelines.
A sister series if you will, contested earlier in the year, that provides that which the TOBA set out to accomplish. Specifically, a chance for the sometime-forgotten average owner to recoup some of their well-meant investments. Personally, I feel the current system has grown beyond that. What is your take on this issue?