Churchill trainer Jordan Blair has 1st Claiming Crown starter

Trainer Jordan Blair has his first Claiming Crown starter with Morning Miracle, and it's coming at his home track, Churchill Downs.

"It's not that I tend to stay at home," Blair told Horse Racing Nation on Friday. "I just do my best to keep our horses in the right company."

Morning Miracle is entered in the $150,000 Tiara going 1 1/16 miles on turf.

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The 4-year-old Twirling Candy filly trained by Blair since he claimed her for $20,000 for Conch Racing's Bentley Roberts and Chris Johnson in May 2024. She broke her maiden at Colonial Downs in September 2024, then she "fell off form throughout the winter at Turfway on the polytrack," Blair said.

"We took her back to Colonial this year where were running her for 16. She ran one good race and then won, and then another good race (finishing second), and came back to (Horseshoe Indianapolis) and won. She's just doing really well."

In her most recent start, she was second to the favorite in a Churchill Downs claimer on Nov. 6.

"We're wheeling her back in nine days, but it's at our home track," Blair said. "She didn't have to ship anywhere. She came out of that race with good energy and a good appetite. So we're taking a chance."

Morning Miracle is 10-1 on the morning line for Saturday's Tiara, about where Blair expected. 

"She runs short and long… ," he said. "This last race at Churchill, she was the speed of the speed, and she was very aggressive on the front end. And I don't know if she used herself up, but the horse that beat us was 3-5 and the likely winner anyway. 

"But I think there's other speed in this race. I think the last race will have taken the edge off. And in this race, we won't have to do the heavy lifting on the front end. So I think that'll be a tactical advantage for us this time."

Blair also entered Twirling Troillet, a 4-year-old gelding by Twirling Candy, in the Rapid Transit Starter, but Blair said he scratched him.

"He just doesn't fit," Blair said "He was going to be a million to one."