Claiming Crown: Big Day for Maker, Ramseys

Parent's Honor capped a big day for Ken and Sarah Ramsey at Gulfstream Park Dec. 1, taking the $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at odds of 16-1 to give the owners their fourth winner on the Souther Florida track's opening day card.

The Claiming Crown series, hosted by Gulfstream for the first time, was dominated by Ramsey-owned runners trained by Mike Maker, who eclipsed Scott Lake as the all-time leading trainer with 12 total Claiming Crown wins, three more than Lake.

Thanks to the well-supported Claiming Crown, Gulfstream set opening day records for its new facility for on-track and overall handle. Total handle was $12.2 million, up 66% from last year's opening day. On-track handle was $1.44 million, up 84% from the previous year.

The Ramseys and Maker won the $100,000 Iron Horse Stakes with Brother Bird, the $100,000 Rapid Transit Stakes with Bernie the Maestro, and the $125,000 Tiara Stakes with Starsilhouette. They just missed the $125,000 Emerald by a head with Major Marvel before Parent's Honor, a 4-year-old Elusive Quality gelding, put an exclamation point on the afternoon.