‘Lucky bugger’ wins 38-way claiming shake at Churchill
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Jon Jazdzewski had claimed only one other horse during his career, years ago as a Father’s Day treat. On Thursday he tried for the first time as an owner-trainer, putting in an $8,000 claim for Our Musical Moment.
Jazdzewski was 1 of 38 who tried, resulting in the largest Churchill Downs shake in at least two years. The next closest was 30 for Artemus Bridge in June 2019.
Against those odds, he won the shake – and he had expected a lot of interest in the 5-year-old Bellamy Road mare who had been owned and trained by Steve Asmussen.
“I didn’t know it would be that crazy,” Jazdzewski told Horse Racing Nation. “A friend of ours, he went for somebody else to claim he, too, and he said, ‘you lucky bugger.’ ... I don’t know what the statistics are on that, but that was a lot of people.”
Our Musical Moment, out of the Lost Code mare Moments of Joy, is now owned by Jazdzewski and Steve Amato.
The new owner-trainer said he was a fan of the mare’s consistency going into the six-furlong waiver-claiming race, in which she bobbled at the start and finished second as a 3-5 favorite.
Her record for the year is 8: 2-3-1, with earnings of $47,298. For her career, Our Musical Moment's record is 29: 9-4-2, with earnings of $174,585.
“We totally had intentions of getting her, regardless,” Jazdzewski said. “But she showed up. She stumbled at the start. Had she not done that, she probably would have won.”
It was the latest in a series of noteworthy claiming occurrences in 2021. In April there was a 36-way shake at Oaklawn for the Godolphin-bred 5-year-old gelding Cave Run. Last Saturday at Churchill Downs, trainer Jeff Hiles claimed three horses from the same race on behalf of RSLP Racing.
Jazdzewski said he thought claims were up because of the relative safety of racing at the moment.
“You can turn them back if they’re sore or they have problems,” said Jazdzewski, a Kentucky equine dentist who in 2015 pinhooked eventual Kentucky Derby starter Far Right. “The medication is limited. The vets check them before every breeze and every race, so it’s probably the safest time in history. And the purses, they make twice or three times what they’re worth every race, so it’s the best time for claiming.”
As for Our Musical Moment, Jazdzewski said he plans to keep her running at a similar level.
“Probably just go back in a $5,000 starter and work our way up from there,” he said. “But it should be fun. I hope we can continue the story and have some fun.”
In the 10 days since the Breeders’ Cup Classic, word has filtered out about which runners will return...
If Whit Beckman was disappointed with Regaled 's third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, you wouldn't know...
Touchuponastar earned a 138 Horse Racing Nation speed figure for his 10-length win in Saturday's Delta Mile at...
Even though the 6-year-old gelding Concrete Glory has competed in graded stakes and most recently won a top-level...
Ozara breezed four furlongs in 51.4 at Belmont Park on Tuesday. It was the 22nd fastest of 25...