Double your money, Kurtis Coady photo
Churchill Downs Press
Louisville, Ky – Parx Invader Double your moneysecond in the $200,000 Greenwood Cup (Grade III) in September, emerged as the winner by 1 ¼ lengths over Cadet Corps in a wild and competitive run for the $224,943 Claiming Crown Jewel at Churchill Downs on Saturday – the most lucrative of eight starter allowance races on the day for the country’s highest claiming horses.
The Jewel, a 1 1/8-mile race for ages 3 and older run in 2024-25 for a claiming fee of $35,000 or less, headlined Saturday’s 27th annual Claiming Crown, held for the third time in four years at Churchill Downs. Inaugurated in 1999 at Canterbury Park in Minnesota, the Claiming Crown stages eight races with starter allowance conditions and a super-charged total of $1.1 million in prize money for some of the country’s most competitive working-class horses.
Double Your Money, a 4-year-old gelding son of 2019 Pennine Ridge (Grade III) winner Demarcheiler (GB), clocked 1 1/8 miles on a “fast” track in 1:50.89. Melvis Gonzalez rode the winner for 25-year-old trainer Ben Dunn, who co-owns the horse with Chris Mancusi.
“I got so excited and nervous after the race that I got sick,” Dunn said. “It means a lot to me to have a horse running here. This horse doesn’t stop running.”
Double Your Money broke from post No. 7 and relaxed in eighth place along the inside rail into a pocket position along the backstretch while Guilds Crack dictated the pace in the field of 14 through early splits of :23.31 and :47.07. While Gilden gave Cracken the right of way during the turn, he forced his way American law check, Happy strike briefly poked his head out after six furlongs in 1:11.82.
Double Your Money, who had raced between 1 3/16 and 1 ½ miles in his last two starts, began hitting his best stride, avoiding heavy traffic with a four-wide move at the top of the stretch. He found a seam between a tiring one Bern is hot to his insides and a challenge Point Dume on his right hip with a furlong to run and turned back four rivals in contention by one-sixteenth of a mile to the finish. Cadet Corps finished second by a neck He got angry in third place. Dr. Storm was another 1 ¼ lengths back in fourth and Point Dume was another half a length back in fifth.
The first prize was $127,840 and boosted Double Your Money’s bankroll to $473,536 with a record of 6-8-3 from 25 starts. This year he won 5 of 12 starts by six seconds, a third and earnings of $326,150.
“Hopefully I’ll be back here before the Isaac Murphy Marathon in the spring,” Dunn said. “The running style of this horse made me hope for a good ride with his draw. I think I achieved the opposite, but somehow we won.”
Double Your Money paid $21.46, $10.56 and $7 as the 9-1 fifth betting choice. Cadet Corps, ridden by Junior Alvarado, paid $7.30 and $5.68. Welaka paid $6.96 to show under Adam Beschizza at odds of 15-1.
After Dr. Storm and Point Dume there was a dead heat for the sixth between them Alternate reality And Dance some Mowhich were followed by the even-money favorite Navajo warrior, Brilliant personAmerican law, Bernin Hot, Happy strike, Exaggeration and Gold Plated Cracks. Carolo Rapido and Le Gris were scratched.
Double Your Money, out of the Horse Chestnut (SAF) mare Aesculus, was bred in Kentucky by BHMFR LLC.
Also on the Claiming Crown map:
6 year old gelding from Florida Concrete glory ($3.76), the odds-on 4-5 favorite of Big Frank Stable (Nikki Rupolo), went gate-to-wire and just held Excited by a head for his title in the $102,000 Ready’s Rocket Express under Irad Ortiz Jr. to defend. “He broke so well and traveled really well in the lead,” Ortiz Jr. said. “I just let him do his thing and he finished it for me. (Trainer) Saffie Joseph (Jr.) and his team had him ready to go.” Overall, the Pennsylvania native, making his first start after a 126-day layoff, has a record of 39-17-6-2 – $519,874.
Wallace R. Moore Jr He appreciates ($6.78), the 2-1 favorite from Florida, closed late under Irad Ortiz Jr. and lost Settlement of storm by three-quarters of a length in the $157,286 Tiara for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on grass. The four-year-old Florida-bred filly, trained by Sal Santoro, won for the fifth time in eight starts this year and has a record of 20-10-3-3 – $345,660 total. “This is my second trip to Churchill Downs,” Santoro said. “I came here in 2013 for the Kentucky Oaks (with Rose to Gold in eighth place). It’s just a great experience.”
Jeanine M. Cumiskey’s 6-year-old gelding Curlins Malibu ($8.82) was just behind the early leaders and then lost an 8-5 favorite Freedom Road in deep suspense to win the $109,914 Iron Horse/Kent Stirling Memorial by a neck under jockey Luis Saez for trainer Joe Sharp. This was the second year in a row that Freedom Road fell short as a betting choice in the 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-olds and older, which began in 2024-2025 for a claiming price of $8,000 or less. In four starts under Sharp’s tutelage since August, Curlin’s Malibu has won twice with a second and a third with earnings of $116,460. “It’s so rewarding for Jeanine to get this win,” Sharp said. “I am so happy for her and grateful that she entrusts us with her horses.”
After an exciting long battle, the born and established 4-year-old filly from Maryland Next girl ($8.24) the Ohio pacer declined Sadie the Goat a seventh consecutive victory with a head-bob photo finish victory in the $103,967 Glass Slipper that triumphed by a nose. Jose Ortiz rode Next Girl for trainer W. Robert Bailes and WWCD LLC of owner Wade Meadows. “Today is a great day for so many of these horses to compete on a big stage,” Ortiz said. “I’m very grateful for this horse’s connections. She ran a tremendous race.”
Locally based Form Note ($19), claimed in July for $25,000 by Paradise Farms Corp. (Peter Prosica) and David Staudacher, closing late along the rail under Jose Ortiz in the $150,000 Canterbury/Tom Metzen Memorial on the Edge Final verdict by a neck to give trainer Mike Maker his record-extending 23rd victory in a Claiming Crown race. Shape Note, a four-year-old gelding, won the seventh fastest time in 12 starts this year. “We were really looking forward to this place when we reclaimed it,” Maker said.
Nation ($15.64) roared past pacer Never left the turn for home and extended his lead down the stretch for a runaway 6 ¼ length victory My noble knight in the Rapid Transit of $136,925. The 5-year-old gelding, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., was claimed for $20,000 by trainer Bob Hess Jr. in Del Mar in August. and owner Kevin Koentopp. This was Nation’s second win in three starts since claiming – the other at Keeneland on October 17 – for a nice return of $116,043 to date. “Last time in Keeneland he had a really tough trip and still got the job done,” Ortiz Jr. said. “That’s how much he fights to win. Luckily I had a much easier journey today.”
Anthony Rogers’ 4-year-old Florida-bred Echo Lane ($6.90) won the $175,000 Emerald for the second year in a row under Luis Saez for trainer Rohan Crichton. He defeated Gewurztraminer with one length. “He’s a very honest horse,” Crichton said. “He does everything you ask of him. After participating in the Claiming Crown Preview Day (on August 21 at Colonial) we decided to give him some time off for this race. He responded really well to that.”
READY’S ROCKET EXPRESS QUOTES
Irad Ortiz Jr., Jockey, Concrete Glory (winner): “He broke so well and rode really well in the lead. I just let him do his thing and he finished ahead of me. Saffie Joseph and his team had him ready to go.”
TIARA QUOTES
Sal Santoro, Trainer, Ashima (winner): “I once had a big stable, I don’t want to do it anymore. I get to look at all my horses every morning and it’s a blast to do. This is my second trip to Churchill Downs. I came here in 2013 for the Kentucky Oaks (with Rose to Gold in eighth place). It’s just a great experience.”
IRON HORSE / KENT STERLING MEMORIAL QUOTES
Joe Sharp, Trainer, Curlin’s Malibu (winner): “It’s so rewarding for (owner) Jeanine (Cumiskey) to get this win. I’m so happy for her and grateful that she trusts us with her horses.”
GLASS Slipper QUOTES
Jose Ortiz, Jockey, Next Girl (winner): “It’s a great day today for so many of these horses to compete on a big stage. I’m very grateful for this horse’s connections. She ran a huge race.”
CANTERBURY / TOM METZEN MEMORIALS
Mike Maker, Trainer, Shape Note (winner): “He did really well on the grass again today. We were really looking forward to this spot when we reclaimed him.”
QUOTES FOR FAST TRANSIT
Irad Ortiz Jr., Jockey, Nation (winner): “I had a really good trip and when I asked him to run the stretch, he just took off. Last time at Keeneland he had a really tough trip and was still able to get the job done. That’s how hard he fights to win. Luckily I had a much easier trip today.”
JEWEL QUOTES
Ben Dunn, Trainer, Double Your Money (winner): “I got so excited and nervous after the race that I got sick. It means a lot to me to have a horse running here. This horse doesn’t stop running. I wish I could keep him running as long as possible. I was talking about the Greenwood Cup (at Parx) before this race. Hopefully I’ll be back here for the Isaac Murphy Marathon in the spring. This horse’s running style I was hoping for a good ride with his draw. I think I achieved the opposite, but somehow we won.”
EMERALD QUOTE
Luis Saez, Jockey, Echo Lane (winner): “I had a very good ride today and you could see how much he loved this track. I trained him every week and could see that he was ready for a big effort today. He is a very special horse.”
Rohan Crichton, Trainer, Echo Lane (winner): “He is a very honest horse. He does everything you ask of him. After participating in the Claiming Crown Preview Day (on August 21 at Colonial) we decided to give him some time off for this race. He responded really well to that.”
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