Seven races worth a combined $600,000 in purses will be run when the tenth-annual Claiming Crown is staged on Saturday at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota.

Sixty-four horses from 17 states were entered in the event, which is open to Thoroughbreds that started for claiming prices ranging from $7,500 to $35,000 in 2007-’08. The races features purses ranging from $50,000 to $150,000.

“The races are very contentious. I think it’s as wide open as we’ve ever had for a claiming crown,” Claiming Crown Coordinator Nat Wess said. “We’ve got horses coming from both coasts, we’ve got horses coming from the Midwest. I forsee another big day.”

The $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel, a 1 1/8-mile race for three-year-olds and older that started for a claiming price of $35,000 or less since January 1, 2007, is the most lucrative race on the card. The Jewel is the ninth race on a 12-race card and drew a field of nine that includes stakes winner Coyoteshighestcall, the 7-to-2 morning-line favorite.

A career earner of $422,682, Coyoteshighestcall earned his first stakes victory in the Norristown Stakes on April 15 at Philadelphia Park. The Regal Humor horse finished second in his subsequent start in the Brandywine Stakes on May 10 at Delaware Park for trainer Scott Lake and owner Robert Cole Jr.

Lake leads all trainers in terms of Claiming Crown wins with eight career victories.

Two Claiming Crown races, each worth $100,000, will be run over 1 1/16 miles on turf and are open to horses that started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less since January 1, 2007. Seven fillies and mares were entered in the Tiara, Saturday’s sixth race. A field of nine was entered in the Emerald, which will be run as the eighth race.

Horses that started for a claiming price of $16,000 or less in ’07-’08 will run in two $75,000 races—the Grass Slipper and the Rapid Transit. Both races will be run over six furlongs.

Five fillies and mares were entered in the Grass Slipper, the fourth race on Saturday. The Rapid Transit includes a field of 13 and is carded as the seventh race.

Three-year-olds and upward which started for a claiming price of $7,500 or less are eligible to run in two $50,000 races—the six-furlong Express and the Iron Horse, a 1 1/16-mile race.

The Iron Horse kicks off the Claiming Crown portion of the card as the third race on Saturday. The Express is the fifth race.

Television Games Network (TVG) will provide live coverage of Saturday’s Canterbury card, which also includes the $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes, a one-mile turf race for fillies and mares. First post time is 1:30 p.m. CDT.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)