Maryland Horsemen Have Claiming Crown Opportunities

Maryland-based horsemen will have the opportunity to earn automatic berths in the 2025 Claiming Crown through a series of preview races scheduled for Aug. 21 at Colonial Downs.

The annual Claiming Crown will be held Nov. 16 for the third time in four years at Churchill Downs. Both Colonial and Churchill are owned by Churchill Downs Inc.

Purses for the Claiming Crown Preview races at Colonial will total $550,000. The top two finishers in each race will receive an automatic berth in the corresponding Claiming Crown championships at Churchill. The winner of each race will also receive a travel stipend from the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of up to $2,000, provided the horse starts in the Claiming Crown championship races.

“When we started discussing having qualifier races at Colonial Downs, (Churchill) came up with the idea of having a true preview day, with a qualifier for each division, said Dr. Doug Daniels, National HBPA Chairman of the Board and Vice President of the Virginia HBPA. “A Claiming Crown Preview Day at Colonial Downs will be a truly special event in its own right. The Mid-Atlantic has a huge pool of horsemen who have long supported the Claiming Crown wherever it was. We believe these purses also will attract horses from other areas of the country.”

The $550,000 Claiming Crown Preview races at Colonial, all run under starter allowance conditions, are as follows:

$50,000 Iron Horse qualifier for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $8,000 or less (1 1/16 miles)

$50,000 Ready’s Rocket qualifier for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $8,000 or less (6 furlongs)

$50,000 Glass Slipper qualifier for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, which have started for a claiming price of $12,500 or less in 2024-25 (one mile)

$62,500 Rapid Transit qualifier for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $16,000 or less in 2024-25 (7 furlongs)

$75,000 Tiara qualifier for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, which have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2024-25 (1 1/16 miles on turf)

$75,000 Canterbury qualifier for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2024-25 (5 1/2 furlongs on turf)

$87,500 Emerald qualifier for 3-year-olds and which have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2024-25 (1 1/16 miles on turf)

$100,000 Jewel qualifier for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $35,000 or less in 2024-25 (1 1/8 miles)

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