For Blue-Collar Claimers, Black-Type Thanksgiving Feast
The Claiming Crown races were two weeks ago. Over Thanksgiving weekend, horses once claimed for tags as low as $10,000 and $16,00 won three of five stakes at Laurel Park. An 8-year-old gelding bought last year for $ 10, 000 topped a blanket-finish trifecta of previously claimed sprinters in the GIII Fall Highweight H. at Aqueduct. Greeley and Ben (Greeley's Conquest) won his seventh win this season Nov. 26.
Greeley and Ben was a six-time winner by the start of 2021. He was auctioned for $80,000 at July's Fasig-Tipton sale for horses of racing age. The gelding has won 45 times the initial claiming investment. Greeley & Ben finished fourth in the GIII Bold Ruler S at Aqueduct on Oct. 29. On Nov. 10, he won a $10,00 starter allowance at the Aquaduct. He finished 7-1 at 7/10 odds in Fall Highweight. It was the first time in his career that he had made all previous 36 starts on it.
Swayin to and Fro won the Safely Kept S. at 6-1 odds for Baxter Racing Stable and trainer Mario Serey, Jr. on Saturday. The win came exactly six months to the date that the same outfit claimed the 3-year-old filly for $16,000 out of an 8 1/4-length maiden romp. Armando R has since won through his '2x' allowance condition and in the span of the past 60 days has won two hundred-grand listed stakes at Laurel.
Angel Cruz won six races in one day over the holiday weekend. He is second in the Laurel standings. Luis Saez won 6 races at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Cruz commuted 90 minutes west to ride under the lights at Charles Town Races. He won two races there and barely lost the eighth race. His final winner was Always Drinking (Speightster).
Beverly Park is the continent's winningest horse so far in 2022. He won a N2L $5,000 claimer by 15 lengths at Belterra Park back on July 8, 2021. Next time out, he was claimed for $12,500 by his current owner/trainer, Norman Lynn Cash. Beverly Park has not started for a tag since being claimed, feasting exclusively on starter allowances and optional claimers.
