BY BROCK SHERIDAN
There is no single thoroughbred that stands as the model for what the Claiming Crown represents but Dontbesoogrouchy could certainly audition if National HBPA officials were to conduct auditions for a poster boy.
The 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding has this year finished in the top three in 11 of 12 starts, has been claimed twice and won three times, once for an $8,000 tag at Tampa Bay Downs in March and twice in $5,000 and $7,500 starter allowances at Prairie Meadows on August 1 and August 16 respectively.
Dontbesoogrouchy has been transferred to trainer Joe Sharp by owner and previous trainer Condon Schuyler for Saturday’s $100,000 Ready’s Rocket, one of nine races on the 28th Claiming Crown card to be run at Churchill Downs for the fourth time in the last five years. Run at six furlongs, the Ready’s Rocket has ten 3-year-olds and older which have started for a claiming price of $8,000 or less in their career.
Envisioned to be the claiming horse owner’s Breeders’ Cup, the $1.2 million Claiming Crown is staged annually by the National Horsemen’s Benevolence & Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association in conjunction with the host track and its HBPA affiliate, in this case the Kentucky HBPA.
Schuyler claimed Dontbesoogrouchy for $12,500 out of fourth-place finish at Prairie Meadows on June 20 has since won two with two seconds and a third in five starts, all at six furlongs at Prairie Meadows, while banking a good return of $36,704.
In two races since the last win in the aforementioned $7,500 starter allowance, Dontbesoogrouchy was second under the same condition on September 4 and in a first condition, $15,000 optional claiming over a muddy and sealed track on September 25.
By Greenpointcrusader out of Joann’s Wildcat, by Wildcat Heir, Dontbesoogrouchy was bred in Florida by Frank Bertolino of Peabody, Massachusetts. His 45-race career has five wins, 11 seconds and seven thirds with earnings of $164,271.
Sharp has engaged Luis Saez to ride Dontbesoogrouchy and they have post six. They are listed at 6-1 on the morning line.
Kerness K enters the Ready’s Rocket looking to extend an 11-race win streak including a last out win in a restricted $12,500 starter handicap going seven furlongs at Laurel Park on October 24.
The streak began in March at Laurel when the 4-year-old gelded son of Great Notion won a $7,500 claiming race by six lengths over a muddy six furlongs and was subsequently tagged by current trainer Jamie Ness for Morris E. Kernan Jr. and Madison Avenue Racing Stable.
Now owned by Morris E. Kernan Jr. and Jagger Inc., Kerness K previously won a $20,000 optional claiming, $10,000 starter allowance over a good and sealed six furlongs at Delaware Park on September 17 and a $50,000 overnight handicap going six furlongs at Colonial Downs on August 22.
Out of No Picnic, by Include, Kerness K has a career record of 14 wins and four thirds in 22 starts with earnings of $349,085.
Martin Chuan has the riding assignment on Kerness K from post four.
Completing the entries are Swirvin with Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle, Cristian Torres has the mount of Dancin for Gold, Martin Garcia will be in the irons for Jimmies Big Day, Lord Majesty will have Francisco Arrieta up, Joseph D. Ramos takes the reins on Delta Tau Chi, Guillermo Rodriguez will ride Furious Anger, Raymond will be guided by Jaime Torres and Concrete Glory gets a seven-pound allowance with apprentice Yomar Ortiz Jr. in the irons.
Return to the November 13 issue of Wire to Wire
