Nine races, $1.2 million in purses and a 4-year-old gelding chasing his 12th straight win. That is Claiming Crown 2026, and it takes over the back half of the Churchill Downs card on Saturday, November 14, so we get some of the deepest betting fields of the fall in one afternoon.
The Claiming Crown starts with Race 4 at 2:28pm ET and runs until the Emerald in Race 12 at 6:23pm ET. Before that, the $300,000 Dream Supreme Stakes goes as Race 3. After that, we cover every race and purse, plus the full fields for the Jewel and the Dream Supreme. Also, for the rest of the weekend’s racing, see our weekend horse racing preview.
What Is the Claiming Crown?
The National HBPA and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association launched the Claiming Crown in 1999. They built it as a championship day for the horses that fill race cards week in, week out, and also for the owners who run them. In short, it is the Breeders’ Cup for the claiming ranks.
Every race is a starter allowance, so a horse qualifies by having started for a set claiming price or lower. On top of that, nobody can claim a runner on the day. That rule gets owners shipping in from all over the country, which is why the fields run so big.
This year brings the 28th running and the fourth visit to Churchill Downs, as well as the third straight year in Louisville. Last year’s Claiming Crown at Churchill drew $12.8 million in bets on the program. As a result, the pools run deep from the first Claiming Crown race to the last.
Still, one trainer stands above the rest here. In fact, Mike Maker won his 23rd Claiming Crown race last year with Shape Note, the most of any trainer in the event’s history. So it’s no surprise that he saddles five starters across the nine races, plus an also eligible in the Emerald.
All Nine Claiming Crown Races and Purses
The Claiming Crown 2026 program adds a ninth race this year, the Empress, which is a six furlong sprint for fillies and mares. Kentucky-breds also chase extra Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund money on top of the $1.2 million in purses.
| Post Time (ET) and Race No. | Claiming Crown Race and Purse |
|---|---|
| 2:28pm, Race 4 | Ready’s Rocket Express, $100,000 |
| 2:57pm, Race 5 | Tiara, $150,000 (turf) |
| 3:26pm, Race 6 | Glass Slipper, $100,000 |
| 3:55pm, Race 7 | Kent Stirling Memorial Iron Horse, $100,000 |
| 4:25pm, Race 8 | Empress, $100,000 |
| 4:55pm, Race 9 | Tom Metzen Memorial Canterbury, $150,000 (turf) |
| 5:25pm, Race 10 | Rapid Transit, $125,000 |
| 5:54pm, Race 11 | Jewel, $200,000 |
| 6:23pm, Race 12 | Emerald, $175,000 (turf) |
All nine races are for 3-year-olds and up, while the Tiara, Glass Slipper and Empress are for fillies and mares. Purses also exclude Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund money.
Each race also sets its own starter level. For example, the Express and the Iron Horse take horses that have started for $8,000 or less at any point in their careers. By contrast, the rest look only at starts in 2025 and 2026: $12,500 for the Glass Slipper, $16,000 for the Empress and the Rapid Transit, $25,000 for the three turf races and $35,000 for the Jewel.
Dirt Sprints: Express, Empress and Rapid Transit
The $100,000 Ready’s Rocket Express (Race 4, six furlongs) is the race we keep coming back to, because Kerness K arrives on an 11 race winning streak. On top of that, his 11 wins this year lead every Thoroughbred in North America. Jamie Ness claimed him back for $7,500 in March, and since then he hasn’t lost.
Still, he has to beat the champion. Concrete Glory has won this race two years running for Saffie Joseph Jr., and the 7-year-old also took the Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in February. Joseph runs Swirvin too, who gets Tyler Gaffalione, while Yomar Ortiz Jr. rides Concrete Glory. So the Express looks like a three horse race to us, with Kerness K, Concrete Glory and Swirvin on top of our tickets.
After that, the new $100,000 Empress (Race 8, six furlongs) drew 12 fillies and mares. Then the $125,000 Rapid Transit (Race 10, seven furlongs) brings back Nation, who won this race by 6 1/4 lengths last year for Bob Hess Jr. Hess also sends out Coach Cronin in a 14 horse field.
Dirt Routes: Iron Horse and Glass Slipper
The $100,000 Kent Stirling Memorial Iron Horse (Race 7) goes 1 1/16 miles, and twelve made the body of the race, with four more on the also eligible list. Meanwhile, the $100,000 Glass Slipper (Race 6) sends 11 fillies and mares a mile on the dirt.
Turf Races: Tiara, Canterbury and Emerald
Three Claiming Crown races then go on the grass. First, the $150,000 Tiara (Race 5, 1 1/16 miles) has nine fillies and mares, with Mark Casse running two in Smiling Ellie and Nerazurri. After that, the $150,000 Tom Metzen Memorial Canterbury (Race 9) sprints 5 1/2 furlongs, and Maker sends both Shape Note, last year’s winner, and Proprietary Trade.
Finally, the $175,000 Emerald (Race 12, 1 1/16 miles) closes the card. Chad Brown ships in Unit Economics (GB) for Gaffalione, while Joe Sharp runs Westside Tide and Funny Uncle. Even so, keep an eye on the weather, since Churchill can move any of the three turf races to the main track.
The $200K Claiming Crown Jewel
As usual, the Jewel is the richest race of the day. This time nine horses go 1 1/8 miles on the dirt in Race 11 at 5:54pm ET, and all of them have started for $35,000 or less in 2025 or 2026.
| Post and Horse | Jockey and Trainer |
|---|---|
| 1. Expect the Best | Rafael Bejarano for Ron Moquett |
| 2. Margie’s Fun Son | Luis Saez for Ronald B. Abrams |
| 3. Papa Yo | Tyler Gaffalione for Linda Rice |
| 4. Urban Planner | Yomar Ortiz Jr. for Michael J. Maker |
| 5. Carolo Rapido | Cristian A. Torres for Norm W. Casse |
| 6. Groveland | Francisco Arrieta for Eddie Kenneally |
| 7. Indy Charges On | Jose L. Ortiz for Lacey Gaudet |
| 8. Break Out | Junior Alvarado for Michael B. Campbell |
| 9. Freedom Principle | Jaime A. Torres for Gerard Ochoa |
Race 11, 5:54pm ET, 1 1/8 miles on dirt. Morning line odds are TBC, so we will add them once Churchill Downs publishes them.
Papa Yo gets our top spot, because Linda Rice’s 5-year-old has won 10 of his 25 starts, including three from six this year. Gaffalione also takes the ride. In fact, that strike rate stands out in a field where most of his rivals win far less often.
By contrast, Margie’s Fun Son has needed 43 starts to win eight races. Even so, the 6-year-old found a new level this summer when he won the Mayor’s Mile at Parx on August 18, his first stakes win. This time Luis Saez rides for Ron Abrams.
Meanwhile, Expect the Best is the improver. The Ron Moquett 4-year-old has three wins, four seconds and a third from eight starts this year, so he hasn’t finished worse than third in 2026. Groveland adds a bit of class for Eddie Kenneally, since he ran second in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa back in 2023. Then Maker’s Urban Planner and Lacey Gaudet’s Indy Charges On round out the main contenders.
The $300K Dream Supreme Stakes
The Listed Dream Supreme runs as Race 3 at 1:58pm ET, so it comes about half an hour before the Claiming Crown proper. Like the Express, it goes six furlongs on the dirt for fillies and mares, and Saffie Joseph Jr. saddles half the field of six.
| Post and Horse | Jockey and Trainer |
|---|---|
| 1. Mystic Lake | Tyler Gaffalione for Saffie A. Joseph Jr. |
| 2. Haulin Ice | Francisco Arrieta for Saffie A. Joseph Jr. |
| 3. A.Z. Wildcat | Florent Geroux for John W. Sadler |
| 4. Echo Sound | Luis Saez for George R. Arnold II |
| 5. Indy Bay | Jose L. Ortiz for Saffie A. Joseph Jr. |
| 6. Justinqueso | Brian Hernandez Jr. for Ian R. Wilkes |
Race 3, 1:58pm ET, 6 furlongs on dirt for fillies and mares. Morning line odds are TBC, so we will add them once Churchill Downs publishes them.
On paper, though, Mystic Lake owns the best record. She has 13 wins from 28 starts and $1.7 million in earnings, as well as three graded wins in the Miss Preakness (G3), the Charles Town Oaks (G2) and the Inside Information (G2). However, she has won just twice from seven starts this year, and last time she ran second to Maida in the Endine at Delaware Park.
So Haulin Ice is our pick. She ran second to Maida in the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga in July, which makes her recent graded form the best in the race. She also won the Matron at Oaklawn in both 2025 and 2026, and her $1,307,300 in earnings make her the richest Arkansas-bred in history.
Then there’s Indy Bay, the third Joseph runner. She won the Charles Town Oaks (G2) last year and now makes her Churchill Downs debut. Meanwhile, John Sadler ships in A.Z. Wildcat with Florent Geroux aboard.
Runners, Race Times and Betting Options
First post is 1pm ET on a 12 race card, with the Dream Supreme as Race 3 and the Claiming Crown filling Races 4 through 12. Churchill hadn’t published morning line odds when we went to press, so we’ll add them to the field tables as soon as the track posts them.
Also, watch the also eligible lists. The Iron Horse, the Canterbury and the Emerald each carry four horses who only draw in if others scratch, so check the final fields on Saturday morning. Since most races drew 10 or more runners, the trifecta and superfecta pools should also be big all afternoon.
How to Bet Claiming Crown 2026 on MyWinners
Overall, Claiming Crown 2026 gives us nine big fields in a row, and the Jewel and the Express are the two races we’d build tickets around. Because Churchill Downs is a CDI track, its races are available to MyWinners bettors in Connecticut only, online and in venue.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Image by Jeff Kubina. Licensed under CC by 2.0.
