Churchill Downs Update: Saturday's Claiming Crown by the Numbers

Nov 12, 2026

Horses that have raced from Emerald Downs in Washington to Palermo in Argentina will converge at Churchill Downs on Saturday for the 28th Claiming Crown, which features nine supercharged starter allowance races worth a combined $1.2 million.

Claiming Crown by the numbers:

113 – Horses entered in the nine Claiming Crown races, including 12 also-eligibles. The body of each field averages 11.2 horses per race.
86 – Kentucky-breds entered. Florida is next with 10. Five horses were bred outside the United States: three in Ontario and one each in Argentina and Great Britain.
74 – Entrants who have raced at Churchill Downs.
55 – Racetracks represented in the entrants’ lifetime past performances, including 52 in 23 U.S. states, two in Canada and one in Argentina.
35 – Entrants who won their most recent start. Seven are entered in the $150,000 Canterbury Tom Metzen Memorial.
25 – Tracks and training centers where the entrants recorded their most recent published workouts. Churchill Downs led with 25 horses, followed by Turfway Park with 15.
21 – Tracks where the entrants made their most recent starts. Keeneland led with 32, followed by Horseshoe Indianapolis with 10 and Churchill Downs with nine.
9 – Age of the two oldest entrants, Nixon Joy and Artemus Citylimits.
Claiming Crown Horses by the numbers:

$866,664 – Career earnings for Artemus Citylimits, the most among the Claiming Crown entrants.
$571,400 – Earnings this year for Tiara entrant Nerazurri, the most of any horse in the nine races. She won the $250,000 Lady Jacqueline at Thistledown in June.
3,063 – Combined career starts for the Claiming Crown entrants, who have won 737 races and earned more than $28 million.
54 – Career starts for Nixon Joy, the most among this year’s entrants. The Argentine-bred was third in a Group 1 race in Buenos Aires as a 3-year-old and has made 20 starts this year. He goes in the $100,000 Iron Horse Kent Stirling Memorial.
18 – Career wins for Concrete Glory, the most of any entrant. The 7-year-old has raced at 15 tracks and can become the first horse to win three Claiming Crown races with another victory in the $100,000 Ready’s Rocket Express.
17 – Churchill Downs starts for Ready’s Rocket Express entrant Furious Anger, the most of any Claiming Crown entrant.
11 – Consecutive wins for Kerness K, who leads North American Thoroughbreds in wins this year, 11-10 over Hurricane Lassie. The streak began in March in the $7,500 claiming race in which trainer Jamie Ness took him back. Martin Chuan has the mount in the Ready’s Rocket Express.
7 – Consecutive wins for Lady Annabelle, all at Parx. She meets Miracle Ball, who has won six straight at Canterbury Park and Prairie Meadows, in the $100,000 Empress.
5 – Churchill Downs wins for Rapid Transit entrant Global Sensation, the most of any Claiming Crown entrant. He’s won five of 12 starts beneath the Twin Spires.
3 – Defending winners entered Saturday. Concrete Glory returns in the Ready’s Rocket Express, Shape Note and Jose Ortiz reunite in the Canterbury Tom Metzen Memorial and Nation is back in the $125,000 Rapid Transit, which he won by 6 ¼ lengths last year.
2 – Consecutive runner-up finishes for Freedom Road in the Iron Horse Kent Stirling Memorial.
Claiming Crown Connections by the Numbers:

93 – Trainers represented on the full card, including 77 with at least one Claiming Crown entry.
45 – Jockeys named on the full card, including 42 named in the Claiming Crown races.
23 – All-time Claiming Crown wins for Mike Maker, the most by any trainer.
8 – Mounts apiece for Tyler Gaffalione, Luis Saez and Jaime Torres in the nine Claiming Crown races. Gaffalione and Saez are named in 11 of the 12 races on the card.
6 – Entries apiece for Joe Sharp and Maker, the most among Claiming Crown trainers.
Claiming Crown Card by the Numbers:

$12.8 million – Wagered on the full Claiming Crown card at Churchill Downs last year, up from $10.26 million in 2024.
2021 – The last year the Claiming Crown offered nine races. The Empress, a six-furlong dirt sprint for fillies and mares, brings the series back to nine.
$200,000 – Purse of the Jewel, the richest and longest Claiming Crown race at 1 1/8 miles. It goes as Race 11 at 5:54 p.m.
$140,000 – Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund supplements available to eligible runners on top of the $1.2 million in Claiming Crown purses.
$8,000 – Claiming price or less for which a horse must have started at least once in its career to qualify for the Ready’s Rocket Express or Iron Horse Kent Stirling Memorial. The Jewel has the highest qualifying price at $35,000 or less in 2025 or 2026.
12 – Races on Saturday’s card, which begins at 1 p.m. The $300,000 Dream Supreme goes as Race 3 at 1:58 p.m., followed by the Ready’s Rocket Express at 2:28 p.m. All times are Eastern.
6 – Claiming Crown races in the 20-cent Derby City 6, which begins in Race 7 at 3:55 p.m. The Pick 5s starting in Races 5 and 8 also consist entirely of Claiming Crown races.
4 – Times Churchill Downs has hosted the Claiming Crown. This is the third consecutive year in Louisville after the track first hosted the event in 2022.
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR INAUGURAL THOROUGHBRED CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – Early nominations for the inaugural Thoroughbred Championship Series (TCS) at $500 each are being accepted online at TCSnominations.com through Thursday, Dec. 10.

The TCS, created by Churchill Downs Incorporated and The New York Racing Association, features six Derby Division races and four Oaks Division races staged at Churchill Downs, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

The 2027 Derby Division includes the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (May 1); Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (June 5); Matt Winn (July 3); Jim Dandy (July 31); DraftKings Travers (Aug. 28); and TCS Championship (Sept. 25).

The 2027 Oaks Division comprises the Longines Kentucky Oaks (April 30); DraftKings Acorn (June 4); Coaching Club American Oaks (July 24); and Alabama (Aug. 21).

In addition to race purses, the series will award $5 million in Derby Division bonuses and $1 million in Oaks Division bonuses. In total, more than $22 million in purses and prizes will be available across the 10 races.

Additionally, the TCS will award $100,000 each to the leading trainers and jockeys based on points earned across both the Derby and Oaks divisions. The top three trainers and jockeys in the final standings will receive $50,000 for first place, $30,000 for second and $20,000 for third, creating an additional season-long competition across the series.

Complete TCS rules, including the nomination fee schedule, points structure and prize payout information, are available at TCSnominations.com.

For more information about the Thoroughbred Championship Series, visit ThoroughbredChampionshipSeries.com.

DOWN THE STRETCH – Live racing resumed Thursday at Churchill Downs for a nine-race card that got underway at 1 p.m. There were carryovers of $464,477 in the Jackpot 8 and $100,674 in the Derby City 6. … Churchill Downs will observe a moment of silence following Race 6 on Friday in honor of longtime trainer Bernie Flint, who died July 17 at age 86. Members of Flint’s family will be in attendance. Flint won 3,551 races during his training career, including 501 at Churchill Downs. … Six-time winner Echo Sound was tabbed as the 9-5 favorite in Saturday’s $300,000 Dream Supreme (Listed), which will go as Race 3 at 1:58 p.m. … “Inside Churchill Downs” returns Friday at 6 p.m. for a preview of Saturday’s Claiming Crown. Fans can listen live on ESPN Louisville or anytime on the “Inside the Kentucky Derby” podcast. … TwinSpires will offer a $500 National Handicapping Championship qualifier Saturday as part of the Claiming Crown. For more information and to register, visit: www.twinspires.com/bet/tournaments/4381/details. …  Trainer Brad Cox is one win away from 3,000-career victories. He had no starters Thursday. … For the latest information about the Churchill Downs Fall Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com.