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Maker, Mena claim the Crown Trainer Michael Maker and jockey Miguel Mena dominated Saturday's ninth annual Claiming Crown, which was held for the first time at Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky. The event, dubbed the blue-collar runners' Breeders' Cup, featured seven stakes, and the pair took home three of them, including the highlight of the card, the $144,000 Claiming Crown Jewel S. MIAMI SUNRISE (Wheaton) was never far back from the leaders in the Jewel, running along the rail in fourth. Mena angled the five-year-old out entering the stretch and the chestnut closed with a rush to cross under the line 1 3/4 lengths better than his closest rival. He finished the 1 1/8-mile fast dirt test in 1:50 4/5, returning $13.40, $5.40 and $4 as the 5-1 second choice. Miami Sunrise, claimed by Maker for J and J Investments in late April, immediately stepped up for his new connections in his next start, running third in an allowance at Mountaineer Park before taking his last two tests at Churchill Downs. With this win, the gelding now boasts a 21-6-5-3 career mark and $188,019 in lifetime earnings. Mena piloted Ken and Sarah Ramsey's ONE EYED JOKER (Polish Numbers) to a half-length score in the $97,000 Claiming Crown Emerald S. prior to the feature event. Forced to steady approaching the eighth pole, the nine-year-old gelding maneuvered his way through traffic to get up and finish 8 1/2 furlongs on the firm turf in 1:40 1/5. He paid $44.40, $18 and $10.20 to his faithful and lucky backers at 21-1. A five-time stakes winner, One Eyed Joker is now two-for-two under Maker's tutelage. The bay gelding captured his first start for his new trainer just 10 days ago, taking a starter allowance at Ellis, and now owns a 63-14-10-7, $622,320, record. Maker, Mena and the Ramseys also captured the opening stakes on the card, taking the $47,000 Claiming Crown Iron Horse S. with BARGAINWITHTHDEVIL (Southern Halo). The five-year-old grabbed the lead before the stretch and drew off to an easy 8 1/4-length score in the mile main-track race, stopping the clock in 1:36 3/5. He was worth $6.40, $3.20 and $3 as the 2-1 second pick. The dark bay gelding was making his first start for his new connections here, having been claimed last out at Churchill Downs for $12,500. Adding this win to his record moves it to 16-6-1-1, and Bargainwiththdevil has now earned $110,999. Jockey Corey Lanerie earned two wins during the Claiming Crown, starting with the $47,500 Claiming Crown Express S. aboard Scott Blasi Racing Stable's GOLDEN HARE (Gilded Time). The Steve Asmussen-trained eight-year-old took the lead soon after the start and held the advantage all the way home, crossing under the wire a length the best to pay $3.40, $2.40 and $2.10 as the 3-5 favorite. Running six furlongs in 1:10, the bay gelding moved his mark to 43-16-7-3 and now shows $316,625 in lifetime earnings. Two races later in the $96,000 Claiming Crown Tiara S., Lanerie guided UNPLUGGED (Untuttable) through stormy waters and straight into the winner's circle. Sporting the colors of J.D. Racing Stable LLC and James Delaney, the chestnut mare was forced to steady entering the first turn and found herself boxed in around the second turn. The Paul McClelland pupil kept her nerve, though, angling out in the stretch and powering home to just get her nose down on the line for the win, returning $8.80, $5 and $3 as the near 7-2 second choice. Completing 1 1/16 miles on the green in 1:42, the five-year-old boosted her earnings to $226,735 to go along with a 33-10-5-2 line. Rodney L. Morgan's ADORE YOU (Tactical Cat) was a length winner of the $72,000 Claiming Crown Glass Slipper S. at 49-1, paying out $100.60, $21.20 and $7.60 to her faithful followers. Ridden by Paul Nolan and trained by Tim Martin, the five-year-old gray finished six furlongs on the main track in 1:10 3/5 to push her line to 25-6-3-6, $153,777. Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein's NEVERBEENDANCIN' (Pine Bluff) got his head down on the line to take the $72,000 Claiming Crown Rapid Transit S. for trainer Steve Margolis. With Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard, the four-year-old colt finished six furlongs in 1:10 3/5, improving his mark to 27-9-2-3 and increasing his earnings to $173,057.
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