Me My Mine, Al's Dearly Bred and Tens Holy Sprit among Claiming Crown winners

Me My Mine, Al's Dearly Bred and Tens Holy Sprit among

Claiming Crown winners

Richard Englander's ME MY MINE (Belong to Me) annexed the highlighted race in

Saturday's Claiming Crown at Canterbury Park when wiring the $138,000

Claiming

Crown Jewel. Sent to the early lead by jockey Roberto Gonzalez, the dark bay

carved out fractions of :24, :47 4/5, 1:11 2/5 and 1:36 2/5 along the inside

before Sinners N Saints (Saint Ballado), who had been rating just off the pace,

challenged for the lead between rivals after Me My Mine drifted out leaving the

second turn. That one was not able to collar the winner, however, as the John

Martin-trained Me My Mine was able to hold on to the victory by a neck,

completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:43 1/5 over a fast track.

"We love this racetrack, it is the most horseman friendly track in the

country and we will definitely be back for this event again next year,"

Englander commented.

Sent off as the 3-1 second favorite, the six-year-old Me My Mine returned payouts of $8,

$3 and $2.20 while keying $1 exotics of $9.70 (exacta) and $17.40 (2-3-1 trifecta). Sinners N Saints, the 4-5 favorite, paid $2.40 and $2.10 for the

place while Sandburr (Sandpit [Brz]) gave back $2.60 for the bronze position.

Mining for Silver (Silver Charm), Come on Chas (Jambalaya Jazz) and Feature (Sweetsouthernsaint)

completed the order of finish.

This was Me My Mine's fourth win in five starts, improving his record to

40-10-9-4 with $330,723 in earnings. Bred in Florida by Jacks or Better Farm,

the winner is out of the stakes-winning mare Our Dear Helen (Bates Motel), whose

most recent foal is a 2006 filly by Black Mambo.

One race prior to Me My Mine's score, Husker Racing, M A Jonnson, et al's

AL'S DEARLY BRED (Waquoit) closed from near last to capture the $97,000

Claiming

Crown Emerald. Settled in hand by jockey Derek Bell, the nine-year-old

waited patiently as Big Tex (Texas City), Entry Point (Formal Dinner) and Dr.

Detroit (Wayne County [Ire]) competed through fractions of :23 4/5 and :47 3/5.

Meanwhile, Al's Dearly Bred sat in tenth, falling back to last in the field of

11 through six furlongs in 1:11 1/5. The Marvin Johnson trainee raced eight wide

into the turn, moving up to eighth, before rallying strongly to grab the

victory by a head over Nooligan (Lucky Roberto), completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:42

4/5 over the firm turf.

Al's Dearly Bred was sent off as the 7-2 second favorite and paid $9.40,

$3.80 and $3.20 for his efforts. Place gave back $5.80 and $3.80 at 6-1 while Bodgiteer (Captain Bodgit) was the final horse to hit the board, returning $5.60

for the show at 8-1. The $1 exotics rewarded $23 (exacta), $157.50 (trifecta)

and $2,606.60 for the 4-10-5-2 superfecta. Fred and Me (American Chance), Big

Tex, Bye Bye Beylen (Fort Chaffee), Entry Point, Dr Detroit, Bassant (Mr.

Goldust), Storm Coming (Dave and Busters) and Professor Biggs (Candy Stripes)

rounded out the order of finish.

Bred in Kentucky by Beverly Green, the gray gelding is out of the

stakes-placed Dearly Bred (Fappiano) and counts himself as a half-brother to

stakes-placed Esplanade Ridge (Ogygian). Al's Dearly Bred captured this race in

2001 and has four other black-type events to his credit as well. To date, he

shows a line of 49-18-8-6 with a $529,844 bankroll.

"We tried to stay close early, but the horse wanted no part of it," Bell

said. "I was just the pilot today, the horse knew exactly what he was doing, and

it is simply an amazing feeling when you are on a horse like that. As we came

for home I saw his ears perk up and I knew we were going to win, the horse

literally carried me home."

Ten fillies and mares contested the $96,000

Claiming

Crown Tiara on the grass, which was won by Bill Law, Bob Leninger and

Charles Rowe's TENS HOLY SPIRIT (Holy Mountain). The four-year-old filly rated

just behind the leaders through splits of :23 2/5, :47, 1:11 1/5 and 1:36 1/5.

She saved ground on the far turn and angled three wide into the lane, just

getting up to catch Spy Aly (Wheaton) by a half-length at the wire. The dark bay

finished out the 1 1/16-mile contest in 1:42 4/5 under jockey Paul Nolan to

return solid payoffs of $28.20, $14 and $11 at 13-1.

Spy Aly gave back $7.60 and $7.60, ending the $79.10 exacta ($1) at 6-1.

Moorebella (Sky Classic) hit the wire another four lengths back to pay $4 at 4-1

and complete the $769.50 trifecta ($1). Secret Lies (Cimarron Secret) came next

to round out the $16,732.20 superfecta ($1) and was followed by My Philly

(Cimarron Secret), Sara's Shadow (Slew the Slewor), Saveeta (Quaker Hill), Out

of Pride (Out of Place) and Strong Faith (Pioneering).

Bred in Florida by Myron Wilson, the Ruth Cook-trained dark bay is out of the

stakes-placed mare Ten Below (World Court), who has also produced an unraced

two-year-old filly named Derringer Danni (Pistols and Roses) and an unnamed

yearling filly by Mi Selecto. Tens Holy Spirit improved her record to 14-7-0-0

with earnings of $124,961.

Other winners on the day included Toby Roth's CRAFTY SCHEMER (Crafty

Prospector), who annexed the $69,750

Claiming Crown Rapid Transit; Ben Mondello and Adam Russo's FUNNY WOMAN

(Strike Gold) captured the $69,000

Claiming Crown Glass Slipper; Gary McCloud's CASTELLO D'ORO (Stolen Gold)

proved best in the $48,500

Claiming

Crown Express; and Carl Moore Management's DISTINCT VISION (Jules) emerged

victorious in the $48,000

Claiming Crown Iron Horse.

Also run Saturday was the $100,000

Lady Canterbury Breeder's Cup S. at a mile on the turf. Apogee Stable's

RADIANT AVIE (Lord Avie) grabbed the early lead of that one under Bell and would

not relinquish that position, drawing off to an eventual two-length victory for

trainer Richard Scherer. The four-year-old chestnut filly completed a mile in

1:35 3/5 to improve her record to 16-5-0-2 with earnings of $145,370.