The saga of Crown Over, the longshot claim by Trainer James Kasparoff that we've been following the past few months, came to a sad end today. Having been claimed for $25k in August, and having run for a $16k tag exactly two weeks ago, Crown Over was entered Saturday for a claiming price of just four thousand dollars. As recorded in the Equibase chart of the race, Crown Over "broke slow, raced up to mid pack then broke down on the turn."
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
Showing posts with label Crown Over. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crown Over. Show all posts
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
12/15/12 BHP Race 6 - Horse Watch Follow-Up
Hey, did you hear? Zenyatta's half-sister, Eblouissante, was scratched from what would have been her second career start, Race 4 at Hollywood Park on Saturday. Which, needless to say, is not what this post is about. Instead, we'll be focusing on two races after that one, as we continue to follow the exploits of Crown Over.
For those who are new here, Crown Over was claimed by Trainer James Kasparoff for $25,000 out of Race 9 at Golden Gate Fields on August 25, a race in which Crown Over left the gate at final odds of 32.2-1. Since the claim, Crown Over has finished in the money for Kasparoff just once.
Saturday, Crown Over competed in Race 6 at Hollywood Park. As was the case in Crown Over's previous race, this was a claiming race ($16k-$14k) for non-winners of two lifetime, run over the it's-not-real-dirt main track. Jockey Joe Talamo again got the mount. One difference to note was that Saturday's race was competed at a distance of six furlongs, while November's contest had been run at six and a half furlongs.
Crown Over went to post Saturday at Final Odds of 5.2-1. As per his usual running style, Crown Over was off a bit slow, and was eleventh (out of thirteen) at first call. Crown Over split horses in midstretch, but had no further response, finishing seventh, a comfortable six and three quarter lengths behind the winner, Tiz Dynamic. Crown Over's share of the purse for finishing seventh Saturday was $350, bringing his total purse earnings since being claimed by Kasparoff for $25,000 to $3,210.
So what's next for Crown Over? Remember, he's a gelding; so retiring him to the breeding shed isn't an option. Perhaps another class drop; or maybe a move back to turf; or perhaps a combination of those two. Or maybe a move to real dirt; Santa Anita will be opening for its Winter meet soon, and Crown Over did take the Show on a fast dirt track against stakes company at Pleasanton in July of 2011. Whatever may come, I'll keep on following this horse and reporting back here; not because I'm a sadist (well, maybe a little) but because I'm genuinely curious to see how this story will play out.
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
For those who are new here, Crown Over was claimed by Trainer James Kasparoff for $25,000 out of Race 9 at Golden Gate Fields on August 25, a race in which Crown Over left the gate at final odds of 32.2-1. Since the claim, Crown Over has finished in the money for Kasparoff just once.
Saturday, Crown Over competed in Race 6 at Hollywood Park. As was the case in Crown Over's previous race, this was a claiming race ($16k-$14k) for non-winners of two lifetime, run over the it's-not-real-dirt main track. Jockey Joe Talamo again got the mount. One difference to note was that Saturday's race was competed at a distance of six furlongs, while November's contest had been run at six and a half furlongs.
Crown Over went to post Saturday at Final Odds of 5.2-1. As per his usual running style, Crown Over was off a bit slow, and was eleventh (out of thirteen) at first call. Crown Over split horses in midstretch, but had no further response, finishing seventh, a comfortable six and three quarter lengths behind the winner, Tiz Dynamic. Crown Over's share of the purse for finishing seventh Saturday was $350, bringing his total purse earnings since being claimed by Kasparoff for $25,000 to $3,210.
So what's next for Crown Over? Remember, he's a gelding; so retiring him to the breeding shed isn't an option. Perhaps another class drop; or maybe a move back to turf; or perhaps a combination of those two. Or maybe a move to real dirt; Santa Anita will be opening for its Winter meet soon, and Crown Over did take the Show on a fast dirt track against stakes company at Pleasanton in July of 2011. Whatever may come, I'll keep on following this horse and reporting back here; not because I'm a sadist (well, maybe a little) but because I'm genuinely curious to see how this story will play out.
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
Saturday, November 17, 2012
11/16/12 BHP Race 5 - Horse Watch Follow-Up
Hey, did you hear? Zenyatta's half-sister, Eblouissante, won her debut in Race 4 at Hollywood Park on Friday. Which, needless to say, is not what this post is about. Instead, we'll be focusing on the race after that one, as we continue to follow the exploits of Crown Over.
To briefly recap, Crown Over is a four year old gelding that was claimed by Trainer James Kasparoff out of the ninth race at Golden Gate Fields on August 25 for $25,000. What made the claim notable was that Crown Over had gone to post at final odds of 32.2-1.
Normally, when a horse is claimed out of a race, the claimed horse is either the favorite or one of the other short odds entrants. Which makes sense; after all, if you're going to purchase a horse out of a specific race, and all the horses in that race have the same price tag, it makes sense that you would pick one of the better ones (as determined by the amounts wagered). For a trainer and/or owner to claim a horse out of a race in which the horse ran at long odds, especially odds greater than 30-1, indicates the trainer/owner believes that he sees something (ability; earning potential; etc.) in the horse that the betting public (not to mention the horse's prior connections) do not. Following the horse's career post-claim gives us the opportunity to see if the new connections were correct in their assessment.
In his first two starts for Kasparoff, both in Starter Allowance races, Crown Over finished seventh and seventh. Friday, Kasparoff dropped Crown Over down in class, into a claiming race, non-winners of two lifetime, with a price tag of $16k.
That's right; in his third race following the claim, Crown Over's new connections decided to offer the horse for sale for nine thousand dollars less than what they had paid.
There were no takers.
As to the race itself, Crown Over, with Joe Talamo aboard, left the gate at Final Odds of 3.4-1, and was last at first call and next-to-last at the half. Crown Over came on towards the end, splitting horses at mid-stretch and winning the photo for third by a nose, paying $3.20 to Show. Crown Over's share of the purse for finishing third was $2,160; bringing his total purse earnings since being claimed for $25,000 to $2,860.
So it seems safe to say, at least so far, that whatever his new connections thought they saw in Crown Over when they purchased him for $25k was probably a mirage. We'll continue to track Crown Over while he remains in the Kasparoff barn and follow this story to the end; 'cos, who knows? Maybe Crown Over turns it around. After all, this is horse racing, and stranger things have happened.
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
To briefly recap, Crown Over is a four year old gelding that was claimed by Trainer James Kasparoff out of the ninth race at Golden Gate Fields on August 25 for $25,000. What made the claim notable was that Crown Over had gone to post at final odds of 32.2-1.
Normally, when a horse is claimed out of a race, the claimed horse is either the favorite or one of the other short odds entrants. Which makes sense; after all, if you're going to purchase a horse out of a specific race, and all the horses in that race have the same price tag, it makes sense that you would pick one of the better ones (as determined by the amounts wagered). For a trainer and/or owner to claim a horse out of a race in which the horse ran at long odds, especially odds greater than 30-1, indicates the trainer/owner believes that he sees something (ability; earning potential; etc.) in the horse that the betting public (not to mention the horse's prior connections) do not. Following the horse's career post-claim gives us the opportunity to see if the new connections were correct in their assessment.
In his first two starts for Kasparoff, both in Starter Allowance races, Crown Over finished seventh and seventh. Friday, Kasparoff dropped Crown Over down in class, into a claiming race, non-winners of two lifetime, with a price tag of $16k.
That's right; in his third race following the claim, Crown Over's new connections decided to offer the horse for sale for nine thousand dollars less than what they had paid.
There were no takers.
As to the race itself, Crown Over, with Joe Talamo aboard, left the gate at Final Odds of 3.4-1, and was last at first call and next-to-last at the half. Crown Over came on towards the end, splitting horses at mid-stretch and winning the photo for third by a nose, paying $3.20 to Show. Crown Over's share of the purse for finishing third was $2,160; bringing his total purse earnings since being claimed for $25,000 to $2,860.
So it seems safe to say, at least so far, that whatever his new connections thought they saw in Crown Over when they purchased him for $25k was probably a mirage. We'll continue to track Crown Over while he remains in the Kasparoff barn and follow this story to the end; 'cos, who knows? Maybe Crown Over turns it around. After all, this is horse racing, and stranger things have happened.
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
Sunday, October 28, 2012
10/27/12 SA Race 6 - Horse Watch Follow-Up
Crown Over is a long shot claim that we've been following since he was scooped up by Trainer James Kasparoff for $25k out of Race 9 on August 25 at Golden Gate Fields; a race in which Crown Over went off at Final Odds of 32.2-1, and finished next-to-last.
On Saturday, Crown Over made his second start for Kasparoff, in Race 6 at Santa Anita. As with Crown Over's initial start for Kasparoff earlier this month at Santa Anita, the race was a Starter Allowance (NW2L) run on some California grass. However, while the October 6 contest was a turf sprint down the hill, Crown Over was stretched out to eight furlongs in Saturday's contest. Crown Over also got a change in rider Saturday, from Juan Hernandez to Joseph Talamo.
Didn't help.
Crown Over (Final Odds 9.10-1) broke from the gate seventh in the field of nine. In the words of the chart caller Crown Over "chased; no late bid". Never closer than fifth at any call, Crown Over finished seventh, three and a half lengths behind the winner, Smoken Legacy ($25.60 / $12.40 / $6.40). Crown Over's share of the purse for his seventh place finish Saturday was $350, the same amount that his seventh place finish on October 6 had been worth.
If you're looking to take something positive from Crown Over's effort, it's worth noting that he was closer to the lead at the end (three and a half lengths) than he was at the beginning (seven lengths back at first call). This was also true of the October 6 contest, when Crown Over was seven lengths off the lead at first call and finished three and three quarter lengths in back of the winner. Note that this was not the case in Crown Over's last race prior to heading to Kasparoff's barn; in that race (which, like Saturday's, was eight furlongs on the turf) Crown Over was up close at the start, less than two lengths behind the leader, only to lose ground and finish over five lengths back.
I'll close this post as I did my last on Crown Over, stating that I'll be keeping him on my watch list, if for no other reason than to see if he ever does return back the $25k that was shelled out to get him to change barns. And I'll ask again, does anyone want to offer a prediction on whether or not Crown Over will turn a profit before he changes connections again?
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
On Saturday, Crown Over made his second start for Kasparoff, in Race 6 at Santa Anita. As with Crown Over's initial start for Kasparoff earlier this month at Santa Anita, the race was a Starter Allowance (NW2L) run on some California grass. However, while the October 6 contest was a turf sprint down the hill, Crown Over was stretched out to eight furlongs in Saturday's contest. Crown Over also got a change in rider Saturday, from Juan Hernandez to Joseph Talamo.
Didn't help.
Crown Over (Final Odds 9.10-1) broke from the gate seventh in the field of nine. In the words of the chart caller Crown Over "chased; no late bid". Never closer than fifth at any call, Crown Over finished seventh, three and a half lengths behind the winner, Smoken Legacy ($25.60 / $12.40 / $6.40). Crown Over's share of the purse for his seventh place finish Saturday was $350, the same amount that his seventh place finish on October 6 had been worth.
If you're looking to take something positive from Crown Over's effort, it's worth noting that he was closer to the lead at the end (three and a half lengths) than he was at the beginning (seven lengths back at first call). This was also true of the October 6 contest, when Crown Over was seven lengths off the lead at first call and finished three and three quarter lengths in back of the winner. Note that this was not the case in Crown Over's last race prior to heading to Kasparoff's barn; in that race (which, like Saturday's, was eight furlongs on the turf) Crown Over was up close at the start, less than two lengths behind the leader, only to lose ground and finish over five lengths back.
I'll close this post as I did my last on Crown Over, stating that I'll be keeping him on my watch list, if for no other reason than to see if he ever does return back the $25k that was shelled out to get him to change barns. And I'll ask again, does anyone want to offer a prediction on whether or not Crown Over will turn a profit before he changes connections again?
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
Monday, October 8, 2012
10/6/12 SA Race 7 - Horse Watch Follow-Up
About six weeks ago I wrote about Crown Over, a four year old gelding who was claimed for $25k out of Race 9 at Golden Gate Fields on August 25 by Trainer James Kasparoff. Since Crown Over had left the gate that day at Final Odds of 32.2-1, I was intrigued that a horse that the public viewed as totally over-matched at that class level would be claimed for that price (if you follow this blog regularly, you already know that fascination with longshot claims is a recurring theme).
On Saturday, October 6, Crown Over made his first start off the claim for Kasparoff, running down the hill in Race 7 at Santa Anita Park. The race was a Starter Allowance (NW2L), so it was a step up the class ladder for Crown Over, who went to Post at Final Odds of 12.9-1. According to the chart caller, Crown Over broke ninth, pulled early, was steadied, closed fast on the inside, and finished seventh, three and three quarter lengths behind the winner, Bev N Bud (5.5-1).
Crown Over's seventh place finish was worth $350 in purse money to his new connections, so he still a ways to go before he brings back that $25k investment to Kasparoff. Or maybe he doesn't. Note that when Crown Over was claimed on August 25, Kasparoff was named as both the new trainer and the new owner. But the chart for Saturday's race lists the owner as Calvin Nguyen. So perhaps Kasparoff has already made his money back on a private sale; or, maybe it was Nguyen's claim all along, and Kasparoff was listed as the new owner as a snafu, or perhaps simply to expedite the paperwork (by the way, if anyone reading this has the full story, please fill us in via the comment section; or, if you prefer, you can just shoot me an email).
Anyway, I'll be keeping Crown Over on my watch list, if for no other reason than to see if he ever does return back the $25k that was shelled out to get him to change barns. Anyone want to offer a prediction on whether or not he'll turn a profit before he changes connections again?
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
On Saturday, October 6, Crown Over made his first start off the claim for Kasparoff, running down the hill in Race 7 at Santa Anita Park. The race was a Starter Allowance (NW2L), so it was a step up the class ladder for Crown Over, who went to Post at Final Odds of 12.9-1. According to the chart caller, Crown Over broke ninth, pulled early, was steadied, closed fast on the inside, and finished seventh, three and three quarter lengths behind the winner, Bev N Bud (5.5-1).
Crown Over's seventh place finish was worth $350 in purse money to his new connections, so he still a ways to go before he brings back that $25k investment to Kasparoff. Or maybe he doesn't. Note that when Crown Over was claimed on August 25, Kasparoff was named as both the new trainer and the new owner. But the chart for Saturday's race lists the owner as Calvin Nguyen. So perhaps Kasparoff has already made his money back on a private sale; or, maybe it was Nguyen's claim all along, and Kasparoff was listed as the new owner as a snafu, or perhaps simply to expedite the paperwork (by the way, if anyone reading this has the full story, please fill us in via the comment section; or, if you prefer, you can just shoot me an email).
Anyway, I'll be keeping Crown Over on my watch list, if for no other reason than to see if he ever does return back the $25k that was shelled out to get him to change barns. Anyone want to offer a prediction on whether or not he'll turn a profit before he changes connections again?
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
8/25/12 GG Race 9 - Horse Watch
Crown Over, a four year old gelding by Suggest, began his career in March of 2011 at Golden Gate Fields, debuting in a six furlong Maiden Claimer ($32k-$30k). Crown Over, fourth at the top of the stretch, managed to finish a neck in front of the rest of the field that day at longshot odds, paying $36.40 to win.
Over his next thirteen races, Crown Over would compete without a price tag on his head; he would also fail to win again. But he was always competitive, despite the level. Crown Over took the Place in a first level allowance race; he took the Show in an overnight stakes; he finished in the money in half of the starter allowances in which he ran. In other words, this is a horse that can usually be counted on to run just well enough to lose.
This past Saturday, in the nightcap at Golden Gate, Crown Over, for the first time since his debut, was entered for a tag; and this time, he got picked up. Crown Over now belongs to the barn of James Kasparoff, the former trainer of (among others) Bob Black Jack and Made to Love Her.
Now, a horse getting claimed from a race in which he goes to post at odds of over thirty-to-one certainly gets my attention; especially when it's a gelding, because you know he wasn't bought to be sent to the breeding shed. Therefore, I'm going to keep an eye on Crown Over; at least for his next few starts; not because I expect Kasparoff to suddenly turn this perpetually loser into a winner (though I'm open to the possibility that could happen); but because I think Kasparoff can slot Crown Over back into allowance and overnight stakes company, where he can again hit the board at nice odds to fill out some well paying vertical wagers.
Or so I hope.
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
Over his next thirteen races, Crown Over would compete without a price tag on his head; he would also fail to win again. But he was always competitive, despite the level. Crown Over took the Place in a first level allowance race; he took the Show in an overnight stakes; he finished in the money in half of the starter allowances in which he ran. In other words, this is a horse that can usually be counted on to run just well enough to lose.
This past Saturday, in the nightcap at Golden Gate, Crown Over, for the first time since his debut, was entered for a tag; and this time, he got picked up. Crown Over now belongs to the barn of James Kasparoff, the former trainer of (among others) Bob Black Jack and Made to Love Her.
Now, a horse getting claimed from a race in which he goes to post at odds of over thirty-to-one certainly gets my attention; especially when it's a gelding, because you know he wasn't bought to be sent to the breeding shed. Therefore, I'm going to keep an eye on Crown Over; at least for his next few starts; not because I expect Kasparoff to suddenly turn this perpetually loser into a winner (though I'm open to the possibility that could happen); but because I think Kasparoff can slot Crown Over back into allowance and overnight stakes company, where he can again hit the board at nice odds to fill out some well paying vertical wagers.
Or so I hope.
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
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