Mike Maker

Edited Press Release Many of the trainers and owners running horses in Saturday's eight Claiming Crown races already won a critical competition before the starting gate even opens at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: They got the horse at the claim box. With shrinking foal crops and enhanced purses in areas such as Kentucky, New York and Arkansas, there has never been more demand for a competitive claiming horse, the backbone of American racing. The Claiming Crown was created 25 years ago by the National Horsemen's Benevolent &...

A total of 90 horses spread over eight races were entered Saturday for next Saturday's 25th Claiming Crown, to be held for the first time since 2011 at New Orleans' Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Trainer Mike Maker--whose all-time record 21 Claiming Crown victories include two last year at Churchill Downs--and Robertino Diodoro lead the way with seven entries apiece. For Maker, that includes four in the 12-horse $150,000 Claiming Crown Emerald at 1 1/16 miles on turf, headed by GI United Nations winner Therapist (Freud). Diodoro's trio in...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victories of Buffoon and Kick A Rhyme for trainer Mike Maker and Pura Vida Investments during the past week.   Lope De Vega Colt Strikes At Keeneland Buffoon (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) put it all together at second asking at Keeneland for Pura Vida Investments and trainer Mike Maker on Saturday (video). Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux and Rifa Mustang Europe, Ltd., the €175,000...

After significant rainfall cancelled the entire Friday and Saturday Belmont at the Big A cards, a pair of Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' Challenge races were moved from Sunday to Wednesday in order to allow everyone to dry out. The GII Miss Grillo S., a pathway to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, brings together a cast of 12. Only Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's Gala Brand (Violence) has graded experience. The chestnut filly delivered in her second start when she faced males and won the GIII...

Edited Press Release Tyler Gaffalione capped off his third Kentucky Downs riding title in style, winning three races on Wednesday's closing-day card to finish with 12 victories for the FanDuel Meet, five more than 2021 riding champion and second-finisher Joel Rosario. Brendan Walsh earned his second training title, and first outright, at the track with eight wins, three more than Kentucky Downs' all-time win leader Mike Maker, who had a meet-high 10 seconds and nine thirds. Ken Ramsey, the winningest owner in Kentucky Downs history as well as Kentucky, won...

As Tuesday's entry time looms, the GI Travers S. is shaping up as a rare showdown of the three winners of this season's Triple Crown races. That's happened only five times since 1978, and on no occasion during the last 45 years when the winners of those spring Classics all graced the starting gate for Saratoga's "Midsummer Derby" has any one of them emerged victorious. That's a fairly daunting stat considering how the match-up of the GI Kentucky Derby, GI Preakness S. and GI Belmont S. winners is essentially what...

Therapist (Freud), winner of last weekend's GI United Nations at Monmouth, will be pointed for Kentucky Downs' $1.7 million, GII FanDuel Kentucky Turf Cup Sept. 9, according to trainer Mike Maker. Maker confirmed that stablemate Red Knight (Pure Prize), the UN third-place finisher who won the Kentucky Turf Cup last year, will also target the 12-furlong race. The 9-year-old won the June 10 GI Man o' War S. The Turf Cup is a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Turf, held at Del Mar this November. "[Therapist] finished...

With the most starts in the field at 41 and the most claims under his girth in the last year with three, Therapist (g, 8, Freud--Lady Renaissance, by Smart Strike) may not have appeared to be the one most likely headed back to the barn after Monmouth Park's GI United Nations S. as the winner. But like fine wine, he has improved with age, winning his first graded race earlier this year and adding his first Grade I score in Monmouth's Haskell undercard highlight. Therapist is 8-years-young. Off at 12-1...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar and even at Ellis Park, which attracts its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings tghat have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Saratoga and Ellis Park Friday: Friday, July 14, 2023 Saratoga 1,...

Representing freshman sire Vino Rosso, The Wine Steward recorded that stallion's first stakes winner with a victory at Ellis Park in the Bashford Manor S. With a maiden-breaking score by 6 lengths against New York state-bred company May 28 at Belmont Park, the Mike Maker trainee shipped to Kentucky. Off at odds of 2-1, the bay colt chased leaders Go Otto Go (Bolt d'Oro) and Call Me Andy (Midshipman) to the outside of the second flight. Rounding the far turn, the $340,000 OBSMAR buy went three-wide with good energy and...

1st-Belmont, $75,000, (S), Msw, 5-28, 2yo, 5f, :58.68, ft, 6 lengths. THE WINE STEWARD (c, 2, Vino Rosso--Call to Service, by To Honor and Serve) brought a final bid of $340,000 from trainer Michael Maker at OBS March earlier this year after breezing in :10.2 to be the second-highest progeny of his freshman sire (by Curlin) at the sale. A popular choice at the window, the bay drew the inside gate at post-time odds of 2-5 and, despite a hesitant beginning, stayed in contention with a rail-skimming ride around the...

Invaluable (Include) was named the 2022 Claiming Crown Horse of the Year by the National HBPA's Industry Awards Committee chaired by Todd Mostoller from the Pennsylvania HBPA. Invaluable will be recognized at the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association annual awards dinner on Sept. 9. Trainer Mike Maker and owner Peter Proscia's Paradise Farms Corp. claimed Invaluable, then 5 years old, in the final days of Saratoga's 2022 meet with the intention of running in the Claiming Crown on Nov . 12 at Churchill Downs. After finishing third in a $10,000...