Best Claim of all time

[tag]

General Quarters? Wesley Ward, what were you thinking?

[RockHardTen1985]

Lava Man

[andymays]

Lava Man would be up there as far as money won and grade 1 races won after the claim.

John Henry maybe.

[RockHardTen1985]

Lava Man would be up there as far as money won and grade 1 races won after the claim.


Lava Man could only run well in Cali, General Quarters is a cool horse and all, but I doubt he will ever be top class. He did have a number of consecutive seconds vs not the best horses around. I take this turf win with a grain of salt....Maybe he loved the soft? I thought Loup was best and could not get out at a key point of the race. I dont see GQ making much noise down the road, especially with them pointing towards the Arlington Million. I said Lava Man because I would take Lava Man over GQ.

[tag]

how could i forget about lava man. didnt know john henry was claimed.

[westny]

Peeping Tom.... raced for Pat Reynolds. Claimed for 40k before his career victories. Won 1.4 million including G-1 Carter.

55 Starts, 14 Wins, 9 Places, 9 Shows Career Earnings: $1,426,377

[andymays]

how could i forget about lava man. didnt know john henry was claimed.


I pretty sure John Henry ran for a tag at one time. I could be wrong.

[delayjf]

You could have claimed Charismatic for I believe 50k early in his 3 year old year.

[clore1030]

I pretty sure John Henry ran for a tag at one time. I could be wrong.

John Henry did indeed run for a tag several times, but he was sold privately between races:

http://horseracing.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://drf.com/misc/edit/johnhenry_lifetimepps.pdf

[RockHardTen1985]

You could have claimed Charismatic for I believe 50k early in his 3 year old year.

A Derby and Preakness winner has to be high on the list.

[Tee]

Budroyale

[JPinMaryland]

Shouldnt career stud fees be taken into account? If the discussion is based on sales prices surely part of that price would have been based upon perceived stud value..

[KirisClown]

River Keen, Exchange...

[tag]

sorry for not clearing it up, but my original post was strictly about return on investment on a horse being claimed. i really wasnt trying to get at the best horse to run for a claiming tag. in that regard, so far lava man, peeping tom and general guarters are at the top of the list.

[Hedevar]

How about Stymie. Claimed in 1943 for $1,500. he went on to win over $900,000.00

[KirisClown]

Exchange

Exchange, claimed early in her career for 50K by the Craigs, went on to be a Grade I winning millionairess..

For the same owners as a broodmare, Exchange produced Fair Exchange who in turn gave them Sidney's Candy..

Pretty good for 50K..

[Cratos]

How about Stymie. Claimed in 1943 for $1,500. he went on to win over $900,000.00


Which is about $6.5 million in today's dollars

[Hedevar]

Claimed for $1,500 at 2 by trainer Hirsch Jacobs, Stymie ultimately became the first Thoroughbred to earn $900,000. Some considered Stymie the best bargain since Alsab, who was purchased for $700 and earned over $350,000.

Stymie was known as a stretch runner and a crowd pleaser. He won 25 races at distances from a mile to 2 1/2 miles and set or equaled three track records. Hirsch prepared Stymie to become a champion handicapper. Twice he won the Metropolitan, Saratoga Cup, Gallant Fox, Grey Lag, Aqueduct, and Sussex Handicaps.


Stymie wins the 1946 Gallant Fox Handicap, Assault is third, ©Keeneland-Morgan

In his most financially successful year, at 6, Stymie defeated Assault and Phalanx in the International Gold Cup and won six other handicap races.

At stud Stymie was a better than average sire, producing 6% stakes winners.

Stymie was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1975.





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[ManeMediaMogul]

Cedar Key

Pewter Grey

Strong Award

Shagbark

[RXB]

Claimed for $1,500 at 2 by trainer Hirsch Jacobs, Stymie ultimately became the first Thoroughbred to earn $900,000. Some considered Stymie the best bargain since Alsab, who was purchased for $700 and earned over $350,000.


Well, with that info, I think I'd have to agree that it was Stymie. Earned 600x what they claimed him for. Wow.

[Bettowin]

Choctaw Nation was a good claim. Don't remember for how much but I think it was Mullins who got him and he won a few graded stakes.

Career earnings of $1.2 million:)

Added.

Everyone loves a rags-to-riches story, and among this year's Breeders' Cup horses, few fit that label better than Choctaw Nation--though the rags are perhaps not as ragged as for some of the sport's legends. The son of a talented if underachieving sire from a mare whose family has had its moments, Choctaw Nation has risen from a modest start as a $40,000 maiden claimer to an equine millionaire with a shot at North America's richest prize.

[Robert Fischer]

good stuff. My knowledge of the history is limited to the big names that "everybody" knows, these kind of factoids are interesting. Not to mention the rags2riches aspect.

[Fingal]

Choctaw Nation was a good claim. Don't remember for how much but I think it was Mullins who got him and he won a few graded stakes.

Career earnings of $1.2 million:)

Added.



Bruce Headly had him originally, put him in a 40K Maiden Claimer & lost him to Jeff Mullins. Headly knew what he had in the barn, thought nobody would take him, but Mullins knew what he was too-

[46zilzal]

STYMIE claimed for $1500 by Hirsch Jacobs

I see I was beaten to the punch but the old phrase "He is the best claim since Stymie" is well entrenched into the vernacular.

[wisconsin]

Bundle of Iron was claimed by Ernie Poulos (Black Tie Affair fame) for $5,000 at Sportsman's in the late '80's and won half a mil for Ernie.

[46zilzal]

Budroyale was claimed by a family in Vancouver and he did quite well.

[castaway01]

Anyone remember the 1990s Philly Park marathon specialist Win Man? Of course he didn't rack up the purse money some of these did, but with 48 (!) career wins, anyone who claimed him got some value for their cash.

[Wickel]

Star Over the Bay, Mike Mitchell

[freehouse2002]

Many in CA:
Budroyale for $50,000 I believe
Lavaman
Bluesthestandard....I know this one started his career in the claiming ranks. Was a beast for $10,000 and slowly moved up the ladder, ultimately placing in the BC sprint.


freehouse2002

[only11]

wasnt John henry claimed?

[Hedevar]

As I recall John Henry ran in claiming races but was never claimed. He was sold privately for $25,000.00.