by Mike Curry

Won Awesome Dude rallied from off the pace with a four-wide move in the stretch and accelerated clear to a one-length win in the $142,500 Claiming Crown Jewel Stakes on Saturday at Canterbury Park.

The 1 1/8-mile race for horses that started for a claiming price of $35,000 or less since January 1, 2007, was the feature of the Claiming Crown card.

Won Awesome Dude raced with a $20,000 claiming tag in a maiden claiming race on May 13, 2007, in his career debut as a four-year-old at Lone Star Park. He has posted three wins and three runner-up finishes in seven starts this season for owner Kuehne Racing, including a win in the Tony Sanchez Memorial Mile Stakes on April 19 at Manor Downs.

The five-year-old Awesome Again horse entered off a runner-up finish in the R. R. M. Carpenter Jr. Memorial Handicap on July 12 at Delaware Park.

Self Made Man edged runner-up Shipwatch by a neck as the even-money favorite to win the $95,000 Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for horses that started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less since January 1, 2007. The four-year-old Catienus gelding won the Dust Commander Stakes on February 16 at Turfway Park for trainer Michael Maker and owners-breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Trainer Merrill Scherer and jockey Eusebio Razo Jr. teamed to win two Claiming Crown races—the $93,000 Claiming Crown Tiara Stakes with 16-to-1 longshot Cat Hop and the $68,260 Claiming Crown Glass Slipper Stakes with Chippewa Court.

For Equibase charts, click here.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor