by Steve Bailey

Antrim County dueled with Fancy Runner in the stretch before lunging ahead in the final strides to score a neck victory in the $138,000 Claiming Crown Jewel Stakes (video) on Saturday at Canterbury Park.

The 1 1/8-mile Claiming Crown Jewel for horses three years old or older that started for a claiming price of $35,000 or less since January 1, 2008, was the centerpiece of the annual Claiming Crown, which included seven stakes races worth a combined $566,000.

Antrim County was no stranger to the event as he won the 2008 Claiming Crown Iron Horse Stakes—his only other career stakes triumph—at one mile at the Shakopee, Minnesota, track.

The six-year-old Giant’s Causeway gelding was content to rate in third, then second, behind Glamour Guy through a half-mile in :47.31 and six furlongs in 1:10.99.

Pressing the leader on the far turn, Antrim County took the lead, was headed by fast-charging Fancy Runner on the inside, then surged ahead in the final strides to pick up the victory, covering the distance in 1:50.77 on a track rated as fast for trainer Bret Calhoun.

Antrim County, a half brother to Grade 1 winner and sire Albert the Great, won for the 15th time from 52 starts—he also has six runner-up and ten third-place finishes—and boosted his earnings to $416,630.

Feel The Thunder Stable’s Gran Estreno (Arg) won his first North American stakes race as he made a bid three wide on the turn and drove to a 1 ¼-length victory under E. T. Baird in the $99,000 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, 2008 (video).

The six-year-old Lucky Roberto horse was shipped to the United States after his three-year-old season but was unplaced in his only start as a four-year-old in 2007 for IEAH Stables.

Gran Estreno won one of three starts last season but has come into his own as a six-year-old, winning for the fifth time in seven starts in 2009 with a pair of third-place finishes.

Mizzcan’tbewrong controlled into the stretch under jockey Robby Albarado and held off a late charge by Love to Tell to capture the companion $92,000 Claiming Crown Tiara Stakes for fillies and mares by a neck (video).

Trained by Richard Scherer for Last Call Racing Partnership, the four-year-old Mizzen Mast filly won her third consecutive start and picked up her fourth victory in six starts this season.

In the $69,750 Claiming Crown Rapid Transit Stakes, a six-furlong race for horses that started for a claiming price of $16,000 or less since January 1, 2008, You’re My Boy Blue made a steady three-wide bid under jockey Russell Baze and drove clear in the stretch to a 1½-length victory (video).

The four-year-old Successful Appeal gelding, trained by Lloyd Mason, covered the distance in 1:10.81 to pick up his first victory of the season following two third-place finishes and a second-place finish from his previous three starts.

In the companion $71,250 Claiming Crown Glass Slipper Stakes for fillies and mares, Frisco Fox took over on the turn and drove under Baze to a three-length victory, her second from seven starts this season (video).

The four-year-old Trippi filly covered six furlongs in 1:11.04 for her first victory since capturing a six-furlong claiming race on February 21 at Golden Gate Fields.

To view Equibase charts for the Claiming Crown races, click here.

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor for Thoroughbred Times