Best Claims In History
 

With the untimely passing of Caixa today, I though it appropriate to think about just what an amazing claim that turned into. Probably top 5 or better in history, however you want to evaluate it. Obviously Lava Man is towards or at the top...Would love to see others help compile a list. I'm not as old as some on here so I'm sure there are some examples I'm not as aware of.

Alpaca Fina, well until today.

You might want to check Lava Man's pps..

Sorry if I'm off. I thought he was claimed from Headley for 50k....could've been a straight claim....like I said, this thread was started for Caixa, I wasn't looking anything up.

Lava Man was claimed in his 13th start. Lonnie Arterburn trained him as a 2 & 3yo.

13! Okay I am thinking of another horse claimed out of their first then, not him, though he is obviously one of the best claims in history.

Taking Risks was claimed by King T. for 20k and earned over a half mil in the mid 90's.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/199...sks-stacy-race

Stymie as good a claim as there's ever been.

Spooky. :)

(edit - before I get beaten up here I mean he was a pretty good claim, not the greatest in history or anything).

Princequillo arguably was the greatest claim in racing.

Ladie's Din was a solid claim for 32....

i may be wrong, but i think skip out front was claimed for about 5k.

ended up winning a g1 later on.

my idea of a best claim ever would be a mare that went on to produce a superstar runner/stallion for the person that claimed the mare.

Not quite in Lava Man's league, but Native Desert was claimed out of his second start for 32k and went on to win $1.8 million, although amazingly he never won a graded stake.

How about King's Swan. 10 graded stake wins..

Furthest Land was a pretty good claim for Ken Ramsey. Claimed for $35,000 and went on to become a multiple Graded Stakes winner including his win in the 2009 Breeder's Cup Dirt Mile.

was john henry a claim?

Choctaw Nation has to be up there, though Mullin juice and shakes may have been part of his success. Earned over a million on track and not sure what he was sold to Maktoum for?

How about Catienus?

Seabiscuit?

I like this angle as well. Sometimes claiming mares can work wonders in the shed.

Was offered 3 times but never claimed....ended up being a private purchase.

Unusual Heat

I think Bordeaux Bob was claimed 1st time out and ended up winning gr 1 race

General Quarters

Videogenic

Budroyale was a pretty nice claim for $50K by Jeffrey Sengara in 1998, when his younger full brother was just a yearling and hadn't become Tiznow. "Bud" went on to career earnings of nearly $3M. He became one of the more popular horses ever on the SoCal circuit.

I don't recall who he was claimed from, but he was a fun horse.

Recently, and also a very sad story of course was Saginaw.

I was just going to post about Oscar...He was the very best ever... Shiiittss on Jacobsen

Another Jeff Mullin's claim, My Cousin Matt wasn't too bad either. Another million dollar winner.

Ken Ramsey would likely agree.

Lord of the Game was a pretty nice claim out of his cheap debut some years back.

Nick Canani was last trainer he was taken off. But before Nick, he had been taken by Mike Puhich off Dan Hendricks who took him in his debut from Jay Robbins.

Exchange.. claimed for 50K in her second start, went on to be a multiple Grade I winning millionairess..

And her one foal went on to produce a Santa Anita Derby winner.

Recoup the Cash went on to win close to a million dollars after Jere Smith took him for $15,000.