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.