With the Breeders' Cup in the rearview mirror, excitement is building on the Churchill Downs backstretch as it is the claimers' turn in the spotlight. Horses from across the country are beginning to filter into Louisville, Ky., ahead of the Nov. 16 Claiming Crown. With more than $1.1 million in guaranteed purses available through eight races with starter allowance conditions, it's a chance for some of the "small guys" who make up the backbone of the industry to get recognition for all their hard work.
Juan Muñoz Cano is just one of 83 trainers represented in the entry box for the claimers' equivalent of the Breeders' Cup, but he is the epitome of what the Claiming Crown represents.
A longtime assistant for Angel Montano, Cano took over the stable upon his mentor's death in late 2020. Since then he has grown his Churchill Downs-based stable to 28 horses and is approaching a milestone 100th career victory.
Cano doesn't have the big-name horses, competing in only a handful of stakes races with two placings, but he has made his living in the claiming game. His success this year brought him four runners in Saturday's Claiming Crown, which ties him with Joe Sharp for second behind Mike Maker's six when not including also-eligibles.
"I got lucky this year and got four horses in the Claiming Crown. I'm pretty happy with that," Cano said. "I've been working hard."
Working hard is an understatement. The Guatemala native was his own exercise rider Nov. 12, taking out each of his horses individually. Instead of relaxing during the track renovation break in training, he used the time to personally walk another of his horses to a trailer across the barn area to be shipped to race at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
After all that work, which is the norm for Cano and many others in the industry, he returned with a smile while talking about his excitement for the Claiming Crown.
"I woke up this morning and I've been thinking about that day," Cano said. "I hopefully will have a good day and hopefully all my horses run good."
One of his best chances comes from Global Sensation in the seven-furlong Rapid Transit. Cano co-owns the 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding with Mark Milliner, claiming him for $16,000 following a fifth-place finish March 22 at Turfway Park.
"I had been watching him for a long time," Cano said about what drew him to claim the gelding. "I wanted to claim the horse last year at Colonial Downs and I didn't get him. I'd been looking at him at Turfway; he was running long distance the whole time. We shortened him up and he's been a different horse."
Cano's ability to remember the horses he likes, as well as watching a lot of replays, is one of the strengths that has led him to make several successful claims.
"Sometimes I watch a horse and two or three years (later) I still remember that horse. I still know that horse," Cano said.
Remembering Global Sensation and striking the claim box at the right time led to a renaissance in the gelding's career. In six starts since the claim, Global Sensation has won four and placed twice while earning $163,957. He is 3-for-3 in his career over the seven-furlong distance and 3-1-0 from four starts at Churchill Downs.
The gelding is full of run coming into the Claiming Crown, giving Cano a workout during his Tuesday gallop.
"He was pulling pretty good. He made me sweat," Cano said.
The #ClaimingCrown is Nov. 16 at @ChurchillDowns and trainer Juan Muñoz Cano’s entrants were full of energy this morning (with the trainer himself on their back)!
— Sean Collins (@BH_SCollins) November 12, 2024
Video Order:#GlobalSensation (Rapid Transit, R9)#Protomagic (Glass Slipper, R7)#BestPerformer (Tiara, R5) pic.twitter.com/BkQ723rL3N
Cano and Milliner also co-own Best Performer, who races in the Tiara covering 1 1/16 miles on turf. The pair claimed the 4-year-old Oscar Performance filly for $20,000 from a 5 1/2-length win over a sloppy Churchill track Sept. 27. That start was her first in 10 months off the turf, so Cano brought her back on a fast dirt track in starter allowance company at Keeneland Oct. 26. She ran flat, finishing seventh while beaten 13 1/2 lengths.
"She's mostly a grass filly," Cano said. "The jockey (Jaime Torres, who rides back Saturday) said when the dirt hit her face, she didn't really like it. I feel comfortable with her this time because she's back on the grass."
Also racing on grass in the 5 1/2-furlong Canterbury Tom Metzen Memorial is Voodoo Zip, whom Cano owns himself. He claimed the 7-year-old City Zip gelding for $17,500 March 7 out of a 3 1/2-length victory at Turfway Park. Once Turfway's meet ended, Cano gave Voodoo Zip three starts on dirt with no success. Switching to turf in his last two starts, the gelding enters Saturday off a solid third Sept. 11 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Cano said this race has been the target ever since.
The last of Cano's four starters is Robert King's Protomagic in the one-mile Glass Slipper on dirt. Transferred from the barn of Barbara McBride to Cano last winter, Protomagic made quite the impression for her new trainer while rattling off a four-race winning streak, all over the synthetic at Turfway Park.
After she hit the board only once in five starts since Turfway closed, Cano said he is experimenting by running the mare one mile before Turfway reopens. In three starts at the distance before joining Cano, she is 0-1-0.
"The distance is probably a little far for her, but you never know," Cano said. "She's been training pretty good. She's ready for Turfway, but the owners said let's take a chance in the Claiming Crown and see what happens."
Cano said he feels comfortable overall with the position his horses are in to make some noise beneath the twin spires Saturday. He hopes that the day in the spotlight might help get his name out to potential clients.
"It's hard competition," Cano said. "The owners may look at me (and see) I've been working hard."
Connections of the participants will have the opportunity to dine in the Stakes Room—one of Churchill Downs' premier dining areas that has hosted presidents and Queen Elizabeth II on Derby Day—during the card, but Cano said he'll gladly leave that experience to his owners. Instead, he'd rather stay where he's most comfortable.
"I like to be with my horse, I like to work with my horse," Cano said. "I don't like waiting for the horse over there (on the frontside). I like to see how they look in the stall before they go over for the race. I like to go with my horse, walk with my horse. I like to work with them."
