Lone Star Park and the Texas Horsemen's Partnership (THP) are teaming up to offer a Claiming Crown Preview Day on Saturday, June 2.

Lone Star Park has scheduled five races that will qualify horses for the Claiming Crown to be held at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, on August 4. Winners of each race at Lone Star Park will secure an automatic birth into the Claiming Crown race with those conditions.

As an added bonus, the THP will present a $2,000.00 check to the owner of each of those five horses to help cover the expenses of transporting the horse to Minnesota. "Our goal is to encourage a strong Texas representation in this event, which is produced by the National HBPA, TOBA and Canterbury Park," said THP Chairman John Roark.

In its third year, the Claiming Crown is an annual event that celebrates the bread and butter of the racing industry, claiming horses and their owners and trainers. The Claiming Crown consists of six races that divide guaranteed purse money of $550,000. Horses must be nominated to the races ahead of time, and to qualify for any particular race for which they are nominated, they must win one claiming race start at or below the specified dollar level of the race for which they are nominated in the twelve months prior to the event (more specifically, since July 31, 2000). The Claiming Crown is quickly becoming one of racing's most exciting and anticipated events.

In addition to the preview races at Lone Star Park on June 2, there will be a horsemen's party in the Pavilion Garden that day. The THP will host all of the horsemen with horses in the preview races, and additional tickets will be sold through the HBPA office. For ticket information please contact THP employee Tami Hare at (972) 237-5064.