Claiming horses fill the vast majority of race cards every day, but these hard-workers rarely receive recognition so the Texas Thoroughbred Association created the Texas Champion Claimer Award. The winning horse and his or her connections will be recognized alongside the other 2019 Texas Champions at the TTA Awards Dinner on March 21 at Sam Houston Race Park.

The Texas Champion Claimer Award is for Texas-breds who won at least three claiming races at Texas racetracks and earned at least $20,000 in total for 2019. (Starter allowance, starter handicap and optional claiming races in which the horse was not entered for a claiming price are not considered for the required three wins.) Horses are not selected or nominated to be included in the voting; any horse who meets the criteria above is included.

Below are the candidates for this year’s award in alphabetical order. You may click on each horse’s name for a full profile and race record from Equibase.

Voting is now closed. Congratulations to the winner: SMART’S KINGDOM.

GLITTER BRIGHT
6YO MARE
SING BABY SING – YOU GLITTER GIRL, BY GLITTERMAN
2019 Record: 13-3-1-1, $24,930
Owner in 2019: Karen Jacks
Trainer in 2019: Karen Jacks
Breeder: Tom Durant

SEVEN VIOLETS
8YO MARE
FOUR SEVENS – MATTIE M, BY HADIF
2019 Record: 12-3-1-1, $22,154
Owner in 2019: Darrell W. Bravenec
Trainer in 2019: Jaime Castellanos
Breeder: Brumbaugh & Verstraete

SILAS
5YO GELDING
EARLY FLYER – ROYAL SOUP, BY ALPHABET SOUP
2019 Record: 12-4-3-1, $38,935
Owners in 2019: Gerald and Brody Veal, Brad Grady, Esteban Martinez, Steve Asmussen, Adriel Gonzalez, Ramsye Mitchell 
Trainers in 2019: Kathleen Mordenti, Joe Sharp, Esteban Martinez, Steve Asmussen, Stetson Mitchell
Breeder: Gerald Veal

SMART’S KINGDOM
5YO GELDING
SIR SMART – POSSUM KINGDOM, BY HAMMER MAN
2019 Record: 6-3-1-1, $21,209
Owner in 2019: Bradley Martin
Trainer in 2019: Leroy Pollok
Breeder: Brad Martin

TRUE ALLEGIANCE
4YO FILLY
AWESOME PATRIOT – HEART AND SOUL, BY DEVIL HIS DUE
2019 Record: 9-3-0-1, $22,574
Owner in 2019: Catherine and Marguerite Lokey
Trainer in 2019: J.R. Caldwell
Breeder: Cathy and Marguerite Lokey

VALID THOR
5YO GELDING
ADVANCEEXPECTATION – DUBAIDORA, BY E DUBAI
2019 Record: 12-4-1-0, $26,337
Owners in 2019: Francisco Ramirez Gomez, Eric Archer, Marcus Penn, Kenneth Sykes
Trainers in 2019: J. Bustamante, Austin Gustafson, Karl Broberg, Dewey Paul Smith
Breeder: Francisco Ramirez Gomez