I have not read much on it, but I watched all of the races yesterday, and felt like the TVG coverage of the event was very good. The races seemed competitive and there wasn't anything bad that happened other than when Thorn Song bolted.
I think this is a great program, and I hope it keeps going each year.
Do you support the claiming Crown?
Theo
The Claiming Crown
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
Thanks for squaring me away Tapp! 
I really hope that he's OK. I'm sure that the horse didn't make it! I really enjoyed watching the Claiming Crown races and found that most were very competitive and the outcome wasn't pre-determined by any overwhelming favorites. I especially loved watching ANTRIM ever so steadily mow down his competition to take the win in The Jewel by - what? - a nostril? - at the wire. Now - that was a great race!!!
It does seem with each passing year that I see more and more of the 'name' trainers participating - and the name jockeys were certainly making their presense known this year. There was talk between one of the TVG commentators and the man who runs Canterbury Downs about getting more money for the purses but I wonder if that will just make this series become a 'one off' day of racing for the big trainers/owners/jockeys and those of their horses which 'aren't the best in the barn' to show up in droves for the cash. The criteria for entry - requiring early nomination for a low fee or later nomination with a more expensive fee plus having to have been in a claiming race of a certain level within a certain time prior to the Crown does kind of keep it honest as to these entrants being truly of the 'claiming' level though I also heard or saw a graphic that showed several winners in the past having gone on to win in Stakes company after their Claiming Crown win.
It does seem with each passing year that I see more and more of the 'name' trainers participating - and the name jockeys were certainly making their presense known this year. There was talk between one of the TVG commentators and the man who runs Canterbury Downs about getting more money for the purses but I wonder if that will just make this series become a 'one off' day of racing for the big trainers/owners/jockeys and those of their horses which 'aren't the best in the barn' to show up in droves for the cash. The criteria for entry - requiring early nomination for a low fee or later nomination with a more expensive fee plus having to have been in a claiming race of a certain level within a certain time prior to the Crown does kind of keep it honest as to these entrants being truly of the 'claiming' level though I also heard or saw a graphic that showed several winners in the past having gone on to win in Stakes company after their Claiming Crown win.