Colonial Downs will host a qualifying day for the November 15 Claiming Crown this coming August, National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association CEO Eric Hamelback revealed Saturday.

Hamelback’s announcement came on the April 5 edition of Off to the Races Radio, powered by The Racing Biz. The Claiming Crown is run by a partnership of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

A date for the qualifying races has not yet been determined, but the event is expected to take place sometime in mid-August.

The Claiming Crown, established in 1999, will have its 27^th renewal this November at Churchill Downs. It will also take place at Churchill in 2026.

“We describe it as the Breeders’ Cup for claiming horses, the backbone of the industry,” Hamelback said. “The establishment of those races really were designed to highlight the best claiming horses in the game, and it has really morphed into a true special event.”

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The races are restricted to horses that have started for a specified claiming price or less. Those prices range from as little as $8,000 to as much as $35,000. The purses range from $100,000 to $200,000, and will total $1.1 million.

The races at Colonial will mirror the conditions of the Claiming Crown events. Hamelback said that he expects that the first two finishers will receive automatic eligibility into the big event and will have fees waived. Each race has a $250 fee.

“When we get ready to have horses eligible, they don’t have to pay an eligibility fee and will just be an automatic qualifier,” he explained. “We’re certainly hoping that they come.”

The decision to hold the races came about in part because Colonial Downs is now owned by Churchill Downs, and the parent company can leverage the events off of each other. It also required the approval of the local horsemen’s group, the Virginia HBPA, which controls the purse account.

“Churchill Downs, now that they own Colonial, was very receptive to that,” Hamelback said. “And I have to thank the Virginia HBPA… Their board voted to have their purses go towards these races and then ultimately help the winners of those races get to Churchill.”

The eight Claiming Crown races are all for three-year-olds and up and range from 5 ½ furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. Three are contested on turf, and two of the eight are restricted to fillies and mares.

But first is a stop in New Kent.

“This is something we did at Gulfstream several years ago,” Hamelback said. “An entire qualifying card to be run at Colonial Downs: we are extremely excited about having that.”