Quotes and information from a National HBPA release.

Pennsylvania-bred Like a Saltshaker earned 2024 Claiming Crown Horse of the Year honors after his dramatic win in last fall’s $140,000 Claiming Crown Rapid Transit at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Brittany Vanden Berg and ridden by Chris Emigh, the 6-year-old gelding edged Keen Cat in a photo finish on Nov. 16 — a result Vanden Berg reacted to live, exclaiming, “Man, did he dig in! What an awesome horse!” before the official result was even posted.

That win, part of a 5-win season, helped the Marsico brothers’ $10,000 claim rise to national prominence.

“I’m still shaking from that finish,” said co-owner Mike Marsico, who added, ““It’s hard to find horses such as Like a Saltshaker, who can win eight or nine races over two years. When you find one of those, they’re really special, because every time they get out on the track, you know they’ll give their all.”

The Claiming Crown, designed to honor hard-knocking horses from the claiming ranks, is a joint effort by the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA).

Todd Mostoller of the Pennsylvania HBPA chairs the committee which chose the honoree.

“Selecting a Claiming Crown Horse of the Year out of eight worthy Claiming Crown winners is always difficult,” he said. “Call it another close decision for Like a Saltshaker based on the dramatic finish.”

Like a Saltshaker is a son of Peace and Justice out of the winning Harlan’s Holiday mare With Sprinkles. He was bred by Glenn E. Brok LLC.

Vanden Berg, who began training in 2019 and is based in Kentucky, called Like a Saltshaker “one of the most trying-est horses” she’s worked with: “Watching him down the lane, you could actually see him pushing his neck out to try to nose out the other horse… even if he ran second… it summed up his entire career.”

With Like a Saltshaker soon to lose eligibility for starter races in Kentucky, the Marsicos sold him in December to Staton Flurry, who plans to continue with the horse until “it’s time” to stop on him.

And then?

“He’s got a second career as an eventer and a second home already lined up,” Flurry said. “He’ll be in good hands for the rest of his life.” 

Like a Saltshaker has won 18 of 43 career starts with earnings of $606,161. He will be honored at the TOBA Awards Dinner on Sept. 6 in Lexington.