$100K Claim Ole Crazy Bone Hangs On in Bowling Green

When trainer Mike Maker asked about claiming Ole Crazy Bone for $100,000 last year, owner Jayson "Jay" Provenzano didn't flinch. "I don't question Mike," said Provenzano, who races as Flying P Stable. "I call him 'Magic Mike, Mike the Magician.' He does great things with horses, dirt to turf, short to long." Or as Provenzano's wife, Amy, calls Maker, "B.T.E." That's an acronym for Best Trainer Ever. Maker dropped the claim slip for Ole Crazy Bone June 26 of last year, believing he would be ideally suited for races at Kentucky Downs, and that insight paid off handsomely. The gelded son of Ghostzapper was second in a $300,000 stakes and won the $2,496,667 Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational Stakes (G2T) for a $1,446,300 payday. After knee chips sidelined him, Ole Crazy Bone made his 2026 debut May 21 in a Churchill Downs allowance optional claimer and finished a game second on the grass at a too-short distance of 1 1/16 miles. "After that race, I said he would not lose again this year," Provenzano said. So far, he's right as Ole Crazy Bone returned to a more favorable 1 3/8-mile distance on Saturday and held off foreign shipper Fort George (GB) by a scant nose to take the $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) July 11 at Saratoga Race Course. "I'm not scared of any horse in this country or outside of this country," Provenzano said. "This was only his second race this year. He is going to get better." Provenzano choked up while talking about the victory, as thoughts raced through his mind of his mother, Suzanne, who died a few months ago. "My mom would have been the first person I called after the race, telling me how proud she was of me. I do miss that call. It's a very special win," said Provenzano, whose wife held their new puppy/service dog Clyde in the winner's circle and mentioned another pup, Bonnie, will be joining the family in six months. "I know she was watching and got us to the wire." Some heavenly help came in handy during the final yards of the hotly contested Bowling Green. Jockey Flavien Prat was not as aggressive in urging his mount in the closing yards of a race ultimately decided by inches. Ole Crazy Bone ($4.80), the 7-5 favorite, and Mrs. Fitriani Hay's Fort George were 1-2 for virtually the entire trip. After a half-mile in :49.54 and 6 furlongs in 1:15.22, jockey Kieran Shoemark and Fort George went after the leader with earnest on the final turn and drew alongside him. But the son of Territories (IRE) never went by. Though it seemed like the winner had put him away late, Fort George courageously mounted a final charge and came up just short in the final bob. "With what he's gone through with his (knee chip), to come back this year, and I think be equally good as last year, is very impressive," Maker said. Final time was 2:14.18. "My horse was there for me," said Prat, who won four races Saturday. Fort George, trained by Ed Walker, was second by a half-length over a closing OXO Equine's Minaret Station, a son of Instilled Regard trained by Will Walden. Ole Crazy Bone was bred by Adena Springs out of the Smart Strike mare Southern Gem. Maker said Ole Crazy Bone will return to Kentucky Downs, eyeing back-to-back wins in the Turf Cup.