Carlos Santamaria—who is having a career year after starting his own stable from scratch in late 2022—has his first Claiming Crown in Workman Ranch's Global Sensation in the $125,000 Rapid Transit at 7 furlongs Nov. 14 at Churchill Downs.
It's part of a breakthrough season for Santamaria, who came into Nov. 10 just a few hundred bucks shy of his first $1 million season. That already more than doubles his prior best, $407,262, last season, with his 22 wins in 2026 way more than last year's five. Workman Ranch, a partnership headed by David Workman of Arkansas, also tied Juddmonte for leading owner at Churchill Downs' brief September meet with three wins apiece.
Santamaria claimed the 7-year-old Global Sensation for $20,000 at Ellis Park. In two starts for his new barn, the Into Mischief gelding won for $20,000 at Churchill Downs and then was second in a $12,500 starter allowance race at Keeneland. The winner that day was fellow Rapid Transit entrant Military Road, who is trained by Chris Hartman.
The Claiming Crown will be the Godolphin-bred Global Sensation's 43rd start. He has made $451,023 the hard way, running in only two minor stakes races—last year at Evangeline Downs, finishing ninth and third. Otherwise, he's run in claiming, allowance and starter races.
"It's like the Breeders' Cup for small guys, for small horses," Santamaria said of the Claiming Crown. "Not so much for small guys, because there are a lot of big trainers who will have horses in those races. But for these horses, it's a really good thing. They deserve to be in those kinds of races on those days. For us as a trainer and a small barn, it brings your name out there. It's pretty good for us, as well, but mainly for these kinds of horses. They run so hard."
Five of Global Sensation's 12 wins have been at Churchill Downs, which made him appealing to Santamaria. But two of his losses in Louisville were in the Claiming Crown, coming away with a pair of sixth-place finishes for two different trainers the past two years.
Global Sensation finished sixth the day he was claimed, but Santamaria wasn't concerned. He was looking ahead to Churchill. Plus, he later discovered that the gelding lost a shoe in the Ellis Park race.
"Right after I claimed him, I ran him at Churchill," he said at his Trackside training center barn in Louisville. "It was a mile race, a little bit far for him. But it was his favorite track, and he had Jaime Torres, who had won like four times on him already. He came back and ran a really, really good second at Keeneland. I think he's good enough to go back to the Claiming Crown.
"I freshened him up a little, because he's an older horse. He's one of these boys where I need to make sure he's happy. He's already fit. I don't have to work him every eight days. It's more about happiness with him. And he loves our program, I guess."
Churchill Downs' short September meet was highly productive for Santamaria, who had three wins and a second in eight starts. Global Sensation's victory also gave David Workman that share of the owner's title.
"He's super happy," Santamaria said of Workman. "He loves this game. He can't wait to be here for the Claiming Crown. For him, just me and the horse, it's going to be like a little Breeders' Cup for us."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
