Sand Castle Golden Sprint
The Sand Castle Golden Sprint GI $2,000,000 at 6F Post Time 2:40 OGT This Saturday we find ourselves in the land of sand, oil and money. Whole lots of money actually. While Dubai is a dry country in more than one way most Sim trainers know how to procure certain adult beverages. The pre race meet and greet started off innocently enough. Tmjstables however had different plans. After the official party was over the owner of the #1 ranked sprinter broke the party wide open with some of Kentuckyfs finest bourbon. Now a day before the start of the race and all twelve trainers are nowhere to be found. There have been scattered sightings throughout the region, but only sketchy reports have trickled in. In todayfs world of social media 12 Sim trainers a cell phone and a video camera nothing good can possible happen here. Being in town to cover the races and no trainers to be found made my day a bit drab. Then I received a call from the General Directorate of Moral Guidance of Dubai. I immediately realized this was not a good thing. The had recovered four cell phones and a video camera. They asked if I could come down and help them put the pieces together. With no trainers and no alcohol to be had I said sure what the heck. I walked into the police station where four ggentlemanh of the moral police were waiting for me looking not too amused. They had downloaded the videos and cell pictures off of the phones and cameras and made a short presentation. From the look on their faces I could tell this was going to be most unpleasant. The first picture that came up was of a trainer that I recognized as Fleetwood. Now I do not know much about Dubai, but I do know it is hot. Apparently too hot for Fleetwood. The picture was taken at Ski Dubai (the worldfs only indoor ski slope) well after closing time and I am all for indoor skiing, but was doing it in their underwear really necessary? Not really for me to decide. Plus the adult themed snowman was a nice touch that did not need to be added. Since we are on the subject they have entered PP 3 Fleetwood Forrest 20/1 Forestry X Fleetwood Hillary (Awesome Again x Gone West). This four year old is a stakes winner with a best speed figure of 112 at the distance of six furlongs. There have been some good performances in the past, but the form for this guy is just not real good right now. He is a need the lead kind of a horse and should be on the engine early and on or very need the lead. There is not a ton of speed in this race, but I do not think he can wire this field. He may be backing up late. Not much of a shot here I am afraid. With some serious disgust on their faces the morality police moved on to the next picture. Now I like bowling like the next guy, but you would think Upperhand2 would find something a bit more original than a bowling alley. Yes, the Thunderbowl Bowling Center located by Dubailand, Dubai, While there is nothing wrong with bowling apparently using a stuffed camel head as a ball is not considered acceptable behavior. After the gcamelh incident Uppehand2 bolted and disappeared into the night. They have brought a well bred five year old son of the late great Dynaformer. PP 13 Mirror Dance 10/1 Dynaformer x Ekaterina (Awesome Again x Seeking the Gold). We have here a graded stakes winner that on his best day could win this thing. He is however not in great form. Back in December he won a GIII firing a monster 114. Since then however, he has just not been very good and had to be dropped into an allowance race to get a win. I would expect Mirror Dance to be placed somewhere back in the pack around 3-6 lengths back. If he fires expect a one run move, but his recent form has been flat and no move has been the norm. Certainly has an outside shot though. Slightly embarrassed for my fellow Simmers at this point the Morality Police continued on. The next picture could perhaps set the relationship between the United States and the UAE back thirty years. I have known Steller1 for a short while and found them to be somewhat of an intellectual. It was not overly surprising that the next cell photo was back dropped in a library, the Hor Al Anz Library on Wuheida Rd , Deira, Dubai to be exact. Now none of this would be wrong except they have a famous table in this library. This table was used by kings of the past. So here I am starring at a picture of Steller1 playing Beer Pong on a table that once served royalty. My police friends were not amused. Anyways we should take a look at the equine they have brought for the race. PP 05 Low Shipping Costs 11/1 Street Cry x No Shipping Cost (A.P. Indy x Deputy Minister. This five year old multiple graded stakes winner is another one that has shown the talent to win, but is simply in very poor form right now. He fired back to back monster races back in Nov-Dec but has been just awful since then. At 32 races he might have just lost a step or two. I would expect him to be forwardly placed stalking the early pace. His last few races he has not shown his past early speed and this has hurt him. His best in the past is good enough to win, but in his last three races he has beaten a grand total of five horses. Not going to beat this crowd with that form. Now Dubai is quite proud of their infrastructure and this next incident will not go over well with the locals. The next photo shows what will become the longest arched bridge in the world. The Sheikh Rishid bin Saeed Crossing will be almost 2.1 miles long and should be completed sometime in 2015. Now I have no idea how Snape was able to get up there but there it was in giant black letters juxtaposed on a white bridge. gGIRL POWER GO STARDUST DREAMh. How one person can sneak up onto a construction project and write that in two foot block letters is beyond me. While I thought that was darn impressive the Dubai Police were quite unimpressed. The bridge will eventually link the localities of
PP 6 Stardust Dream 27/1 Awesome Again x Dreamy Cat (Bluegrass Cat x Northern Dancer). This four year old filly is a multiple graded stakes winner and still learning with only sixteen career starts. Her last start is a bit troubling though. She ran a career best 112 speed figure winning a GIII at six furlongs. The 112 was a career best by eight and I see a massive bounce here. This is also her first foray into open company. I would expect her to be mid pack and moving early if she can fire. Her form is good and being only her second start of the year she could surprise, but the odds are stacked against her.
The next photo somewhat blew my mind. Before winning the lottery Mtk76hold was a dozer operator. So I guess I did not understand the context of what appeared to be a photo from a small plane. Apparently this little escapade involved their old life as a dozer operator and a pilot. As I stared at the photo I could now see the gproblemh. I was looking at Palm Deira one of the artificial islands of The UAE and the western side of the island had been modified into a giant 76. Probably a good thing that no houses were destroyed, but a good chunk of golf course was. The Police were actually somewhat impressed with this stunt. Truth be told so was I. How Mtk was able to get to the island, get hold of a dozer and rent a small plane all the while gmedicatedh and not getting caught is pretty fricking awesome. Oh yea he brought a horse to race as well.
PP 08 Second Burst 13/1 Munnings x Frankie n Johnny (War Chant x Storm Cat). We are looking at a very versatile four year old that has won on dirt, on grass, sprinting and routing. Looking at his past performances one has a hard time figuring out exactly what his best surface and distance really is. I think it is most likely seven on turf. His best speed figure at six furlongs on dirt is only a 105 and that simply will not get it done with this group. This is another one that should be mid pack early. The last two races are not very good and last won back in early December on turf. This is a cool talented horse that is not in the best spot here. If the turf form transfers he could has a remote shot, but I do not think it does.
The next gitemh the police showed was not a photo, but instead a short fifteen second video. I do not know Upgrade all that well but have heard that they fashion themselves as a bit of a musician. So it was no surprise that yet another cultural symbol was going to be desecrated by yet another Simmer. Sure enough the Dubai Opera House was the location for this stunt. The video shows an empty stage as patrons are taking their seats. This is a tux and gown type event. So stage left Upgrade enters carrying a large boom box. They walk to center stage set the radio down and hit play. Yep, you guessed it, Mega Death at ear shattering volume. After about five seconds of air guitar Upgrade exists stage left with a trailing cadre of security. While I am no fan of opera was Mega Death really the best choice,? Probably not. While we digest Upgradefs interesting choice of music we can look at the fine animal he has brought to Dubai.
PP 11 Outback Hades 18/1 Smart Strike x Giantfs Causeway x Seattle Slew. This might be the wildcard of the race. The angle to look at here is the second off a layoff. An injury looks like the cause for this five year oldfs layoff from last October. He came right back and ran a monster 110 speed figure in a GII trying to wire the field finishing a gritty third. He did all of the dirty work up front and still almost hung on. If and that is a big if he can improve off of that race he has a real big shot. The fact that he is five and only has fourteen starts indicates he could move forward off his last race. He will be up front early and I would expect to be on the lead setting the pace. Can he hold on while the Simfs best sprinters are gunning after him? That is the two million dollar question. Tough to make a prediction on this guy, a win would not be Earth shattering, but neither would a fast fading ninth.
It is starting to get really uncomfortable as incident after incident is shown to me. I feel guilty and I didnft even do anything. So the next photo shows only the landing pool at Wild Wadi Water Park, near Jumeirah Beach. So you are thinking what is so special about a landing pool at the bottom of a giant water slide you ask? Well apparently a trainer named Zwylde wanted to make a political statement about the impending horse processing plant in New Mexico. And to make this statement an eight ounce bottle of red food coloring was dumped down the slide as a protest to horse slaughter. Well, the religious folks of the UAE do NOT appreciate a blood red swimming area. Now I am not sure of the connection butcZwylde vs. Wild Wadi, but I see something there. Now can their horse connect? That is the question.
PP12 Foolish Miracles 9/1 Candy Ride x Wylde Thing (Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector). This guy is another versatile horse that has won graded stakes on both dirt and turf and is a pretty serious race horse. He is a five year old that is already making his 30th start. At this point he is a grizzled veteran that has seen it all. He appears to be just a bit better on turf, but his best dirt effort would be good enough to give him a legit shot. His last race was a dud. I am going to just toss it out. It was so bad that it doesnft count. This horse is a classic stalker that loves to sit just off of the pace and pounce at the top of the stretch. He has a bit better speed on turf and really does need to be up close to have a shot. He needs to get first jump. His 110 speed figure in January in a GIII win at six furlongs would indicate his form is pretty darn good right now. Certainly not a favorite to win, but has a very solid chance at getting in the money.
Shorestar has always been a quiet soul since I have known them. So again I am getting to see the start of another video. It would appear that I am looking at the Emirates Towers. At over 1,100 feet these are some seriously tall buildings. I guess deep down I almost knew what was coming. Yep, base jumping. Which is bad enough, but of course a Simmer canft just base jump, they have to do it with no pants on. Well the police are defiantly not thrilled about this. I believe they said about 15 laws were broken in one 2 minute base jump. All of this was done in the middle of the day, yet Shorestar somehow remains at large. I would guess they will be making their way to the track to check on their horse.
PP 02 When all is Done 13/1 Dynaformer x King mambo x Nashua. A switch to dirt is exactly what the doctor ordered for this five year old. After 18 tries on the turf Shorestar made the move to dirt and a huge leap forward ensued. His last race he fired a 110 on the dirt at six furlongs which makes him a player in this spot. I would expect his usual stalking trip which should put him in a perfect spot. The one thing that might give me pause is his lack of a graded win. His last outing was a decent second in a GIII, but he was not all that close losing by over a length. I like this horse a lot, but I would like to see a graded win before tackling the best in the business. Could get into the money but a win would be surprising.
The next picture was not one, but a series of pictures set at Majilis Ghorfat Um-At Sheef House. This is a home of a wealthy family that has been opened to the public. It is a grand testament to the Arabic architectural style. Think of Elvisf house in Memphis, but much nicer. Apparently Lenny8 had quite the day there. Picture one was the library where every other book on the shelves were turned spine in. While this seem tame enough, who has time to flip 3000 books around. The next photo is of the bathroom. The Police asked if I had heard of an upper decker. I feigned ignorance on that one. The last picture was of the wine cellar. I guess a 25 bottle solo wine tasting event would be great if it did not involve bottles of wine that have an estimated value north of $200K. So I guess while Lenny walks off a murderous wine hangover we can discuss his entry.
PP 07 Code of the Street 7/1 Fusaichi Pegasus x Tiber Septim (Storm Cat x Affirmed). This is a serious racehorse. Last year he captured the GI Breederfs Bowl Sprint coming from the clouds. This race is full of very talented deep closers and he is one of the Simfs best but his races since the BB have not been very good. He is still closing, but not getting very close. His last effort was in an open allowance where he finished a dull fourth when he should have rolled that field. He will not get embarrassed in this spot, but he must race better than he has in his last two. He needs to not be as far back as he has been in the past. In the BB he ripped the field from nine back, but he will not be able to close from that far back in this spot. There is not going to be a crazy pace to run at. He has won from only five back before and I think that is the trip he needs to compete here.
We were getting towards the end of the presentation and I was pretty much just not caring anymore. The police however, seemed to be picking up steam at this point. The next photo showed the 18th fairway at the Jebel Ali Gold Resort. Now I have no proof of exactly who did this, but the police believe they have a solid lead. Someone had mowed the 19thhole- Go Western Oasis down the entire length of the 18th fairway. I am going to go out on a limb that 19thhole had something to do with this and that there may have been alcohol involved. Now how one is able to pull this off with no lights in the middle of the night is really beyond me. Well if they think enough of their horse to use the force to mow the name in a fairway we can take the effort to write him up.
PP 14 Western Oasis 12/1 Oasis Dream x Gone Nijinsky (Gone West x Nijinsky II). This year old is still learning having only made fourteen career starts and from what he is doing right now appears to be a freak. His last two starts have produced two wins with a 115 and 118 speed figures. Those are huge numbers. The one problem is that they were at seven furlongs. He has only had one start at six furlongs and that ended with him being pulled up. At seven furlongs he has a ton of speed and can dictate the pace. I am not sure if he will be able to get the lead at six panels. He is going to have to go faster than he has ever gone and might just get burned up. I like this guy a lot. This is a special horse that might be a great one. We will have to see if he can actually do his thing at six furlongs. My guess is he will be in the hunt, but get run down late by the closers. If he likes six furlongs he wins but a fourth or fifth place finish is more realistic.
I was almost thinking that the exploits of the Sim trainers might be over but apparently in this group they are all bad eggs. Four trainers left, four more incidents to squirm through. Now this next picture seemed quite innocent enough. Just a simple picture of Confessor wearing a Kufiya (the traditional head wear of the middle east). As the Police were glaring at me I made the mistake of asking gwell what is exactly wrong with that?!h. One of the larger of the four gave me quite the stink eye and asked me to look a little closer. On closer inspection I saw the Confessor had taken a Frankfs Red Hot dew rag and somehow cobbled together a kufiya. From the look in the policefs eyes I could see that this might just be perceived as a bit disrespectful. What is not disrespectful in the very nice horse Confessor has brought over.
PP 04 Moon Door 8/1 Malibu Moon x Dynaformer x Northern Dancer. This is one really consistent four year old that just lays down good race after good race. His best race at six is a 112 speed figure which is plenty good enough to win this race. Unusually he appears to be just as good at six furlongs as seven. This guy is another one that will be coming from the clouds which might present a problem. He is not the best deep closer in the field. There is one that might be a bit better. The interesting angle is that this one is only a four year old so we may not have seen the best this one has to offer quite yet. I would not be surprised to see Moon Door ten back early. He has won a graded stakes race from that far back, but against this crowd I do not think he is going to get there. I certainly think that he is a lock for a top five finish here. In the long run I would not be shocked to see a number one ranking in the near future.
The good news is that there is only three trainers left, the bad news is that there are still three trainers left. The next picture I was shown was a highway scene from Sheikh Zayed Road. You would think there is no way to cause to much trouble along a highway, but then you would be wrong to think that. The next photo was not a pretty sight. Picture this, Tmjstable standing along side the road wearing only a Speedo holding up two signs. The first sign reads eHonk if you are Horneyh. The second sign reads gHonk if you are noth. I guess they wanted people to honk. Apparently this did not go over well with the locals. As the police were busy berating me about my gfriendsh a thought popped into my mind. How incompetent are these cops that canft catch a single half sober Sim trainer on their home turf? I decided to keep that inner thought an inner thought. So as I was trying to get the Speedofed image of Tjmstable out of my mind it thankfully drifted back to horse racing.
PP 10 Golden City 5/1 Touch Gold x Carson City x Storm Bird. Here we have the number one ranked dirt sprinter in all of the land. He simply is a beast. He has six graded stakes wins, but has not been able to close the deal in his last few. This five year old. While he has been running decent as of late his last win came all the way back in August of last year. That is an eternity. I would expect to see Golden City sitting towards the front in perhaps the second pack. He could be as far back as six, but three or four lengths off the pace seems to be about right. A year ago at this time he was decimating his competition with speed figures north of 115. Simply is not the case any longer. He is now five years old and making his 27th start he might just be losing a step or two. Do not get me wrong, he could air this field if he can find that past magic. I think he will pick up a pay check, but I do not think he can score the win.
As a paleontologist in my former life I am acutely aware of how much trouble one can get into in a museum. After hours, booze and a museum are a recipe for shenanigans. So here I am watching security camera footage from the Dubai Museum in Al Fahidi Fort. How Texasace got in there after hours is beyond me. How they can have zero live security personnel on site is almost like the museum was asking to be messed with. So I see a flash of Texasace on the video in short snippets, but his handy work was apparent everywhere. Sure some people might be able to move a mannequin into a compromising situation with a camel. Any ordinary person can do that with very little imagination. I guess Texasace is not ordinary. In the pre oil diorama, he somehow managed to make a full size stuffed camel appear to be having relations with a blacksmith. He must work out. Well speaking of workouts his horse had one of the better moves last week and looks like he is going to fire huge.
PP 01 Heza Fast Cat 8/1 Dansili x Storm Cat x Mr. P. The number two ranked sprinter is looking to take over the number one spot this week and certainly has the talent. His form however is not exactly awesome right now, but looks like he might fire huge. I love the 6.5 f open allowance prep last time out to get ready for this. His last stakes win came back in October, but what a win it was. He aired the field by two lengths with a big 117 speed figure. Anything near that wins this race. He is the deepest closer in the field and the best deep closer in the field. He could be eleven back in this race and still get there. He has that kind of closing kick. This will only be his 14th start so there is still room to grow. He is not my pick to win, but if my pick doesnft get it done this is my choice. Love the prep race, cutting back to six should give him a huge shot. I would be very surprised to see this one out of the top three.
Thankfully we were at the end of the what shall be referred to as the Shame in the Desert from here forward. The last was a series of photos from the dolphin tank at the Dubai Mall Aquarium. Apparently Queenab (When Kingab cross dresses he uses the alias Queenab. It makes him feel fprettyf) entered an off exhibit area. Do these people not lock anything? The first picture is of Queenan stripping down. The second picture shows him slipping into the dolphin pool. The third picture shows a very large male rapidly swimming towards him. Now picture number four is where it gets disturbing. The male dolphin appears to think Queenab is a date. The horror in his eyes is just scary. Now the fifth picture shows a clearly upset Queenab in a shower curled up in the fetal position trying to wash away something that just isnft there. Very very disturbing. Well he may need years of therapy to erase that from his mind, but his horse is a beast and my pick to win it all.
PP 09 Star of Seattle 7/1 Sea of Stars x Seattle Slew x Halo. We could be looking at an absolute freak. Well let me rephrase that. We are looking at an absolute freak. He has raced twelve times and won nine of those starts. This is the really frightening part, he has raced at six furlongs six times. He has yet to lose at the distance. At some point he is going to lose at the distance I just do not think it will be in this sport. He is the least experience horse in the field, but looks to be the most talented. I would expect him to be up close early and should be eating the front runners up by the top of the stretch. He has won races from the front, from just off the pace and can close. He will get a perfect trip because of his versatile running style. His last five races he has won, all with 112+ speed figures. There are lots of good horses in this race, but this is a great horse even at this early stage of his career.
As we finished up with the video evidence a phone rang. One of the cops picked it up and was talking with someone excitedly while glancing over at me occasionally. After a few minutes he slammed the phone down. All of the Sim trainers had been found and were on a private bus headed to the track. Wanting to avoid an international incident, all would be escorted to the track, watch the dayfs races, get escorted to the airport at which point all would leave The UAE. No charges would be filed as it would show poorly on the UAE. As they turned around to talk amongst themselves I crept out myself, after all there is a race to run.
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