Elsinore breaks Sunnybank Memorial’s Graded Stakes Win Streak record
Newmarket– Good thing ‘Memo broke Joe Cayenne’s Grade 1 Winners record, because the reigning Sim Horse Of The Year saw *both* of his 2004 benchmarks fall this season!
Sunnybank Memorial’s 2004 records:
- Grade 1 Win Streak record at 5-in-a-row.
- Graded Stakes Win Streak record at 7-in-a-row.
First, it was that upstart sophomore Horseshoe Bay eclipsing ‘Memo’s consecutive Grade 1 mark (‘Bay Bay conquered that one in late summer and the record currently stands at 6-in-a-row).
Now, we have the filly Elsinore breaking the Graded Stakes record after her classy score in the Grade 3 $125,000 Mine Trader Memorial. It was her 8th graded stakes win in a row. The 4YO filly has not lost since taking third at the graded level back in early April!
One To Watch At 2
You can’t say that this filly was destined for Sim history. But, then again, she’s not one from out-of-the-blue either. Elsinore’s story is a testament to class, experience, and patience above all.
As a 2YO, Elsinore zipped through her first pair of turf efforts in fine winning style. The Danehill daughter appeared markedly talented and, indeed, trainer wombat (aka Chilcoat) rushed her starlet to the Grade 1 ranks immediately.
Two things to note:
- The Grade 1 level in just her 4th career start
- Attempting that level without an initial two-turns test
That 2003 Filly Grand Prix(G1) was over a grassy mile and Elsinore purely spit out the bit, stuggling home as a well-beaten also-ran.
She’d go on to suffer a couple of similar humiliating defeats the following season, but as a 2YO, Chilcoat finished up Elsinore’s freshmen campaign racing back in what her filly had already proved: turf sprints in fine style. Elsinore tacked on an allowance and a runner-up stakes effort. She won 3 of 6 starts and was poised to improve further as a sophomore.
Early Experiments At 3
Not convinced of her filly’s lack of stamina, trainer Chilcoat experimented around two-turns right off the bat. Elsinore began her sophomore season with a pair of lackluster 9f and 9.5f races. By mid-February though, the filly returned to grass sprints and she won some purses.
Sure, the speeds were average versus short fields, but Elsinore *did* have to make up a lot of ground with her characteristic late-closing kick. Perhaps in hindsight, Chilcoat underestimated her filly. She sent Elsinore to the Black Middle Flower(G1) post despite only one career effort over the main track. The result of course was disastrous and it took a few starts for the filly to fully recover.
Some Kind Of Summer
By mid-August of her sophomore season, Elsinore boasted 6 wins from 16 starts with two listed stakes victories. Promising, but from here on out you can go either up or down. Wear and tear could be on the horizon soon. It was time to put the pedal to the metal.
Enter week 2216, one musty August Saturday. Elsinore entered the Sadie Until Dancer Special over 6.5f turf. She was a $25.70 longshot versus older females. Yuck. Time to throw up the hands? Think again!
As a true surprise, the filly upset her elders, flying from near last to first in a zippy 1:16 flat. A sweet coming out party that signaled a whole other level awaited. Two races later, Elsinore returned to the graded ranks, caught bridesmaid-itis for a spell, then conquered the Grade 1 level at long last in the Mumtaz Mahal(G1) on DelPenn Championship day.
Ups And Downs at 4
At this point, Elsinore is a Grade 1 winner from 21 starts and the sky’s the limit of course. Then again, the racing gods always hover out there and the dreaded wear and tear can be so cruelly tempting.
You gotta give trainer Chilcoat a lot of credit. Elsinore began her 4YO season with three straight horrible losses. The dip-down in SP#s would’ve made any trainer worry and start thinking about “pushing the envelope.” These races were all turf sprints, the filly’s proven superior distance.
But The Win Streak Awaits
Maybe Chilcoat did worry, but that line of thought was quickly erased once the filly finished a fast-closing third in April’s Castle Point(G2). Elsinore flew from last to just miss. Something must’ve woke her up — she would not lose from May onwards.
Her win streak includes two Grade 1s, one Grade 2, and five Grade 3 stakes. In an obscure division that does not create “superstars,” Elsinore defies the mold and takes her place amongst the celebrated stories of 2005.
Does she have two more stories left in her this year?
One of course is a final ’05 race perhaps on DelPenn Championship Day. Will she face the boys or will she try to extend her record versus the ladies once again?
The second story is that of the Sim Eclipse Award for Champion Sprinter. Furious competition versus males again there, but her record speaks for itself. Will Elsinore be the first female sprint champion?
Good luck to Chilcoat and her fabulous filly phenom, Elsinore. 🙂
Link: Elsinore’s Lifetime PPs