Derby Post # 1: Lovely Sheep, bred for Bluegrass
Imagine this bizarre scenario: It’s a picture-perfect 1st Saturday in May. Glorious sunshine fuels a rabid crowd of excited railbirds. They applaud the bugler’s call and cheer wildly the opening notes of “My Old Sim Kentucky Home.” Fans of all ages crowd around their TV monitors and big screens, waiting to glimpse that gorgeous moment when the first of 20 sophomores step out onto the Bluegrass Racetrack.
The first colt, a cocoa brown youngster (saddlecloth # 1!) gregariously leads the way. His name’s Lovely Sheep, a big wild-eyed colt with an unmissable broad white blaze on his face. Slightly awash underneath the hot sun, the zany colt pulls his “lad” (trainer Tonno200 is from Britain!) like a family pooch keen on an afternoon walk. The crowd roars in approval. This guy’s a leader and quite a character! He positively owns the show, head held high, ready for his warm-ups! Punters race back to the windows for one last bet. Perhaps they’ve overlooked this Lammtarra son at 23/1?
Unfortunately, Lovely Sheep’s admiring audience quickly turns aghast. They watch in horror as the colt breaks away from his lad, tosses his jockey, making a beeline straight for the inner turf course. In one marvelous leap that would put any showjumper to shame, Lovely Sheep scales the rail and sets to some serious grazing. Mmm, bluegrass. Before you know it, all 19 colts follow their leader, tossing their peoples, and setting to an afternoon snack.
Yoicks! Talk about headlines for the Sim’s 8th annual Derby! Just imagine reporters crowding around Tonno afterwards:
“What was going through your mind when Lovely Sheep jumped the rail?”
“Was your lad paid off to fall like that?”
“Did you intentionally hide the fact that your horse is crazy?”
“Tonno, did you plan this as some kind of protest, and, if so what are you protesting?”Fortunately, Tonno200 won’t have to tell the reporters to go stuff their conspiracy theories. The answer of course would’ve been simple though: Lovely Sheep was just running true to both his name and bloodlines.
Sire: Nijinsky II stallion, Lammtarra, an unbeaten champion 3YO who won the 1995 English Derby(G1) and Arc de Triomphe(G1)
DamSire: Sadler’s Wells son Scenic(IRE), precocious winner of the 1988 Dewhurst Stakes(G1)
Dam’s DamSire: Danzig son Akaaber, an unraced full brother to Chief’s Crown
So there you have it: a superb turf champion crossed with a lovely precocious star….. all crossed with a royal bred who spent a lot of time in the pasture. Lam[b] + Scenic = Lovely Sheep! Oh, and all that crazy zaniness goin’ on in Lovely Sheep’s head is due to the multiple Northern Dancer inbreeding. 🙂
Indeed, Tonno200 told this reporter that if ‘Sheep “bombs” in the Derby, that he’ll bring the colt back in a listed grass stakes after a spell. Lovely Sheep was stakes-placed from one try on the lawn as a 2YO.
Speaking of freshmen seasons, Lovely Sheep enjoyed a splendid early career reminiscent of his grandsire, Scenic(IRE). It was mostly over the main track though — ‘Sheep broke his maiden at second asking and a few starts later found himself boldly entered in the Sparkling Wine(G1), a traditonal Breeders Bowl Juvenile prep race.
The colt was an honest-to-goodness longshot that day at New York. He had a maiden and NW1x as well as a stakes-placing to his credit by then. Breaking alertly out of the gate, Lovely Sheep brazenly duked it out on the lead and displayed marked determination gritting out a 1 1/4 length win at the wire. The surprising score earned him a ticket to the Breeders Bowl Juvenile(G1) starting gate. The colt perhaps wasn’t ready for the big show, finishing dead last to Half A World Away in the BB.
Lovely Sheep raced two more times to end his freshen season. On both occasions, he displayed strong early speed. He was beaten only 4 1/2 lengths in the Club Stakes(G2) to K’s Rumor Has It and Clan Of The Cat (Breeding Empire finished behind ‘Sheep in 5th). A month later, Tonno raced him on an “early sharp” in December’s Rumson(G2) over nine furlongs. Again, ‘Sheep zipped out to the pace, but tired somewhat in deep stretch to 10th (behind winner Peacenik, Remember Tampero, and Ermington Pegasus).
That poor nine furlong effort might be worrisome to some handicappers and Tonno knows this:
“He’s certainly bred for the 10 furlongs, but the 9 furlongs [Rumson(G2)] attempt is a worry,” Tonno200 said. “If you toss out that [race] on the basis that he was tired and possibly unprepared, then he could run a nice race.”
Lovely Sheep spent a good spell down at the farm following his freshman season. He won his sophomore debut the first week of March in an allowance race. Tonno then gave him a solid work in an April listed stakes (where he finished 3rd with a 101 SP# over 8.5 furlongs).
A bit unorthodox Derby-trail with only two sophomore prep races, but Tonno has his colt where he wants him:
“He had a hard campaign as a 2yo [and] I didn’t want to over race him,” he said. “I like his preparation. It gives him chance to step up if he’s capable, but if not it shouldn’t spoil his whole season.”
Top New York jockey Nancy Lawton gets the call again to pilot Lovely Sheep. Lawton also piloted ‘Sheep in the Breeders Bowl Juvenile last year. Tonno instructed Lawton to hold back the colt’s natural speed.
“He’s set at 0.70 again like his last two races,” Tonno explained. “I think that suits him better than sprinting to the lead.”
If you’re keen on a Derby longshot, then take a second look at this flashy cocoa brown colt named Lovely Sheep. He’s bred for the “grass” in “bluegrass”….. a wild-eyed zany-crazy colt ready to jump the inner rail if you’ll let him. Hold onto your bootstraps and (hey, Lovely Sheep’s lad!) for gosh’s sake, hold onto the lead.
And somebody tell Lovely Sheep that *if* he finishes 1st after a mile-and-a-quarter on the dirt track, a prize sure awaits: roses, and grass, grass, lots of Kentucky winner’s circle bluegrass! Good luck, Tonno and Lovely Sheep!