TRACK TALK – Super1

TRACK TALK | Super1

10/11/2014 by PHAR LAP from THE BLACK TYPE BUGLER

                                                                                                     

 Today is ISSUE 30 of TRACK TALK. We will spend some time with one of the great Teams in our game Derby Fever. The powerful Super1 stable. Breeder and trainer of the super star JEEPSTER $8,102,875. For the purpose of this interview Jeff will be the spokesman for the team.

JEEPSTER – Horse of the Year 2009, Eclipse 3yo dirt colt, won the Middle Jewel, Eddie Haskell, Travelers Stakes, Breeders Bowl Classic (and finished 2^nd in that race the following year) Just an incredible 3 yo season! Named after a T-Rex song

SIRE   SEEKING THE GOLD      DAM SIRE STORM CAT                      DDS DANZIG

      

 

 

Stables Winning strike rate    15.1 %              ITM   42.1 %

Member of the DelPenn National residency

 

PHAR LAP:  Hi Jeff, thanks for taking the time for this interview.

Jeff: Hi Phar Lap, I’ve followed your track talk series, nicely done, never expected to do one on the super stables though.

 

PHAR LAP: Where do you come from Jeff?

Jeff: I’m a restaurateur & sommelier and originally from NYC, but I’m currently in Dallas for the 2^nd go around but also lived in NJ for 10 years.

Laura (topicount) is an attorney, originally from NJ, but is in KY

Tony (afc is a physician, originally from upstate NY, but also spent some time in the Carolinas.

 

PHAR LAP: Have you a racing background and can you give us an insight on how you got involved in this great game.

Jeff:  Ok Phar Lap, for better or worse, this one may be the oddest of all your Track Talk series, it’s a twisted tale we’ve weaved. Super began in 2005 as a joint stable group with four players as partners, AFC, Tony was the ringleader that brought us all together, and threw DPCD (DelPenn Champions Day) for the entire sim for years with probably 20 graded races open to everyone, TEXASACE, Wayne was probably the best trainer the game has ever had, he had multiple Trainer Eclipse’s and was nominated almost every year, TOPICOUNT, Laura has been a writer in the game for years, all the Hall Of Fame stories are written by her, but she is also one of the top trainers who always has big horses, WHIRLWIND, has had the longest running breeding advice link in the game and began the Eclipse Awards with KINGAB and SNOWCHIEF and managed to have a few good horses in spite of himself. We all came together at the DelPenn Residency and became friends and through an odd set of circumstances Tony decided to start Project Domination, super stables.

We each brought a different skill set and perspective to the table but it all clicked and we went on a breeding rampage and became very adept at clickfest on Sunday nights. When we started racing all those juveniles, we were lucky enough to win some races but it caught some attention. That attention to our stables was unlike anything I had ever seen and brought about quite a bit of controversy in the game. We won’t delve too deep into it but the people concerned will remember, lol.  We managed to win races, a lot of them.  We ended the season with two Eclipse Awards, SUPER GOLD for Juvenile turf filly and NO APAGUES LA LUZ for Juvenile dirt filly, both bred by Wayne.

2006 though, was what we were going for, the spring classics, and we got really lucky.  The logistics of running a stable of our size can be daunting, 42 stables, we thought we would have maybe 10 when it began, but got out of hand quickly.  Keeping our good horses away from each other was difficult to say the least.  We did manage to put 5 horses in the gate for that Bluegrass Derby, I don’t know that any stable group will ever do something like that again in today’s game, and though RHIBUS was the horse we all thought was the one, VIRTUOSO, came flying in the stretch to win the Derby in our first trip there. There is nothing in the game that compares to winning the Derby, nothing!

Wayne left the group in 2007 and it has been the three of us since then.  We have been very lucky and fortunate to have bred and raced over 75 individual Grade or Group 1 winners, 2 Derby winners, a Horse Of The Year, multiple Eclipse Award winners, a dual ARK winner, multiple Breeders Bowl races and somehow put at least one runner in the Bluegrass Derby starting gate for 8 consecutive years.  It’s been 10 years together so far, and we keep it going and still win our fair share of big races but it’s a different game now and Mike has leveled the playing field in many ways, but we still get pretty excited racing our stables and continuing to enjoy sharing the ups and downs together. I’ve played the game religiously since 1999.

 

PHAR LAP: WOW, an amazing tale Jeff

 

 PHAR LAP:  JEEPSTER is your best horse so far, can you tell us about some past and present stars in your stables.

Jeff:   Past Horses- we’ve been lucky to have had quite a few really good horses, so it’s very difficult, but here are some of the BIG ones:

PAST STARS

VIRTUOSO – Our first Bluegrass Derby winner, also won the New Yorker. His stretch running style was nerve racking, coming from waaaaayyyyyyyy in the back.

SIRE CRYPTOCLEARANCE          DAM SIRE EL PRADO              DDS FIT TO FIGHT

    

 

CARNIVAL OF LOVE – Our dual ARK winner of over $8 mil.  A monster 12 furlong turf horse, won plenty of races but always seemed to disappoint on BB day.

SIRE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY        DAM SIRE KINGMAMBO                DDS DANZIG

   

 

THE SEVEN SEAS – Eclipse winner, Breeders Bowl winner, a wonderful turf miler, he went to the front and basically, you had to catch him to beat him. Funny thing, when I bred him, I was really trying to get Sea The Stars but lost him in clickfest, put in Montjeu but never changed the name. Worked out pretty good anyway.

SIRE MONTJEU              DAM SIRE SEEKING THE GOLD      DDS SEATTLE SLEW

        

 

NO APAGUES LA LUZ – Eclipse winner Juvenile dirt filly, a great 2 year old season, sadly, she never returned to that form and ended up in allowances. A solid broodmare, 7 crops producing 4 stakes winners, but no graded winners.

      SIRE EMPIRE MAKER                    DAM SIRE DANZIG                  DDS FORTY NINER

     

 

SUPER GOLD – Eclipse winner Juvenile turf filly. Our namesake for our first year, she was an outstanding sprinter, who teased us trying to go a mile consistently.

SIRE  SEEKING THE GOLD  DS NORTHERN DANCER     DDS SEATTLE SLEW                                                                                                     

 

TO ALL THE CYNICS – Eclipse winner, Juvenile turf colt, Breeders Bowl winner. A pretty good turf runner as a juvenile and was a stake winner on dirt as well. I named him as a reminder of all the BS we got in the beginning of our super project. Basically, a  flip the bird to a few people.

SIRE  DYLAN THOMAS          DAM SIRE VICTORY GALLOP           DDS STORM CAT

      

 

ETHICS PARADOX – A fun horse to campaign, a multiple Grade 1 winning sprinter on turf and dirt.

   SIRE  GIANT’S CAUSEWAY            DAM SIRE GULCH                    DDS SEATTLE SLEW

      

 

PRAVDA – A multiple Grade 1 winner, a very good dirt miler, but as a broodmare, she has been superb.  6 crops, 4 Stakes winners, 3 Graded winners and two of those have been G1 winners.

      SIRE  KINGMAMBO       DAM SIRE PLEASANT COLONY        DDS DANZIG

        

 

RAS EL HANOUT – Our 2^nd Derby winner, also gave us our third Eddie Haskell victory. Having lived in NJ for ten years, I always like to have a runner. Has been unexceptional as an older horse and will become a hemare next year. He was very much a throwaway breeding, just to try Tanino Gimlet and never thought I would use him again, but then he sired another Derby winner, so I tried him a few more times and got two more Grade 1 winners by him, REFORM SCHOOL GIRL and LORD OF CHAOS, both turf runners.

   SIRE  TANINO GIMLET      DAM SIRE SADLER’S WELLS            DDS FORTY NINER

       

 

Jeff:   Some horses I really enjoyed campaigning

PARALLEL LINE – A wonderful turf marathon runner, earned over $4mil  

SIRE  HENRYTHENAVIGATOR      DAM SIRE DANZIG                   DDS NIJINSKY II

      

 

BANNER – A little more inbred than we would normally allow, but Laura put him together and he became one tough turf miler with earnings over $3mil in earnings.  Went to the post on turf 31 times and 13 of those were Grade 1 races.

SIRE  DANEHILL DANCER      DAM SIRE KINGMAMBO                 DDS DANZIG

      

 

ON THE ROAD – A multiple G1 winning dirt miler with over $2mil in the bank. Named after the Jack Kerouac novel and as a hemare gave us the G2 winner, DOCTOR SAX (also a Jack Kerouac novel)

  SIRE  DYNAFORMER          DAM SIRE UNBRIDLED’S SONG          DDS NIJINSKY II

       

 

FLAME OF APPOLLO – Tony put him together, multiple G1 winner on dirt at classic American distances.  A hard knocking handicap horse.

SIRE  KINGMAMBO          DAM SIRE SEATTLE SLEW          DDS HAIL TO REASON

         

 

SAKE – Multiple G1 winning mile and a half turf mare.

SIRE  DYNAFORMER                  DAM SIRE DANZIG                               DDS ALYDAR

      

 

SPARE T (IRE) – A tough turf miler, G1 winner, I always loved the way his name looked, an intentional thing when I bred him

SIRE  THEATRICAL                 DAM SIRE DANEHILL                  DDS MACHIAVELLIAN

      

 

INAUGURATION – I was off work and watching the first Obama inauguration on TV and decided to breed a horse from scratch. A whim that worked out pretty well, gave us our 2^nd Eddie Haskell win and a big win for my personal bucket list, The Sparkling Wine.  I only have two left from my original list, The Cosmo Mile and Jockey Guild Gold Cup.

SIRE  MR GREELEY                DAM SIRE WILD AGAIN                  DDS BOLD RULER

     

 

LANA TURNER – Gave us our only Bluegrass Oaks win, finished 2^nd in the Black Middle Flower and came back and won the Sister Hen.

SIRE  STREET CRY             DAM SIRE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY          DDS FAPPIANO

       

 

RHIBUS – We had 2 stables as part of the super project gradeone and gradetwo and the original 10 horses in each of those stables had to be from a G1 winning mare or hemare. He was from the hemare Pleasant Nijinsky, winner of the Travelers Stakes and Sand Castle Classic.  He was royally bred and was the hot horse going into that spring’s races. He was the co-favorite in the Derby, finished up the track in all three Triple Jewel races and was never the same, but, he really was the one we really expected to win that Derby, so much so, that I had almost stopped watching the race, when Virtuoso came down the lane and stunned everyone.

  SIRE  KINGMAMBO          DAM SIRE PLEASANT COLONY      DDS NIJINSKY II

         

 

PRESENT STARS

THE SEVENTH SEAL – out of The Seven Seas, G2 winning turf miler, just like her hemare

SIRE  BERNARDINI                        DAM SIRE MONTJEU               DDS SEEKING THE GOLD

       

 

SOLID GOLD DANCERS – Graded winning dirt sprinting filly

SIRE  DANSILI                    DAM SIRE DYNAFORMER       DDS SEEKING THE GOLD

        

 

LAUGH LAUGH – Due to be retired, but she has been a Graded winning turf sprinter, what you would call an honest horse.

SIRE  NORTHERN METEOR     DS DISTORTED HUMOR   DDS DEPUTY MINISTER

          

 

ZYR – ZYR- Out of Pravda. All of Pravda’s foals are named after Russian vodkas, Pravda was actually named after the vodka and not the Communist news agency. A G1 winning dirt marathon runner. I once asked in a very full chat room, if anyone tried to breed dirt marathoners, and got quite a few amused replies, which leads me to believe, these guys just happen and you never find out unless you eventually send them 14-16 panels and see what happens.  I’ve heard of players trying, but every marathon runner we’ve ever had was bred to go classic distances and usually Laura will try some at a long distance and we see what’s going to happen. He is having a dream year so far, 7-5-1-0, with 3 wins Grade 1’s, a Grade 2, a Grade 3 and a 2^nd in a Grade 3.  I am looking forward to the BB Marathon, where we should be meeting up with Ryan’s(lenny) colt, CLOAK AND DAGGERS, for the rubber match, of their year.  They have each won one and finished 2^nd in the other after meeting twice so far. Ryan and I are good friends, who love to race against each other, and frequently make side bets on the outcomes of those races. We love to race against people like lenny, given, dixie, ledwith, baggio and a few others, they are great trainers who always have elite runners and you race against the best to be the best.

SIRE  DUBAWI                       DAM SIRE KINGMAMBO        DDS PLEASANT COLONY

                                                                                                                                

 REFPRM SCHOOL GIRL – Still a 3 year old, but a G1 winning middle distance filly already. Named after the Nick Curran & the Lowlifes album.

SIRE  TANINO GIMLET      DAM SIRE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY       DDS KINGMAMBO

        

 

LA RAMBLA – Out of Super Gold, 3 year old filly, G2 winning turf runner

SIRE  GIANT’S CAUSEWAY    DAM SIRE SEEKING THE GOLD   DDS NORTHERN DANCER

           

 

LOST GIRL – The #2 ranked 3 year old dirt filly. Should have a nice career ahead of her. Named for the TV show Lost Girl.

  SIRE  STREET CRY          DAM SIRE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY       DDS SEATTLE SLEW

     

ELLERTON COMMAND – A pretty good handicap turf miler, G2 winner

SIRE  GIANT’S CAUSEWAY          DAM SIRE GONE WEST         DDS NORTHERN DANCER

      

 

PLEASANT WALK – Probably our star 3 year old this year.  Classic Turf runner won the English & Irish Derbies this year. Recently finished 3^rd in the ARK against older horses and will go in the BB Turf Classic.

SIRE  NEW APPROACH      DAM SIRE SEEKING THE GOLD   DDS PLEASANT COLONY

         

 

TEMPRANILLO – A late blooming Graded, Stakes winner on the turf

SIRE  MAJESTIC WARRIOR         DAM SIRE MONTJEU                 DDS KINGMAMBO

       

 

LORD OF CHAOS – G1 winner on the lawn, an in and out kind of horse, never really know if the in or the out is going to show up until the gate opens

SIRE  TANINO GIMLET             DAM SIRE MONTJEU                   DDS GONE WEST

        

 

PHAR LAP:  How has the new season treated you Jeff, any 2 year olds you would like to show us

Jeff:  Not too bad, Let me show you a few

COUNTING STARS – First or second in six races so far, probably a dirt sprinter, will try Stakes next time out.

SIRE  BERNARDINI          DAM SIRE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY          DDS SEATTLE SLEW

      

 

REBEL CIRCUS – 4-3-1-0 so far, Stakes next time out, could be a real dirt runner

SIRE  AMERICAIN               DAM SIRE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY          DDS KINGMAMBO

       

 

STOP THE CLOCKS – Already a two turn Graded winner by the #1 ranked sire, giant upside

SIRE  OASIS DREAM         DAM SIRE DISTORTED HUMOR          DDS STREET CRY

          

 

DROWSY CHAPARONE – 4-2-1-1 on the turf so far, time to move up in class and go from there

SIRE  GALILEO                     DAM SIRE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY       DDS DAMASCUS

         

 

JUNMAI DAIGINJO – Out of Sake, 6-4-1-1, Already a Stakes winner and two turn winner on the turf.  All of Sake’s progeny are named after Japanese sakes.

SIRE  MEDAGLIA D’ORO            DAM SIRE DYNAFORMER                 DDS DANZIG

        

 

BLUE ORCHARD – 4-3-0-1 on turf, already won at a route, time to move up

SIRE  FLOWER ALLEY            DAM SIRE DYNAFORMER             DDS GIANT’S CAUSEWAY

 

           

 

AMUSEMENT PARK – 3-1-0-1 on dirt 3-2-0-1 on turf. Missed by a head in a G3 mile turf race last time out, big upside

SIRE  DISTORTED HUMOR    DAM SIRE AWESOME AGAIN             DDS DYNAFORMER

      

  

PYROMAINIAC – 4-2-1-0 on turf  Missed by only 1 ¼ lengths in mile G3 last out  great potential

SIRE  AWESOME AGAIN              DAM SIRE GONE WEST                        DDS NUREYEV

        

 

CARNABY GIMLET – 5-2-1-1 on turf, we’ll see, but we’ve been pretty lucky with this sire

SIRE  TANINO GIMLET              DAM SIRE MONTJEU         DDS UNBRIDLED’S SONG

      

 

PAGLIACCI’S TEARS – 6-4-0-1  Already a Grade 1 & 3 winner on dirt at a route and just missed winning another by a head. Named after a joke that Rorshach tells in the graphic novel, Watchmen.  He is currently the #1 ranked juvenile dirt colt after winning the Grade 1, Sparkling Wine but will be skipping the Breeders Bowl.  He came out of it groggy and with only 3 weeks to go for the BB, he will wait for the Movieland in California in December. His real goal is the first Saturday in May in Kentucky.

SIRE  DISTORTED HUMOR      DAM SIRE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY               DDS FAPPIANO

        

 

PARALLEL REALITY – 5-1-3-1 on turf finished 3^rd in G1 on turf last out, will love more real estate

SIRE  OASIS DREAM              DAM SIRE KINGMAMBO               DDS SEATTLE SLEW

           

PHAR LAP:  WOW Jeff, maybe too much information but I am really aroused after looking at your horses, LMFAO

 PHAR LAP: OK, Breeding is one of the most exciting aspects of the game in my opinion. Have you any secrets you would like to share with us, we all would like a horse of Jeepster’s class and quality.

Jeff: I’ve been pretty lucky but I’ve also had the great advantage of a very large, quality broodmare herd and the financial resources to get the top sires.  I see that has become a level playing field for the top sires in the “E” version of the game.  Previously, I had become very adept at Sunday clickfest and the credits in the bank to take advantage of it.  But, breed the best to the best and hope for the best is pretty much real life and the sim.  There are always opportunities with offbeat sires that occasionally work well. HENRYTHENAVIGATOR and DYLAN THOMAS are certainly not “elite” sires, but we’ve had great success with them. TANINO GIMLET is another that has been very good for us, I’m always surprised when he is available late in the week cheap, especially since he has sired two Bluegrass Derby winners.  Sadly, some of the bloodlines are dying out, Ribot is one, the other is Roberto. I find the game and even myself falling into the Northern Dancer X Mr Prospector cross and hoping there isn’t too much inbreeding, giving us 5 legged horses.

 

PHAR LAP: Without giving away all your secrets, have you any favourites as Sire, Dams Sire and Dams Dam Sire?

Jeff: I think the back end pedigrees of your horses really make or break your breedings, the dam-sire and dam-dam sire. You have a much better chance of getting a big runner from non-elite sires with a good mare than putting a top sire with a mediocre pedigree. Direct  sons of Mr P like Seeking The Gold, Machiavellian, Gone West, Forty Niner, Fappiano are always nice, as are sons of Northern Dancer like Nijinsky II, Nureyev, Deputy Minister, Danzig and Storm Cat. I’m also a big fan of Pleasant Colony in the DDS spot, lots of stamina there. Currently, Distorted Humor, Oasis Dream, Dansili, Invincible Spirit, Tapit, Acclamation,  Giant’s Causeway, Sepoy, Majestic Warrior, Bernardini, So You Think, Soldier Hallow, Lawman,  Dalakhani, Dubawi are all in the rotation.

 

PHAR LAP: Do you prefer scratch breeding or breeding to your good retired race mares? Do you like using he mares?

Jeff: We began the super project primarily doing scratch breds, but after a few years, we had such a large pool to choose from, we probably haven’t done a scratch bred in quite a while. We use he-mares, they work as well as mares most of the time, I don’t know that I’ve ever noticed a difference between the two.

 

 PHAR LAP: Ok Jeff, we all know breeding is only one aspect of the game, once you get a good horse and get your maiden out of the way, the skill of the trainer then comes into play. Do you have any training preferences you would like to share with us? I am sure there are fellow trainers out there that would appreciate some advice from a trainer of your standing.

Jeff: Hahaha, I’ve said it for many years, I suck as a trainer, but I get lucky. I think Laura and Wayne in the beginning set the tone, they were very detailed oriented and really taught me how to do this and try to cut the variables involved. I really learned patience, and spotting horses correctly and trying all alternatives before giving up on a horse. Laura is very astute to making changes for surface and perhaps giving riding instructions. But success is helped by patience and doing the details, picking jocks and good spots. But sometimes, we all just go for it and see what’s going to happen, I mean, what’s it going to do? Die?

 

PHAR LAP: If you could pass on one piece of advice, what would that be?

Jeff: Patience

 

PHAR LAP: Here we go Jeff, jockeys!!!  Great people, but they can be a real pain in the backside sometimes. Do you call the shots or let them ride their own race?

Jeff: In the old game, Robert had given me a little program that with 3 clicks it would pick all the jocks for all the horses in all the stables in seconds. Now, Laura set up all the stables with the jocks we like, frankly, I don’t know that I would know how to do it myself.

 

PHAR LAP: Do you pay big incentives to get the best jockeys?

Jeff: We have plenty of sim cash and are happy to use it to bribe the little thieves and villains. But, we bid quite a few races to make sure we get riders and conditions to fit our horses.

 

PHAR LAP: Do you have a favourite Jockey?

Jeff: Not really, I mean Givens, Lawton, G D Mate, the Harzheims, Gossett, Ledwiths, I don’t know that they make all that big a difference, but who knows, I mean we run most of them on jockey select

 

PHAR LAP: All right Jeff, let’s look to the future, have you any big goals you have set yourself?

Jeff: I think we focus on juvenile and spring classic racing with super, like no one else and we have had great success in those races but I think you hope to find that lightening in a bottle again and getting that monster horse, believe me, it is always a jolt to win a graded race and it’s still an incredible feeling to win one of those major races.

 

PHAR LAP: Have you any big races to win on your bucket list?

Jeff: When I first started playing the game I wanted to win the sim version of the races I grew up going to and watching in New York. The sim versions were The Wooden Indian, The New Yorker, The Gary Carter, The Cosmo Mile, The Travelers, The Sparkling Wine and the Jockey Guild Gold Cup. I’ve won three of them at least twice and two of the others, but I’m still looking for wins in the Cosmo and Jockey Guild Gold Cup. I’ve been close, but so far, they have still eluded me.

 

PHAR LAP: If I was new to the game or had a problem horse that had me stumped or needed some help, where would you recommend I go?

Jeff: The chat is always a good place and I think residencies are important, it’s where you really make friends and get competitive. I think that most players are happy to help newer players. I have had the longest running breeding advice link in the game, it began at the old New York residency and has been housed at DelPenn for many years now. Got questions, use it, happy to try to help.

 

PHAR LAP: Can you recommend any Horse Racing Movies or Documentaries?

Jeff: “Let It Ride” is probably my favourite racing movie, also the Marx Brothers “A Day At The Races”.  I think there should be a movie made about the story Skip Hollandsworth wrote about The Killing of Alydar, it’s an interesting read and will give people another side of the feel good Secretariat/Seattle Slew stories.

 

PHAR LAP: Are any there things in the game you would like changed or improved on?

Jeff: I am probably one of the longest running handful of players that has watched the game grow into what we play today. Mike had a great idea, he runs a dependable game and constantly tries to improve it. The game is better, a bit more intuitive and easier to navigate and play, but I also think, he has levelled the playing field in many ways. The financial edge a group like super or the lenny stables had no longer exists in the game, with the way breeding shares are done. I have yet to get a Giant’s Causeway, Street Cry, Distorted Humor credit share this year, though we have standing high bids on them all year. The other thing, as one of the founders with kingab and snowflake of the Eclipse Awards, it bothers me that the entire process will now be mechanical.  I understand having the nominees done mechanically, but Mike has always said that it was the people and players that made the game what it is and I just find it unsatisfying that the players don’t get to be part of the process, it loses the human element of the game, so Mike, Bring Back Eclipse Voting!  But all in all, I’ve played this game for 15 years and continue to be amused, frustrated and challenged by it on a regular basis.

 

PHAR LAP: Well Jeff, it has been a pleasure to chat with you, you have had some amazing success, your team has just about done it all. Your story is intriguing to say the least. I am positive our great community will love reading your story and take some notes of advice. We all look forward to seeing you, the rest of the team and your horses around the tracks. Phar Lap and the Black Type Bugler thank you for your time and we hope success continues to ride with you.

GIDDEY UP from PHAR LAP (gcliffo)