Major Changes for Bluegrass Derby, Triple Jewel
Game guru Billgulch and the Sim kick up the Bluegrass Derby trail another notch with the advent of key “Derby Lock Preps.” The winners of these eight particular races will have automatic entry into Bluegrass Derby IX.
Billgulch adds this new draw-in procedure in an effort to elevate Derby trail excitement and bring importance to several dramatic sophomore races.
“This methodology allows that everyone knows the key races [that] they can win to gain entry into the sim’s biggest 3 year old event,” Billgulch said in a Sunday message board announcement.
The Derby field itself is limited to 20 horses.
New Bluegrass Derby Draw-in Procedure
- Winners of 8 particular races receive automatic entry
- Derby Lock Preps:
- All Saints Derby (Week 3154)
- Sand Castle Derby (3175)Florida Derby (3175)California Derby (3184)Chicago Derby (3184)Wooden Indian (3184)Arkansas Juvenile (3189)Corkscrew Stakes (3189)
- Remaining 12 (or 12+) horses based on their accumulation of stakes points
If a horse(s) wins multiple Derby Lock Preps, then additional slots open up for horses based on their accumulation of stakes points.
The old Derby draw-in procedure mirrored the Sim’s usual stakes points format. Those 20 horses drew in on their accumulation of stakes points.
Tweaks To Triple Jewel Procedure
Additionally, the top 3 finishers in both the Bluegrass Derby and Middle Jewel receive automatic entry in the following Sim Triple Jewel race(s).
- Bluegrass Derby 1st, 2nd, or 3rd = automatic entry in Middle Jewel & New Yorker
- Middle Jewel 1st, 2nd, or 3rd = automatic entry in New Yorker
The remaining entry spots in both Middle Jewel and New Yorker races will go to horses with the highest accumulation of stakes points.
Derby Lock Preps Highlights
- Louisiana Derby renamed “All Saints Derby”
- Sand Castle Derby no longer part of Sand Castle Festival card
- Florida Derby moves from mid-March to late March
- Chicago Derby returns to Derby trail after 2 year absence
- Arkansas Juvenile, Corkscrew Stakes move from March to April
- California Derby, Wooden Indian remain unchanged
Scroll down page for complete schedule!
A Brief History of the Sim Triple Jewel
The game itself began in late summer, 1998. The inaugural Breeders Bowl concluded this short season. The Sim Triple Jewel story then commenced in the spring of 1999. Forever known as the Sim’s Aristides, mpm12’s Pharrun Prospect won that first Bluegrass Derby.
Billg51’s Gatling Prospector and elnop’s Senior Dancer (who finished 2nd and 4th respectively in Pharrun Prospect’s Derby) provided a three-way Triple Jewel split when they went on to win the Middle Jewel and New Yorker. The popular Gatling Prospector eventually took the 1999 3yo championship, winning the first-ever Sim Eclipse Award Horse of the Year title.
An exciting duo of Triple Jewel contenders followed. Fleurdelis’ former claimer and rags-to-riches Down The Jazz was the first to win the Derby-Middle Jewel double in 2000. Capeside’s highly-regarded Buda With The Slew repeated the sweep in 2001. However, both went down to defeat in their New Yorkers. Mcjonny’s Fit Groom brought Down The Jazz’s Cinderella story to an end. Dirty Mat won a speedster’s duel over tired also-ran Buda With The Slew. Dirty Mat set the New Yorker stakes record in 2:30 4/5.
Buda With The Slew was a proverbial Sim superman in early 2001. The colt had captured the previous year’s Sim Eclipse Award for Champion 2yo Colt. In 2002, the next 2yo colt champ Tower Storm followed a near-similar path. Lonespeed’s Tower Storm advanced naturally from champion to prep trail sizzler and onward to Bluegrass Derby IV conqueror. The colt ran the fastest Bluegrass Derby ever too, completing the 10 furlongs in 2:01 flat.
Indeed, both Tower Storm and Bluegrass Derby runner-up Unbridled Fury set a stakes record again two weeks later in the Middle Jewel. Saver’s Unbridled Fury though got the best of rival in 1:53 4/5 for the 9.5 furlongs, vindicating his legions of fans. With no Triple Jewel possible, lonespeed decided to bench Tower Storm. Unbridled Fury went on to finish a distant 3rd in the New Yorker. Instead, a special story completed the 2002 Triple Jewel when brew’s All Lit Up(AUS) became the talk of the game’s Aussie and Kiwi community. The colt came out of nowhere, enjoying the 12 furlongs at a huge $25+ price.
Despite their losses, Down The Jazz, Buda With The Slew and Tower Storm all won their 3yo championship titles. Only one more Triple Jewel colt would capture the Sim Eclipse Award for Champion 3yo Colt prior to the Awards’ new format in 2006.
And he was the lucky charm too — indy’s then-unknown I Seek U barely drew into the 2003 Bluegrass Derby. The late-bloomer’s legend though gained whirlwind steam after he crushed the Derby field, tacked on the Middle Jewel and postively inhaled the New Yorker. The eventual Sim Hall of Famer is the game’s first and only Triple Jewel champion. He was Sim Horse of the Year in 2003.
2004 and 2005 saw plenty of drama in the 3yo dirt division, but the rise of the 3yo turf monsters Sunnybank Memorial and Horseshoe Bay kept them from championship titles. One of the game’s most successful trainers, Theatrical, mildly surprised the 2004 Derby with Granhee. Like Pharrun Prospect five years prior, Granhee didn’t win a heckuva lot afterwards. Ladysierra’s much-beloved Tuff Enuff became the first to sweep the Middle Jewel and New Yorker. Tuff Enuff also joined Gatling Prospector as the only Triple Jewel race winners who went on to capture the Breeders Bowl Classic.
2005 saw the 3rd three-way Triple Jewel split. Anticosti translated his red-hot prep races into an impressive Derby trophy for champions4. However, the Derby hero bypassed the rest of the Triple Jewel in hopes to avoid wear & tear. This was the biggest controversy since Down The Jazz used a turf marathon as his final prep race for the 2000 Derby. Anticosti did win a race later on that summer, but never recovered his old springtime form.
Instead, gg’s Fly For Buda rebounded from his 3rd-place Derby finish to romp in the Middle Jewel, but got nipped at the wire by louisville’s fresh-faced Macho Niner in the New Yorker.
Finally, super7’s Virtuoso made Triple Jewel history in 2006 when he became the first to win the Derby-New Yorker double. Ydrbargain’s New Found Cyclone spoiled Virtuoso’s Triple Jewel, winning at Maryland.
Victory, heartbreak, controversy, and one penultimate legend. For eight wonderful years, the Sim Triple Jewel dominates the game’s springtime. Who will join these 18 horses and this ongoing tale in 2007? As always, to be continued…….
Good luck to all in the new year!
Author’s Notes: Pharrun Prospect’s 1999 Bluegrass Derby field was limited to just 12 horses. This field limit continued the following year until it was permanently elevated to the current 20 horse field in 2001.
Additionally, career earnings determined the field in 1999. A stakes points system did not yet exist. A rudimentary ratings system that combined earnings and stakes level finishes was implemented and revised through the following years until the current stakes point format was perfected a few years ago.
IMO, all bets are NOT off with the new 2007 format. You still must accumulate stakes points to grab one of the remaining 12 (or 12+) spots. I wouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket, relying on winning one of those 8 races. Good luck!
Complete Derby Lock Preps Schedule
Date: 3/31/2007 (Week 3154 )
Race : All Saints Derby — Derby Lock Prep – Grade II – $500,000
Track : Louisiana
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
Race : All Saints Derby — Derby Lock Prep – Grade II – $500,000
Track : Louisiana
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
Date: 3/31/2007 (Week 3175 )
Race : Sand Castle Derby — Derby Lock Prep – Grade I – $500,000
Track : Dubai
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Race : Sand Castle Derby — Derby Lock Prep – Grade I – $500,000
Track : Dubai
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Race : Florida Derby — Derby Lock Prep – Grade I – $750,000
Track : Florida
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Track : Florida
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Date: 4/7/2007 (Week 3182 )
Race : California Derby — Derby Lock Prep – Grade I – $750,000
Track : California
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Race : California Derby — Derby Lock Prep – Grade I – $750,000
Track : California
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Race : Chicago Derby — Derby Lock Prep – Grade I – $500,000
Track : Illinois
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Race : Wooden Indian — Derby Lock Prep – Grade I – $1,000,000
Track : New York
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Track : Illinois
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Race : Wooden Indian — Derby Lock Prep – Grade I – $1,000,000
Track : New York
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Date: 4/14/2007 (Week 3189 )
Race : Arkansas Juvenile — Derby Lock Prep – Grade II – $275,000
Track : Arkansas
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Race : Corkscrew Stakes — Derby Lock Prep – Grade I – $500,000
Track : Kentucky
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Race : Arkansas Juvenile — Derby Lock Prep – Grade II – $275,000
Track : Arkansas
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Race : Corkscrew Stakes — Derby Lock Prep – Grade I – $500,000
Track : Kentucky
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Sim Triple Jewel IX
Date: 5/5/2007 (Week 3210 )
Race : Bluegrass Derby – Grade I – $2,000,000
Track : Kentucky
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one quarter on the Dirt
Race : Bluegrass Derby – Grade I – $2,000,000
Track : Kentucky
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one quarter on the Dirt
Date: 5/19/2007 (Week 3224 )
Race : Middle Jewel Stakes – Grade I – $1,000,000
Track : Maryland
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and three sixteenths on the Dirt
Date: 6/9/2007 (Week 3245 )
Race : The New Yorker – Grade I – $1,000,000
Track : New York
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : A mile and one half on the Dirt