Dubai– The bugle’s blaring. The early flowers full in bloom. Springtime makes the summer sands of Dubai blossom all in color. It’s a March classic in the richest race in the Sim: the $6,000,000 Sand Castle Classic. A mile and a quarter and classy field top-to-bottom.
We’ve got the past two winners of the Sand Castle Classic, Solar Song (reigning Sim Horse of the Year) and Call of the Wild II ready to duke it out for your favor. Sim voters crowned them both as Sim Eclipse Champion Older Males in their respective divisions in 2005 and 2006. We’ve got the 3yo colt champ Ermington Pegusus, arguably the hottest and most swiftest horse currently racing in the Sim. More champions? You bet, with Armed With Money, the 3yo filly champ last season — she tests the boys in a bold move for the very first time in her career.
So many stars like Bluegrass Derby hero Virtuoso and New Found Cyclone, the ’06 Middle Jewel conqueror. Hot Intergalactic and mean Sensatious, ready for a banner score. Buddha’s Undies has a funny name, but, boy can he run! Macho Niner is a blast from the ’05 New Yorker past. And more!
Raise the curtain and strike the lights! It’s time for a showdown, a true spring classic. Watch the heroes and heroine summon the will and let us parade them to the post for the richest race in the Sim………………………..
Posts 1-7 by Snowchief
Post #1 Intergalactic (eddie72) 13/1:
Oh, this guy just positively breaks your heart! Intergalactic just got so close last season in the summertime sophomore grades — he was like a smigeon right there, but couldn’t bring on all the marbles. The son of Aptitude was runnerup in the Princess Cup and The Swamps. Switching to stalker gears, he faded to finish 4th in the LA Derby. Boy this guy just couldn’t rake in a stroke of luck! He missed Breeders Bowl day and instead took 1 0f 2 listed stakes events to close out his sophomore season.
Sometimes you think Intergalactic is a closer, other times you think he’s a pacesetter. He forged the latter this season as a 4yo. He won the Grade 3 Maxxed Paltinum over a 9f sloppy track wire to wire. Then he kind of didn’t show up sort of, running even-steven 5th in the California Handicap earlier this month. He stuck like a carousle horse in 5th place thoughout that contest. Just when will Intergalactic show up in what we know to be his true blue superior self? This guy’s so talented — through 15 starts, he’s won or hit the board in 10 outings. With over $850k in the bank, he counts his winnings, but just hasn’t quite yet broke on through. Sometimes, it seems like 9f is his best distance. Can he conquer at long last the mighty 10? What an exciting runner — but he must deliver finally and at long last for his fans. Glory of the Galaxy, thy name is Intergalactic. All hear his roar. #9 in division.
Post #2 Solar Song (squirrel4) 7/1:
Oh mighty heroes, crack open the skies! Solar Song rings in as the rigning HOY and Older Male on Dirt champion. He’s so popular, he’s got his own cyber IP address! What a magnificent 5yo by Deputy Minister — he won this race as well as the BB classic last year. He began ’07 well enough,taking the Grade 2 Benny Badger over 11f with a 107 SP#. Doggone it, he was just his all nasty self, the fastest train on the line. From way back, Solar Song lights up the course like nobody’s businees from off pace.
And, ya know, folks naturally got queasy after Solar Song “bounced” in a listed stakes event, his prep race for Saturday. Nah, don’t worry though Sim gamers. He always preps for the big races at the listed level and doesn’t always win in those preps. Big Solar Song just plain loves to gallop and parade for his legions of fans. So, he did so 4 weeks ago — no biggie. In his 32nd trip to the post, he’s on his game big time. Give him some pace to run at and stnd back. Da big hoss just wants to roll. Read ’em and weep! #4.
Post #3 Act Of God (lenny13) 11/1:
Here we go, Lenny! He brings an Empire Maker 5yo to the table, and boy, is this guy near the top or what? He’s an absolute downtown closer. From way, way back, Act of God delivers a mean knockout punch. You should’ve saw him in the Gravestone(G3) here at Dubai in December. Act Of God came from the clouds according to name. He was such a winner that the bookies fell down on their knees after giving Act of God overlay 8.40 odds. My goodness!
Act Of God wasn’t all that great from summer on last season, but boy, has he turned it around in his last start particularly. He came from dead last to just miss the photo finish in the Saints Handicap(G2) over 9f LTO. The bookies heads sure spinned with a rocketing 109 SP# in that effort. Sure, this colt may be a bit inconsistent, but he’s out for a final break out score. He needs it big time to capture the Sim’s attnetion. Quite the talent and, Silky Sullivan style, you’ll find him flying down the stretch. #19 in division.
Post #4 Macho Niner (louisville) 29/1:
Yeah, ol’ Macho Niner! He’s a longshot today, but in yesteryear, gosh, was he quite the stud fave! The 5yo Macho Uno son won last time out in a short field listed event — it was his 44th career trip to the post too. He’s just glorious runner of main trackdom, counting over $3.4 million in lifetime earnings. Gosh, he must have his own stockbroker by now.
Macho Niner doesn’t post the huge numbers as he did in days long by. The 2005 New Yorker hero posts 90-ish speed figures nowadays. Indeed, he steps up to the graded ranks here after winning 2 of his last 8 listed level events. He’s a hard knockin’ cowboy — maybe past his prime, but he can still rope-a-dope. Look for him on or darn well near the lead. #21.
Post #5 Otto Causes(IRE) (verona) 12/1:
And we got the new face here in Otto Causes, a 4yo troubadour by Giants Causeway. Otto Causes is a fresh face indeed — the colt made an appearance last year in the Eddie Haskell(G1), but aftera forgettable performance, was ushered back quietly to the ALW ranks. Otto Causes responded, sharpening his monstous pacesetter speed and eventually taking a 9f listed stakes laugher. The colt kept on moving forward too — he finished 2nd to Ermington Pegusus in the KY Horsemen Derby(G1) in December. A big 110 SP# in that effort signaled that he indeed was one to watch in ’07.
This year, Otto Causes ran midly in an Illinois Grade 2 before toughing out a spirited pace duel in the Glenn Handicap(G1). That’s a celebrated 9f contest and Otto Causes won by a nose. This colt’s supremely swift — beware, Sim gamers! Otto Causes might find himself all alone on the lead Saturday and that’ll be Mister Dangerous. He can stay the ground and thensome. Could this year’s Classic be the stage for this new rising star? Watch him out of the gate and beware! #12 in division.
Post #6 Virtuoso (super7) 22/1:
Oh, to return to those glory days! Virtuoso was the talk of the Sim when he won both the Bluegrass Derby and New Yorker last year. The 4yo son of Cryptoclearance hasn’t won since his day as the toast of the Big Apple. Not that he was some kind of slouch afterwards though — Virtuoso was third on Travelers day and runnerup in the DPCD Topicount Special over 12f. Unfortunately, the big guy sandwiched in forgettable efforts in the Jockey Guild and BB Classic, races that cost him the 3yo championship to Ermington Pegusus.
Virtuoso has been rather blase this season too, finishing 5th in the marathon Gallant Sox(G3) and way also-ran in the California Handicap(G1). Oh, where oh where has Virtuoso done gone? And where will he be come Saturday? Does he still have an A-game or has he already joined the long list of classic winners who didn’t amount to much at age 4? Cross your fingers from the back of the pack. #13.
Post #7 New Found Cyclone (ydrbargain) 11/1:
Last year’s Middle Jewel hero checks in aftera forgettable California Handicap(G1) run. No worries though — NFC looked like his ol’ nasty self a race prior, scoring a 110 SP# over his celebrated 9.5f distance in the Toilet Scrubbers(G2). Last year, he won the Travelers Stakes(G1) as an encore to his Middle Jewel heroism.
Let’s face it — New Found Cylcome likes to mix it up. He prefers consistency, but his mischievous side wins out somewhat, resulting in some subpar performances. But c’mon no biggie — he loves the big racedays. With an 8-for-23 lifetime record and $2.3 million in earnings, he can soak up the limelight through and through. Will he sit back from Otto Causes’ early lead or will challenge in a no-holds-barred contest? One thing’s for certain: the ‘Cyclone spins on his own time. He’ll show up or he won’t. Want to count him out? Ha! At your peril, you do! #3 in division.
Posts #8-14 by Squirrel
Slither, trained by PadreBri out of the peeps6 barn, is one of those rare horses to run with the best – and beat the best – in multiple years. He started his career running, and has never stopped. In just his third lifetime start, Slither popped a 112. Just about 2 years ago now the 5yo son of Deputy Minister earned his first graded win in the G2 Statewide Pinhead Guild at 9 furlongs. The 114 SP he earned for the 1:47 final time tied the stakes record. He wasn’t done yet, however. Midsummer he took home second in Smackdown I, and capped off his 2005 campaign with a 109 SP for a 3 1/2 length win in the 10f DPCD Classic owner-restricted stake. 2006 started out very slowly, but by summer Slither had found his stride again. He took home trophies in both the G3 Brooke Lynn and in Smackdown II at 10f held off eventual Horse of the Year Solar Song for a half-length victory and another 109SP. But as we’re all “what have you done for me lately?”, let’s talk about Slither’s recent accomplishments. He hasn’t won since Smackdown II last July, but he does have 3 straight ITM finishes in stakes. Unfortunately the 3 straight 102 SPs aren’t going to be good enough to win this race. But don’t count Slither out; he has this sneaky habit of spoiling a race when least expected. At 11-1 he’s a nice longshot bet.
What a name for the #9 horse. Buddha’s Undies gets no respect from the bettors who choose their tickets based on nomenclature, but he did get some respect from the track handicapper who placed him at 9-1. Corza5’s handsome gray Buddha son most recently ran third 8 lengths behind Ermington Pegusus in the G1 California Handicap. Any other day the 109 SP would have been good enough to notch another graded victory, but Undies just couldn’t catch the Pegusus. The 5yo has yet to win a graded race, but is a two-time stakes winner. So why is he 9-1? The four most recent races were big ones. Seems turning 5 agreed so much with Undies that he started really running for the first time, stringing together SPs of 109-108-108-109. Those were good enough for, respectively, a listed win at 9.5f, a fourth in the G2 Toilet Scrubbers Anonymous, third by less than a length in the G1 Glenn, and the aforementioned third in California. Undies doesn’t really seem to love winning all that much with just 5 trips to the winners’ circle in 35 starts, but he sure does seem to have found a liking for picking up paychecks. I can’t see this deep closer winning here, but a top-3 is a definite possibility.
My oh my, is the 10 horse ever a hot one. You’ve got to love a horse that can compete with the best of his own age group and then step right up to demolish older with no hesitation whatsoever. The 7-2 favorite, Ermington Pegusus, earned his favorite status the hard way, with three straight victories and an eye-popping 117 SP in his last start. Trainer pigeon3 has to be feeling pretty confident that his 4yo Sky Mesa colt can make it 4 in a row and start making his Eclipse case with a win in this race. What makes Pegusus so dangerous (other than his killer speed) is that fact that he can win from anywhere. Traffic ahead? No problem, Pegusus can drop back by 12 and still pull off a two-length victory. No one setting a decent pace? No problem, Pegusus can stalk the lead and still have enough gas left to win by 3. The big question is whether he’ll be regressing off that huge G1 California Handicap win, and whether he can hold his form after running four straight 112+ races. If it can be done, Pegusus will do it.
Sensatious went into the Breeders Bowl Classic off 4 straight wins including the G2 Bluegrass Cup and G1 Jockey Guild Gold Cup. He stumbled badly at the top of the stretch in the classic and never recovered, settling for seventh and earning a 2-month layoff. Trainer coffee brought the 7yo son of Conquistador Cielo back to the track in early February to see if the old boy still had it going on. He did, based on a solid second in a listed stake. That second-race-off-layoff characteristic could mean Sensatious runs the race of his life. He’s more than capable of big things, with 16 wins from 29 starts to his credit for over $1.4 million in earnings. The trainer has a 25% win rate, the horse is an excellent one, and he should be in great shape. A real good shot to win here. 6-1 odds could be a gift from the sim gods for this colt capable of running a 115SP.
It wouldn’t be a big race without an sdmf entry. The #12 horse, Genocide Junkies, is one of the more lightly raced in the field with 19 starts to his name. Five of those have ended in wins for the 4yo Louis Quatorze colt, who has also hit the board seven more times. Trained out of the 18% win rate sdmf1 barn, Junkies looked like he was getting real hit midsummer 2006 with a three wins in a row including a pair of listed stakes, but he took a 4-month winners vacation by earning no better than second from August through January. Those seconds weren’t exactly slouchy, however, as Junkies was runnerup in the G1 Louisiana Derby (beating out Ermington Pegusus who was third) and in the owner-restricted DPCD Classic. In that DelPenn race Junkies ran his lifetime best 110SP. Since turning 4, Junkies has one win from three starts and a high SP of 99. Granted, his last two starts have been on offtracks, but the 20-1 odds seem deserved.
Is there an award for most consecutive appearances in this race? if so, #13 Call of the Wild II probably has it locked up as he makes his third go at this race. The 2005 Eclipse winner took home the winner’s trophy in this that same year, posting a 111SP. In 2006 he settled for third, again posting a 111. Will he make it 111 three years in a row? Be pretty cool if he did. I imagine trainer gipper8 would much prefer win #2 this time around. COTW II skipped the Breeders Bowl Classic last fall, opting instead to take a two-month break. He came off his vacation in mid-February to win a listed stake by a narrow nose. The 106 SP seems to indicate the 6yo son of War Chant is ready to rock and roll again. It would be pretty cool to seem him repeat in nonconsecutive years by beating those upstart youngsters. At 9-1 odds, the old warhorse is eminently bettable.
Who would have thought we’d see the super-filly Armed With Money take on the big boys in this race? Monksfield’s 4yo Military filly bypassed the plethora of girls-only graded races this week to take her shot at the sim history books. She’s already earned over $3 million. A win here would make her the richest sim filly of all time. If any filly could pull off this kind of stunt, it’s Armed With Money. The 2005 Bluegrass Oaks champ had a blast defeating her own age group, and when stepped up to play with the older ladies won for fun by 2 1/4 in the Breeders Bowl Distaff, where she posted a lifetime high 109SP. AWM is coming into this race off a 5-graded stakes win streak. She’s a touch slower SP-wise than her male counterparts, but make no mistake, this filly has every bit as much chance to win as they do.
Sand Castle Classic entrants trivia:
3 Breeders Bowl winners: Call of the Wild II (2005 Classic); Solar Song (2006 Classic); Armed With Money (2006 Distaff)
4 Eclipse winners: Call of the Wild II (2005 Older Male Champion); Armed With Money (2006 3yo Filly on Dirt) ; Solar Song (2006 Older Male on Dirt; 2006 Horse of the Year); Ermington Pegusus (2006 3yo Colt on Dirt)
4 Triple Crown race winners: Virtuoso (2006 Derby); New Found Cyclone (2006 Middle Jewel); Armed With Money (2006 Oaks); Macho Niner (2005 New Yorker)
Good luck to all from Tracy (Squirrel) & Sharon (Snowchief)!