Idle hands look to the future.

On June 24th I injured myself doing a mundane thing at my job and managed to completely rupture 2 ligaments in my left ankle. As a result I have had a lot of time on my hands. Without much worth watching on Netflix and the like I tend to find myself on the internet playing this game, and watching a lot of horse racing videos, I also do quite a bit of pedigree study because its one of the few things in life that interests me anymore.

As horse racing fans, for the most part we were all excited to finally have a Triple Crown winner in American Pharoah, it had been a long time since the trio of Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed accomplished the feat in the 1970’s with many heartbreaking near misses along the way. In the two years since we have been treated to what I would call some very mediocre crops. With the exception of Gun Runner who has turned into a legitimate top level horse and the meteoric rise of Arrogate we have not had much to look forward to, Following Arrogates disappointing return to the track at Del Mar, we are left to wonder who the future stars will be.

This is about the time of year that you start to see 2 year old races and look to the 3 year old classic season next year. So much unproven talent awaits and it’s exciting to see the youngsters strut their stuff in their debuts. To that end, I found myself looking at 2yo workout videos from Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Los Alamitos on a service I subscribe to. I took particular interest in a colt by Pioneerof the Nile x Littlepricessemma yes the same pairing that gave us American Pharoah. The colt named St. Patrick’s Day has been impressive in workouts and looks very much like his big brother. St. Patrick’s Day worked in a pair in every occasion with another horse that ran in my mind equally as well, and sometimes looked to be even better. I had to know who this other horse was, so I found a name, and had to do some digging to find out more about him because his name had been changed between sale and present originally named Sing Out Loud. He was sold at Fasig Tipton for $85,000 and is sired by the maiden winner Maclean’s Music (bargain at $8,500) who had probably the most impressive debut win in history and then quickly retired due to injury out of the mare Yodelladytoo. Now that mares name really jumped out at me.

Too explain why that name jumped out at me, we have to go back to 1996 and the California circuit. In 1996 there was a 2yo colt tearing up the track and winning everything in sight and always at very nice odds. Me being a degenerate gambler at the time was killing it on his races, even cashing in a $100 win ticket at 18/1 odds on one occasion. There were talented 2yo horses that year like Inexcessivebull, Free House, and Silver Charm but this colt was winning everything in sight. His name was Swiss Yodeler and he won 6 of 9 starts as a 2 year old in California in 1996.  He would not amount to much of a racer after his 2yo season with only a couple placings in listed stakes at 3, 4 and 5 but in his 2yo year, he was the king of California.

Flash forward to 2001-2004 and Swiss Yodeler foals are hitting the track as 2 year olds, and I’m still a degenerate gambler. All anyone had to do in those days is scan the sires of a 2yo race, find Swiss Yodeler and bet away. His babies were like an ATM machine, I could have put myself through college if I didn’t like booze and strippers more at the time. I mean his success rate was ridiculous and I made more than my share. One of those winners was Yodelladytoo who romped in her debut and went on to some success in listed company.

Well, that was all it took for me, a Swiss Yodeler mare and a cheap 1 time winner sire produce a ridgling that is an Indiana bred and somehow this horse ends up in Baffert’s barn? How does that happen? Turns out the horse is owned by Kirk Herbstreit from ESPN Game Day, and I have to assume that is why it’s in Baffert’s barn. So I put the horse now named Soul Streit into my virtual stable on Equibase so I can get updates on his progress.

He made his debut yesterday 8/13 at Del Mar in a Maiden Special Weight contest going 5 furlongs with Mike Smith in the irons. Bet down to 4/5 he raced 5 wide down the backstretch, 3 wide in the turn, straightened down the lane and drew off to win by 5 1/2 lengths under a hand ride with mild urging from Mike Smith.

Below is a link to video of his race, just click on the flash pan tab.

http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/race-replays/0/201708131832DMD4

Now I don’t expect this horse to be on the Derby trail necessarily but it was a lot of fun for me to see him run his first race and earn Rising Star status from TDN. Who knows what the future holds for him? I know I will be watching with interest, and I also look forward to seeing his training partner St. Patrick’s Day soon as well.