Three Old Friends

Three Old Friends

West Virginia – The Coda, Winginit And Tanico’s Unforgettable Cup honors three of the Sim’s finest players.  I never really got to meet any of these three but I did interact with them through the Sim’s message board and Winginit and Tanico both wrote for the BTB’s forerunner – The Sim Racing Form.  Tanico was Mike’s first right hand man.  He worked the security gate at Churchill Downs and had to be one of the nicest people a person could know but not meet.  Always ready to help out and offer advice if you needed it.  I never saw him get mad and I was very sad when he left the game with total Sim burnout.  He is back to play periodically but hasn’t started a horse in months.

Winginit was a savvy player and probably one of the game’s more brilliant players.  He was a molecular biologist and I was always accusing him of being the one to clone Dolly the sheep – he assured me he wasn’t.  I wish I could remember all the things he did for the game but I do know it was a sad day when he left as I think he really liked it here.

And then there was Coda.  According to Mike he wasn’t very big in stature but he made it up for it in other ways.  He was certainly one of Mike’s most loyal friends but he could be rattled and when he had a few beverages he tended to get ‘loose lips’.  He was the only person Mike trusted to run the game when he took a vacation so that says a lot right there.  Unfortunately, he and Mike argued all the time and he left the game but he sure left some really good messages on the board and spilled the beans on Mike introducing breeding, long before it finally came about.  Of all the people in the game, past and present that I would have liked to meet; Coda is near the top of my list.

The Coda, Winginit And Tanico’s Unforgettable Cup will be run over the turf course for a purse of $75,000.  It is for fillies and mares three years old and up and will be run over six furlongs.  Here is a look at the field.

Breaking from the inside is L.A.’s Fine (7/2) a 6 YO mare by Gone West.  She has won nine of 42 starts and will probably be retired soon, but she has been well placed here.  Her best recent speed figure, 100, came two back in The Three Groove Challenge.  She hasn’t won in some time and has probably lost a step or two due to her 42 starts and age but she has some talent and will get part of it for trainer Murdoch.

Lactosa (6/1) is a 3 YO filly by Gulch and is trained by Dreamcity.  She really likes the distance and has won three of her last eight.  She split a six horse field last time out in The Zinc With The Live Memorial.  She’ll need her best but has won six of her 14 starts and fits well here.

Hoofers will saddle Alien Petting Zoo (6/1) a 4 YO daughter of Speightstown.  She is a seven time winner and has faced the starter 31 times.  She hasn’t seen the winner’s circle in over six months but has some gas and finished third three back in The Tootsie S. after leading to the top of the stretch. 

Down On Me (7/2) is ably conditioned by Zewango3 and is by Mt. Livermore with four wins notched on her belt.  She has also been in the money in 14 of her 21 starts which is not too shabby.  She is turning back in distance and that should move her up as she is 10/13 in the money sprinting.  Look for a strong performance from her.

Post five will hold Thea Bara (16/1) a 3YO filly by Barathea who is the morning line longshot.  Trained by Needles she has won two of her 11 starts.  She closed well to finish third last time out in The Tricky Slew but unless her low percentage jock is a quarter horse rider on the sly this filly will need her best.

Rock Amy (10/1) is the old lady in the group at seven.  She is by Comic Strip and is trained by Tmjstable.  Hopefully her low percentage jock has been match racing somewhere as she has some gas but will need all of it to get the 10 point jump in speed figures that she will need to get part of this.

The favorite drew the outside and Santacruz3 has been moaning all week about the luck of the draw for his 4 YO filly, La Santa Cruz (8/5) by Aldebaran.  She has momentum going for her as she has finished first or second in her last four races.  She finished second in The Buda Well and The Woody’s Affairs and earned a speed figure of 100 in both those races.  This will be her race to lose as she is a deserving favorite.

Good luck to all the entrants.