World Cup Ladies Marathon — Restricted – Grade I – $500,000

Race: World Cup Ladies Marathon — Restricted – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Pennsylvania
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one half on the Dirt

This race is weak on overall quality but does have three really good fillies in it. This have may have caused the lack of strength in depth. Mind I think there well could be an up and coming top class filly who may surprise them all.

Pin pick guides should not be taken too seriously.

NASA Team:   Xtremely Gold – TOUCH GOLD x UNBRIDLED x ALYDAR This filly is infamous because of two facts. One not her fault the other is. She is top class and rates the favourite on all known form in this race it is deserved. She holds the record for consecutive graded wins in the sim. Ran poorly last time on turf. Should bounce back on dirt. It will be a major surprise if she is not in the first three. Interestingly her original owner seems to have returned to the game. I wonder if he ever regrets dumping her?

Pp: If you count 4 legs in the post parade she should win

NASA Team:   Fusaichi Krissy – FUSAICHI PEGASUS x STORM BIRD x BUCKPASSER Classic back end breeding for a high-class sim dirt horses. This mare has done what she should have been a top class dirt runner. Only graded win as at 12f. Seems suited by the conditions and is lightly raced for a mare her age. Easily beaten by Xtremely Gold a few runs back and no reason for the form to be reversed today. Mind last four runs on a fast track have lead to wins. Which may give connections some hope.

Pp: Like’s to follow XG expect to be the bridesmaid once again.

NASA Team:   CSI Super – POINT GIVEN x FAPPIANO x LYPHARD How this mares stock has fallen. Saw a full brother to a stakes winner sell for $5,000 at Keeneland last week. Given some people’s opinion that is less than the mare’s connections spend a month on credits. I bet Mike wish that was true. I guess the super members wish they had that level of disposable income too. In fact so do I, mind I am sure if I did my wife would use it to buy a three-bedroom cottage in a Cotswold village somewhere near Stroud. This mare though is a tough consistent sort who comes into the race off a win last out. She would have to improve to beat Xtremely Gold who she was beaten by the race before that. Fusaichi Krissy has also had this mare behind as well recently. You would have to think she would struggle to beat those two mares if they run to form.

Pp: Like to follow XG and FK think of her as the lady who sweeps up the confetti

EURO Team:   Light The Light – THEATRICAL(IRE) x DIESIS(GB) x DARSHAAN(ENG) You would never believe this mare would want dirt in real life. Mind she is blessed with stamina. Her sire being a popular sire of national hunt sires in real life. Comes into the race off a win so should be confident. Her two ventures into graded company have resulted in heavy defeats and more of the same should be expected in this race. Might be worth a try over the turf at 12f just to see what happens in the future.

Pp: She only wins in a theatrical farce. This is no stage show.

NASA Team:   War In Heaven – WAR EMBLEM x NUREYEV x SECRETARIAT A very good win in her penultimate race in a good speed figure as well. She then was slammed in a graded race. All four graded wins have seen this mare beaten. Again looks lacking in class here. Mind, as with many running in the World Cup the owners good will is what makes thing luck this worth while. Hopefully she can continue to win her fair share of stakes races for her owner and make a useful broodmare.

Pp: Like a boxer with a glass chin looks good till slammed by the heavy hitters on show today.

EURO Team:    Remember Solaguen – UNBRIDLED’S SONG x HENNESSY x CAERLEON Like many by her sire she seems to be improving with age Her last 5 races are good she did not stay 14f on her only defeat in those races. Last win was a lifetime best run. Mind we have to consider the Shagfarms sim speed up in this. Looks a nice mare going forward. Have to admit though looks more like a 10f horse to me and may well be in the wrong race. The owner will have to consider weather class or trip caused her likely defeat in this race. My guess would be trip more so than class if it were the case.

PP: needs the starter to place the stalls at the 9.5f start for any chance to win.
FENZA Team:   Sam The Man – BLACK SAM BELLAMY (IRE) x HABITAT x NEVER BEND Another mare who would on pedigree be turf all through. Dam sire is the dam sire of the most graded winners in Europe since the introduction of the system. Lightly raced this year which makes me think an injury has caused the long lay off. This I a hot heat to come back from a lay off in. That does not inspire confidence along with defeats in all graded starts. As with many of these has been beaten by Xtremely Gold and no reason to expect any change there in this race.


Pp: Needs to have pumped more steroids than a woman who looks lie a man to win this.

EURO Team:    Go Ireland – REFUSE TO BEND (IRE) x MR. PROSPECTOR x AUCTION RING Another turf bred horses who has a lot of speed in her breeding as well but she stays. Last four races all wins. Only dirt defeat was over 8f it looks like the trip beat her that day. Has kept improving and winning easily. Very well handled so far. She has to improve to win this but given her profile that is not beyond belief. Has to overcome running against older horses for the first time. The only horse here that Xtremely Gold has not proved superior to as of yet. If anything can beat that mare she appears to be the one with any hope of doing so.

PP: Could be the fly in the ointment or a fly floating on the pond about to be eaten by a giant pike.

FENZA Team:   Satin In A Coffin – RAHY x DANEHILL x KRIS S. Danehill in a dirt pedigree. Well all things are possible in the sim I guess. Has failed to win a stakes race as of yet. She has also not run a 100sp in her life and will need to run a lot faster against this field to win. Would be interesting to see this filly run back on turf over 9-10f. She may well improve her class could be carrying her in dirt races.

Pp: If this mare wins the layers on bet fair will not afford satin in their coffins.

EURO Team:   Yonkers BG – COZZENE x DAMASCUS x LYPHARD The first thing to say is what a good claim this horse was. Well handled since she was claim. The trainer has worked the horse out well and placed it good effect. All credit to them for this. In truth in a filed like this has no hope, but taking part makes the event. Good luck with the horse going forward.

Pp: Will need to borrow my binoculars to see the winner.

FENZA Team:   Petkovska – GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x NIGHT SHIFT x SHARPEN UP(GB) Turf speed breeding again. Like many Giant’s Causeway’s seems to be improving with age. They seem to take a lot of racing and are good value in this day of wear and tear. No stakes wins or triple digit speed figures and little hope of a win today.

Pp: Just hoping she does not get lapped.

FENZA Team:  Player Piano – COZZENE x NIJINSKY II x CONQUISTADOR CIELO The second Cozzene in this race. Therefore if nothing else can be gained it is he is a useful sire for trying to get a dirt middle distance horse. Given how well that Caro inbreeding works in real life and that Unbridled Song also has a runner here maybe might give some food for though when breeding that next shot at a classic dirt runner. This horse is lightly raced and is also improving. Good recent race record. On the upgrade and may well do better than expected on numbers. Looks like a horse that could if handled with care may make a field for the next sim world cup. I doubt there will be many horses running in the 3yo+ races that will achieve that feat. Nice horse for the future and has great potential as a broodmare well though out breeding.

Pp: Go see your local bookie about a price on one of it’s offspring placing in the Breeders Bowl Classic.

In conclusion it appears Xtremely Gold should win this if fit no reason to think not but the sim can be strange. Mind time will be catching up on her soon. Go Ireland looks exciting and may give her most to do and can capitalise on any flaws. Fusaichi Krissy looks though to be the other horse to hit the board. Player Piano maybe a mare to follow for the future especially in the breeding shed in a few years time.