Future Stars Series – 2 Years Later

Back in 2019, I launched a new series for the BTB looking for the future stars of the Sim.  The concept was pretty simple: you have a stronger attachment to a horse when you “get in at the ground floor.”  Every good horse has to start somewhere.  So the series set out to catch the next great sim horses before they became great.  For the first half of 2019, we focused on the 3yo allowance levels.  For the second half of 2019 (at least until the end of September), we moved down to the 2yo ranks.  Using a combination of past performances, siblings, and a little “special sauce”, we tried to alert you to which horses might take down the next Bluegrass Derby or Breeders Bowl.

Well, it’s 2 years later.  The future is now.  Many of those 2yo/3yo have hit (and maybe passed) their peaks, and most have found their place in this Sim world.  So how did we do with identifying the future stars of the Sim?  In a word…

Meh.

I was hoping for a Breeders’ Bowl winner, a Sim Eclipse Award winner, or a Classic winner.  I…didn’t get any of those.  But it wasn’t a complete waste.  We did manage to ID a few G1 winners, and some other top tier runners.  But before we break down some of the real winners from the group, let’s take a look at the stats.

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Here are the total numbers for all horses in the Future Stars Series following their Future Stars Series race (all numbers through September 20, 2021):

Number of Races:	5,084
Number of Wins:	958 (18.84%)
Number of ITM Finishes:	2,494 (49.06%)
Number of Non-Graded Stakes Races	570
Number of Non-Graded Stakes Wins	80 (14.04%)
Number of Non-Graded Stakes ITMs	213 (37.37%)
Number of Graded Stakes Races	287
Number of Graded Stakes Wins	25 (8.71%)
Number of Graded Stakes ITMs	94 (32.75%)
Average Finish	4.25
Average Odds	8.44
Average SP	93.96
SP Standard Deviation	13.13
Maximum SP	120.94

The stats above aren’t terrible. The 19% win percentage isn’t too far off the 23% win percentage that the horses had in my 2019 mid-year recap, and that was focused on 3yos who had much more of a race history that the 2yos that made up the latter half of the series.  Plus, the crop of Future Stars horses did include 18 eventual graded stakes winners.  So we did manage to find some horses that would go on to the highest levels of success.  So even if we didn’t get a Breeders’ Bowl winner or a Triple Crown champion, we did manage to ID a few up-and-comers before they made the big time.

But there were plenty of horses in our showcase races who, quite frankly, weren’t very good leading into those races and who we didn’t actually think would be the future stars of the Sim.  One way that I addressed that in the series was to add a “Watch Level”.  This rating – High, Medium, or Low – was an indication of how likely I felt a horse was to striking it big in the future.  One might think that those classified as “High” watch horses would be better two years later.  So how accurate was that?

Watch Level	High	Medium	Low
Number of Races:	2,104	1,915	1065
Number of Wins:	449 (21.34%)	351 (18.33%)	158 (14.84%)
Number of ITM Finishes:	1,093 (51.95%)	938 (48.98%)	463 (43.47%)
Number of Non-Graded Stakes Races:	372	173	25
Number of Non-Graded Stakes Wins:	64 (17.20%)	13 (7.51%)	3 (12.00%)
Number of Non-Graded Stakes ITMs:	153 (41.13%)	53 (30.64%)	7 (28.00%)
Number of Graded Stakes Races:	227	59	1
Number of Graded Stakes Wins:	22 (9.69%)	3 (5.08%)	0 (0%)
Number of Graded Stakes ITMs:	75 (33.04%)	19 (32.20%)	0 (0%)
Average Finish:	4.14	4.24	4.46
Average Odds:	7.00	7.79	12.45
Average SP:	98.53	94.05	84.76
SP Standard Deviation:	10.81	11.00	15.77
Maximum SP:	120.94	119.51	120.51

From a trend perspective, the data does what you would expect it to do.  The group of horses classified as “High” watch level horses were, in fact, the best.  They had the highest winning percentage, most (and highest percentage of) stakes wins, the best odds and the highest speed figures.  The “medium” watch horses were solidly in the middle, and the “Low” horses were far below the others (though there was one exception in the “Low” category that will be discussed later).

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But the Future Stars Series wasn’t an exercise in the aggregate.  It was about pointing out the specific horses that would find themselves at the top of the Sim leaderboard.  And what better way to do that then by taking a look at the best from the series.

To figure out who the best were, we assigned a point total to each race that a Future Stars Series horse ran immediately following their Future Stars Series race.  Points were awarded in 3 different categories: Race Type, Finish Order, and Speed Figure.  The baseline for Race Type points was 0, for allowance races; claimers were a -2, and stakes races were worth anywhere from 4 (to an ungraded stakes) to 16 (for a G1).  Finish order points were worth 4 points for a win, 3 points for a place, 2 points for a show, and 1 point for a 4^th, with an additional modifier bonus for higher class races.  Speed figures were worth 2 points if the horse cracked a 100 SP (or, if the horse was a 2yo, a 90 SP) and -2 points if the speed figure was below an 80.  Then we subtracted 2 points if the race was restricted to local-bred horses, and subtracted 4 points if the race was a hot race.

So now, with 2+ years of races under their belts, let’s take a look at the top 10 horses from the Future Stars Series.

#10 – Doomcrag

(Tapit x Danehill x Fappiano) – Owned by lenny15

• Future Stars Series Race: May 4, 2019 – NW3L @ 8f
• Finish: 4^th
• Watch Level: High
• Race Record: 25:6-8-0; $795,142
• Notable Wins: Middle Ground Mile (8f-G2), The Back Up Plan (8f-G2)
• Current Status: Retired

It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that we kick off the list with a horse from the Lenny stables.  The May 4, 2019 Future Stars Series race was the 8^th of Doomcrag’s career, which at that point had already included a stakes placing, and the NW3L allowance came off the heels of a 7^th place finish in the G1 Florida Derby.  That led me to selecting Doomcrag as the winner of the race.  Of course, I was wrong, and he finished 4^th. 

But he really blossomed once he turned 4.  After an allowance win to kick off the year, he headed to stakes company, and in his 4^th race of 2020, he finally scored in an 8f stakes with a 120.358 SP.  He then made the leap to graded stakes company, running 2^nd in The Cultural Centre Cup (8.5f-G3) before taking down the G2 Middle Ground Mile (8f-G2), and then coming back to run 2^nd in The Evil Prep III (8f-G1).  That earned him enough points to enter the Breeders’ Bowl Dirt Mile (8f-G1), and while he made a valiant closing effort, he could only pick up 6^th.  He struggled at the start of 2021, but managed to snag one more G2 victory on the off-track in the G2 The Back Up Plan (8f-G2). 

After one final run, Doomcrag was retired in July 2021.  He was bred to Speightstown, and the resulting colt, Doomtown, is already 2 for 2, with a couple of dominant wins in a 7.5f MSW and an 8f NW2L.  Doomtown is currently scheduled to run next in The Charcoal Breeder’s Cup (8.5f-G3) on October 3.

#9 – Rock It Cadet

(Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Dynaformer x Kingmambo) – Owned by scoobysnak

• Future Stars Series Race: April 6, 2019 – Local NW3L @ 8f-T
• Finish: 4^th
• Watch Level: High
• Race Record: 22:6-4-1; $1,159,151
• Notable Wins: The Fall Tent Show (10f-T-G1)
• Current Best Ranking: #43 Older Turf Route Horse

Rock It Cadet came into the April 6, 2019 Future Stars Series race off of a maiden win in his 4^th career start, and tried to take it “easy” against winners for the first time by trying a local race.  It didn’t go quite as planned, as he closed to finish just 4^th.  But the best was yet to come.  He found his distance calling in his next race, a 10.5f NW2L turf allowance, where he ran 2^nd with a 105 SP, and from there he tried a 12f G3, where he ran a solid (but tiring) 5^th.

Rock It Cadet would have to wait a bit to peak, but it would come in big fashion late in his 4yo year.  After opening the year with a 5^th in a stakes, a 9^th in a G1, a 4^th in an allowance, and an 11^th in a G3, he entered the Milk W. Turf Route (10.5f-T-Stk) without much expectation.  But he popped off in the field of 7, stalking and then blowing the field away, on his way to a career high 116.104 SP.  That was enough for owner scoobysnak to try his hand at the G1 level again, entering Rock It Cadet in The Fall Tent Show (10f-T-G1).  In that one, he fell surprisingly far behind early, but came on like lightning late, grabbing the lead and opening up in the stretch to earn the G1 win by 2-1/4 lengths.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to repeat at the G1 level since.  He hasn’t been bad in 2021 – he picked up a 3^rd place finish in the Pan Americana Handicap (12f-T-G3) and a win in The ESR Trainer of the Year Stakes (11f-T-Stk).  But he has put in a couple of poor G1 efforts in a row.  He’s looking to try something new for his next race, as he’s currently scheduled to try dirt for the first time in a 10f NW1t allowance on October 30.

#8 – Miss Vinotinto

(Giant’s Causeway x Rucio Moro [Americain x Mr. Prospector]) – Owned by ottox

• Future Stars Series Race: March 9, 2019 – NW3L @ 9f (fillies)
• Finish: 5^th
• Watch Level: High
• Race Record: 25:7-7-2; $888,979
• Notable Wins: Superfilly Handicap (8.5f-G1 (F))
• Current Best Ranking: #8 Older Dirt Route Mare

Miss Vinotinto had just come off of a big win at 9f in a NW2L allowance when she entered the Future Stars Series race on March 9, 2019.  I predicted that she would finish 2^nd, but she was a little outmatched in that one, finishing 5^th.  From there, owner Ottox decided to briefly try turf.  She was successful in her first try, but after a 4^th in her second turf run, it was back to the dirt for her.  She found a comfort level there, and in the last race of her 3yo year, she showed a sign of good things to come, briefly sticking her head in front in The Hunted By Lions (9f-G2 (F)) before finishing 4^th.

2020 started off as a solid, though not spectacular, year for Miss Vinotinto.  A poor G2 performance early on had her running at the allowance level through the first half of the year, and she couldn’t quite find the winner’s circle, running 2^nd 3 times.  Once she finally broke through though, in June 2020, it was time to make the leap.  And that she did.  After a 3^rd place finish in an ungraded stakes, Ottox took a shot and sent her to NY for the Superfilly Handicap (8.5f-G1 (F)).  There, she sat midpack early, but started gaining on the far turn and in a thrilling finish, grabbed the lead and just barely held off a late charge by 2019 Bluegrass Oaks runner up American Dane to win by a head.  It was no fluke though, and after a bit of a rest, Miss Vinotinto would come back in late November in The Barbacoa Handicap (8.5f-G2 (F)), where she would run a similar race but just couldn’t quite catch the leader, finishing 2^nd but earning a career high 116.170 SP. 

Miss Vinotinto’s 2021 5yo campaign hasn’t been quite as successful, but it has been successful nonetheless.  She opened up the year with an ungraded stakes win, and after a warmup in an allowance, she tried the Orange Blossom (8.5f-G1 (F)), where she finished 6^th.  She came back in the Cubic Zirconia Path Stakes (8.5f-G3 (F)), where she ran a strong second, but with 2 more G1s under her belt, she hasn’t been able to find the winner’s circle again yet.  Miss Vinotinto is going to try a drop in class to get things going again, as she’s currently scheduled to try an 8.5f NW2t allowance on October 5.

#6 (tie) – Gun Inspector

(Gun Runner x Mr. Prospector x Nijinsky 2^nd) – Owned by texasace06

• Future Stars Series Race: March 30, 2019 – NW2L @ 9f
• Finish: 2^nd
• Watch Level: Medium
• Race Record: 26:6-5-5; $549,149
• Notable Wins: Fort Knocks Dirt Route (9f-Stk)
• Current Best Ranking: #494 Older Dirt Route Horse

Gun Inspector came into the March 30, 2019 Future Stars Series race not looking all that exciting.  He had popped in his previous race, a maiden-breaker at 9.5f, but no one knew if that was a fluke or a sign of things to come.  It turns out, it was the latter.  I predicted him to finish 3^rd, and he topped that, finishing 2^nd and showing that the maiden win was real.  The Future Stars Series race would be Gun Inspector’s last race (other than a failed 16f effort) in which he ran a speed figure below 100.  Owner sjmeola9 would keep Gun Inspector in the allowance ranks (other than 1 failed stakes effort), stretching out to 10f, where the gelding would put together a solid 3yo campaign.

Gun Inspector would find his stride back at 9f in his 4y campaign.  After kicking off the year with an allowance win, owner sjmeola9 sent him to Maryland for the Fort Knocks Dirt Route (9f-Stk).  There, in a field of 14, he sat just off the frontrunners early and then pounced, drawing away to win by 2 and earning a career high 119.514 SP.  From there, it made sense that Gun Inspector would be bumped up in class, and he gave the Charles Town Classic (9f-G1) a shot.  He didn’t quite get to the winner’s circle, but he didn’t disappoint with a 3^rd place performance.  That began a string of 3rds, which he also earned in his follow up races, the New Hampshire Handicap (9f-G2) and the 2020 Equinics – Empire State Building (8f-G1).

Gun Inspector’s 2021 campaign is a little unusual for a horse on this list.  After a failed 16f effort, he picked up another 3^rd in The Jai Alai Park Handicap (9.5f-G2), and a 4^th in an ungraded stakes.  After that 4^th place finish, owner sjmeola9 decided it was time to let someone else have a turn with his gelding, and he sold the horse at auction.  It took a winning bid of $4,956,923, but soon Gun Inspector found himself in the barn of champion trainer texasace09.  Gun Inspector won an allowance in his debut for his new trailer, and then took a shot at the Bob Woodward Memorial (9f-G1), where he finished an even 7^th.  We expect to see him next in the Kissin Cousin II Dirt Special (8f-Stk) on October 1.

#6 (tie) – Forty Niner Cause

(Giant’s Causeway x Forty Niner x Street Cry) – Owned by ddkstables22

• Future Stars Series Race: January 13, 2019 – NW2L @ 9f
• Finish: 1^st
• Watch Level: High
• Race Record: 21:4-4-3; $476,910
• Notable Wins: The Grunt (8.5f-G3)
• Current Best Ranking: #734 Older Dirt Route Horse

It’s interesting that the two horses tied for #6 on this list are also the two arguably least accomplished horses on the list.  But it’s no surprise that Forty Niner Cause makes this list.  The winner of the very first Future Stars Series race, Forty Niner Cause wired the field that day and earned a 101 SP back on January 13, 2019.  His next race was in the Felipe Alou Stakes (8.5f-G2) as he gave the Derby trail a shot, and while he didn’t embarrass himself, he didn’t quite do enough to get on the Derby path, finishing 5^th.  But after another dominant allowance win, he moved back up to graded stakes company and didn’t disappoint.  Heading to Ontario for The Grunt (8.5f-G3), owner ddkstables22 saw his charge duel for the lead the entire way around the track.  But Forty Niner Cause had just enough, and managed to gain some separation to take the win by ½ length.  That G3 victory was enough to rank Forty Niner Cause as the #2 Future Stars Series horse in the mid-year recap.

Forty Niner Cause’s 3yo campaign didn’t stop there.  Entered in the Shiny Gem Stakes (9f-G2) next, he set the pace early and held on gamely to finish 2^nd, only losing to eventual 3yo Male Dirt Long Sim Eclipse Award Winner Empire Strikes Now.  A couple more decent but unsuccessful efforts in graded stakes ended his 3yo campaign.  The 4yo season started off particularly promising.  Catching an off-track in Arkansas for the Oaktree Handicap (9f-G2) in his debut, Forty Niner Cause dueled Rozelle in what was essentially a match race all the way around the track.  Unfortunately for owner ddkstables22, Forty Niner Cause was never able to stick his head in front, and he had to settle for 2^nd place and a career-best 118.418 SP. 

But Forty Niner Cause hasn’t been able to find an off-track since, and he hasn’t quite matched those early efforts.  After a couple of 9^th place finishes, he managed to pick up another graded stakes placing with a 3^rd in The Fall Stakes (8.5f-G3). Then after a flop in his 5yo debut, he again finished 3^rd in the Eviscerator Stakes (9f-G3).  But since then, he hasn’t hit the board in 3 starts.  Most recently, he gave the turf a try but was unsuccessful.  So expect to see him on the dirt for his next race, as he is currently scheduled to try The Corvette (9f-G3) on November 6.

#5 – Broadworld

(Ruler of the World x Kodi [Kodiac (GB) x Broad Brush]) – Owned by lightng115

• Future Stars Series Race: June 30, 2019 – NW3L @ 7f-T
• Finish: 4^th
• Watch Level: High
• Race Record: 22:4-1-1; $495,246
• Notable Wins: Upper California Derby (9.5f-T-G2), The Furstenberg (10f-T-G3), Queen Izzy Cup (12f-T-G3)
• Current Best Ranking: N/A

The first (but not the last) 2yo on this list, Broadworld’s entry into the June 30, 2019 Future Stars Series race was the 3^rd race of his career.  Coming into that race off of a 5^th place stakes effort, he stretched out to 7 furlongs and came on late, finishing a closing 4^th and clearly asking for more ground.  He got that in his next race, and after a 2^nd place in an 8f-T allowance, Broadworld made his graded stakes debut.  That one was a bit of a flop, as he cut back to 7f-T and ran 8^th.  But then owner lightng115 stretched him out for The Condo For Rent (9f-T-G3), and there he finally showed his potential, running a strong 3^rd. 

It was the 3yo campaign, however, that would catapult Broadworld on to this list.  That began on opening day.  On January 1, Broadworld was stretched out to 12 furlongs and entered in the Queen Izzy Cap (12f-T-G3).  Against a field of 11, Broadworld dominated, sitting just off the pace early and then staying on, pulling away to win by 4 lengths.  From there, he stayed at the 10.5f-12f distance for a bit, with some decent 4^th place finishes in the Super Hero Role Playing Stakes (10.5f-T-G3) and the Sydney Derby (12f-T-G1).  But it was the cutback to 9.5 furlongs that really propelled him.  After a poor Adelaide Derby (12f-T-G1) run, Broadworld was entered into the Upper California Derby (9.5f-T-G2) where he hit the jackpot.  Sitting midpack early, he came flying late and won by 3 lengths, seeing a significant speed figure jump.  But that wasn’t the end.  In his next race, The Furstenberg (10f-T-G3), he doubled down, picking up his 3^rd graded stakes win and a career-best 114.073 SP.

Unfortunately, it’s gone downhill for Broadworld since those back-to-back graded stakes wins.  He bounced a bit in his next G2 effort, and then lightng115 stretched him out for a 16f-T G1, where he tired early and was distanced, finishing last.  He hasn’t really recovered from that effort.  He spent the first half of his 4yo season still at the graded stakes level, but never finished better than 8^th.  So lightng115 decided to send Broadworld to the dirt.  He’s now tried dirt twice, first in an 11.5f stakes and then in a 9f local stakes, but he’s run 6^th both times.  It remains to be seen where Broadworld is going to run next, but hopefully he’ll be able to regain his old form and find his way back to the winner’s circle.

#4 – AP’s Golden Mummy

(American Pharoah x A.P. Indy x Mr. Prospector) – Owned by kashbarn3

• Future Stars Series Race: May 4, 2019 – NW3L @ 8f
• Finish: 11^th
• Watch Level: High
• Race Record: 24:11-3-2; $679,140
• Notable Wins: The Minstrel Sprint (7f-T-G3)
• Current Best Ranking: #67 Older Turf Sprint Horse

AP’s Golden Mummy is the second horse on this list to come out of that May 4, 2019 Future Stars Series race.  But unlike the prior entrant, Doomcrag, AP’s Golden Mummy didn’t actually show much in that 8f dirt race, tiring to finish 11^th.  But that may have been because the race was a little too far.  In his next race, owner kashbarn cut AP’s Golden Mummy back to 7f and he popped, cracking the 100 SP mark and winning by 1-1/4 lengths.  After a 2^nd allowance win, he moved up to stakes company and took home his first win at that level in the Whatsmyname Dirt Sprint (5.5f-Stk).  Following a 6^th place finish at the G3 level, owner kashbarn decided to try something different and sent AP’s Golden Mummy to the turf.  There, he proved that he could handle both surfaces, picking up a stakes win in the Storm Tapper Turf Sprint (6f-T-G3).  The speed figure was his best to that point, which led to AP’s Golden Mummy being kept on the turf.

After opening up his 4yo campaign with a 2^nd place in a turf stakes, then faltering in a G2 on the dirt, AP’s Golden Mummy came back to the turf and popped off in a 7.5f turf stakes, winning by 1-3/4.  That was enough to justify a turf graded stakes attempt, and AP’s Golden Mummy didn’t disappoint.  Running in The Minstrel Sprint (7f-T-G3), AP’s Golden Mummy challenged for the lead early, then grabbed it and held on, winning by 1 length and earning a career-best 118.795 SP.  The rest of his 3yo campaign wasn’t quite as good, as he had to settle for 7^th in the Equinics and then 5^th in a G3 turf sprint.  At that point, owner kashbarn decided AP’s Golden Mummy needed some new housing accommodations, and transferred him from the thechallenge2 stable to the kashbarn3 stable.

With the stable transfer in place, AP’s Golden Mummy was given the winter off.  Whether it was the break or the change of scenery, something seemed to help.  AP’s Golden Mummy kicked off his 5yo season with back-to-back turf stakes wins, leading to an entry in the Sand Castle Turf Sprint (6f-T-G1).  Though he didn’t win the race, he put together arguably his most impressive performance, sitting just off the pace early and hanging tough, earning a 3^rd place finish.  He duplicated that performance again in his next race, The Houdini (6f-T-G3).  His last few races, however, have been more disappointing, as a dirt effort saw his speed figures drop and they haven’t returned in 2 turf races since.  We’ll see if he can find it again when he returns to the track, though we don’t know where that will be yet.

#3 – Tarton Squirt

(Mr. Speaker x Squirter CB [El Corredor x Lammtarra]) – Owned by tarton12

• Future Stars Series Race: July 14, 2019 – NW2L @ 7.5f
• Finish: 1^st
• Watch Level: High
• Race Record: 22:4-4-2; $528,230
• Notable Wins: The Legoland (8f-G3)
• Current Best Ranking: #7,374 Older Dirt Route Horse

Tarton Squirt came into the Future Stars Series race on July 14, 2019 as a solid looking horse, with a debut win and then a head loss in race 2.  He kept the ball rolling in that Future Stars Series race, obliterating the field of 12 and winning by 3-1/4 lengths.  Following that effort, owner tarton12 moved his gelding up in class, where he immediately became a stakes winner with a 2 length victory in the Hoosier Fall Memorial (8f-Stk).  But he wasn’t done there.  Trying graded stakes company for the first time in his next start, The Cornstalk (8f-G3), Tarton Squirt started far back and came flying late, missing by just 1-1/4 lengths to Joey Da K.  Tarton Squirt would follow that rival to the Movieland Futurity (8.5f-G1) for the last race of his 2yo season, but again he would come up short to Joey Da K, finishing 4^th.

To kick off his 3yo campaign, owner tarton12 found a graded stakes that didn’t include his rival, which was the key to success.  Tarton Squirt broke towards the back in The Legoland (8f-G3), but did what he did best and came flying late.  He quickly found himself on top and ran all the way to the winner’s circle.  That put Tarton Squirt squarely on the Derby Trail, and he did himself proud there.  He was sent to Florida for the Fountain of Ute (9f-G2), where he picked up another 2^nd place finish, and followed that up with a 3^rd place finish in the Florida Derby (9f-G1).  That earned Tarton Squirt enough points to make him the only runner in the Future Stars Series to earn a berth into the Bluegrass Derby (10f-G1).  Unfortunately, his run ended there, and he finished 10^th.

The 10^th place Bluegrass Derby finish seems to have messed with Tarton Squirt’s confidence, as he would never quite repeat the highs of that 2yo/early 3yo year.  He attempted a number of graded stakes races throughout the rest of 2020, but never finished better than 6^th.  His 4yo campaign hasn’t been much better.  Owner tarton12 dropped Tarton Squirt down in class, first to ungraded stakes and then mixing in some allowances.  But through 6 races this year, he only has 1 second and 1 third, both in allowance races, to show for it.  The one promising race was his first race of the year, a NW1y allowance where Tarton Squirt finished 2^nd, but earned a career high 110.678 SP.  It remains to be seen if he can rekindle that former magic, but we’ll see whenever and wherever he hits the track next.

#2 – Galileoff

(Zoffany x Unpredictability [Galileo (IRE) x Kingmambo]) – Owned by phillipj4

• Future Stars Series Race: May 11, 2019 – NW3L @ 7.5f-T
• Finish: 1^st
• Watch Level: High
• Race Record: 23:7-3-4; $697,140
• Notable Wins: The Golden Jamboree (6f-T-G2)
• Current Best Ranking: #20 Older Turf Sprint Horse

#2 on this list shouldn’t come as too much of surprise.  Galileoff entered the May 11, 2019 Future Stars Series race as one of the few entrants over the course of the series who was already graded stakes placed before the race.  The gelding had run 3^rd in The International (8f-T-G3) in his 3^rd career start as a 2yo, so his drop to the NW3L allowance ranks for the Future Stars Series was more of an attempt to get him back on track.  And back on track he got, taking home a surprisingly hard-fought allowance race by ¼ length and breaking the 100 SP mark for the first time – one he hasn’t fallen below since.  Owner phillipj14 sent Galileoff back to stakes company for his next race, and after a 2^nd place in a 7f turf stakes, he picked up his first stakes win in the General Nutsaritche Turf Sprint (6.5f-T-Stk) in September.  From there, it was back to graded stakes company, and it began with a solid 3^rd place finish in The Ascot Vail (6f-T-G2).

Galileoff’s 4yo season didn’t actually start out as well as his 3yo season had ended.  Other than an allowance win, he was unable to hit the board in 3 stakes efforts (2 graded), though two of those were decent 4^th place finishes.  Owner phillipj14 then decided that one way to get Galileoff back on track would be to change tracks.  Galileoff was sent out in a dirt allowance, which he promptl won.  Having been back to the winner’s circle, Galileoff then returned to the turf and headed back to graded stakes company to end his season, putting in a couple of solid efforts in the Green Turban Memorial (6f-T-G3), finishing 3^rd, and the Because I Said So Stakes (6f-T-G2), finishing 2^nd.

Galileoff’s 5yo season has been much stronger than those previous years.  After one more dirt try, which flopped with a 6^th place finish, he put together 3 stellar runs in a row.  First, in the King Don Buffet (6f-T-G3), Galileoff broke in the middle of the pack and came running late, falling just ¼ length short and settling for 2^nd.  So he was stretched out to 7f for the Rising Sun Spring Cup (7f-T-G2).  He was again not quite able to catch the top 2, but there was a 2 length gap between Galileoff and 4^th place, and the 3^rd place finish saw Galileoff put up a career best 113.652 SP.  After that, he cut back to 6 furlongs and finally got that elusive graded stakes win.  Breaking last in a field of 10 for The Golden Jamboree (6f-T-G2), Galileoff swept around the entire field on the far turn and grabbed the lead in the stretch, pulling ahead and winning by 1-3/4 lengths.  Since then, Galileoff has tried 2 more times, first in The MGD Special (6.5f-T-G1) and then in the Central Park Stakes (7f-T-G2), and although he has shown that he belongs, he was unable to hit the board in either of those.  But those were all preps for the big one – Galileoff is currently training up to the Breeders’ Bowl Turf Sprint (6.5f-T-G1).  It remains to be seen if he’ll draw in (his current rank is likely just enough, though things may change over the next 6 weeks), but we’ll be rooting for him.

#1 – Serve In Honor

(Nyquist x Lincecums Hair [To Honor and Serve x Medaglia D’Oro]) – Owned by revnhusker

• Future Stars Series Race: February 3, 2019 – NW2L @ 8f
• Finish: 1^st
• Watch Level: High
• Race Record: 21:7-3-3; $821,210
• Notable Wins: Lewis & Clark Stakes (9f-G2), Chief Snow Handicap (9f-G3), Northern Derby (9f-G3)
• Current Best Ranking: #270 Older Dirt Route Horse

That all brings us to the #1 horse to come out of the Future Stars Series, Serve In Honor.  Nothing much has changed over the past 2 years, as Serve In Honor was also the #1 horse in our May 2019 midyear recap.  The ranking back then was due to his strong performances immediately after the February 3, 2019 Future Stars Series race victory.  He followed that win with a 4^th on the Derby trail in the Felipe Alou Stakes (8.5f-G2), then won the Chief Snow Handicap (9f-G3) on an off-track.  That led to high hopes for both owner revnhusker and this writer as Serve In Honor headed to Maryland for the Middle Jewel Stakes (9.5f-G1).  He caught another off-track, but unfortunately this time he didn’t fire, finishing a dull 8^th.

That’s where the midyear recap ended, but for Serve In Honor, things only got better from there.  He bounced back strong from the Middle Jewel defeat, heading to NY for the Shiny Gem Stakes (9f-G2) where he ran well and finished 3^rd.  He then put together the best 2-race stretch of his career to close out his 3yo season.  First came the Northern Derby (9f-G3), where Serve In Honor sat in 2^nd early and then wore down the pacesetter, holding off a late charge from a deep closer and winning by 1-3/4 lengths.  He was then sent off by owner revnhusker in the Lewis & Clark Stakes (9f-G2), where he had a few more horses to pick off but didn’t have any issue doing so, winning by ¾ length.

Serve In Honor’s 4yo campaign was a little more unpredictable than his 3yo one.  His first 2 races of the year were nothing short of disastrous, as he beat a total of 1 horse combined across two graded stakes.  A small cutback in distance to 8.5f seemed like it might do the trick though, as he fought the entire way around the track in the Big D Park Handicap (8.5f-G3) and finished 3^rd, just one length behind the winner.  After another bounce race in a 9f G2, Serve In Honor went big one more time, running in the Bob Woodward Memorial (9f-G1).  Once again, he hung tough, and even poked his head in front at the top of the stretch.  He couldn’t quite hold off the latecomers, but still managed to hold on to 3^rd, putting one more strong run on his resume.

Serve In Honor’s 5yo season has seen the horse against slightly lesser competition, as he has only tried 1 graded stakes (and flopped in it).  But he’s had a solid year at the ungraded level.  He kicked off the year with a 2^nd place finish, and after the failed graded stakes effort and a win at the allowance level, he headed to Arkansas for the Biagis Wranglers Dirt Route (8.5f-Stk).  There, he sat midpack early but got moving just in time, getting up to win by a neck and earning a career best 118.183 SP.  His most recent run saw Serve In Honor stretch back out to 9f, but he tired in that one, finishing 8^th.  So what’s next for Serve In Honor?  Will he try graded stakes again?  Will he cut back to 8.5f?  Will he try something else entirely.  We’ll just have to see, as Serve In Honor looks to grab that elusive Grade 1 win.

Honorable Mentions:

Subjecttothefates (Street Sense x Humaliwo [Malibu Moon x Danehill]) – Owned by Sarasota

Sometimes, you just whiff on these things.  That’s the case for me with Subjecttothefates.  Running in the very first Future Stars Series race on January 13, 2019, I didn’t think much of this horse and classified him as a “low” watch horse.  I felt he was a little overmatched in that race, but he proved I was wrong, running second (losing only to #6 on this list, Forty Niner Cause).  But after that race, he made a jump to the stakes level and proved he belonged there as well, running 2^nd in his first try and then winning his 2^nd.  He was the only “low” watch horse to even try a graded stakes, the 2019 Windy City Gold Cup (10f-G2) against older horses. Though he ran last there, he’s proven to be a strong stakes runner, with a 2^nd stakes win coming in his most recent race, the Montes Mon Dirt Memorial (9.5f-Stk), where he earned a career best 120.515 SP.  With that monster run under his belt, he’s going to give the Windy City Gold Cup another try this year; we’ll see if he can run better than last this time.

Tete Crick (Kodiac (GB) x Tete Dinaal [Iffraaj (GB) x Forty Niner]) – Owned by anothercrick7

It’s a bit of a shock to see Tete Crick not make the Top 10.  She’s currently the #27 ranked Older Turf Route Mare, with just under $1.4 million in career earnings, and is one of only 3 Future Stars Series runners to win a G1.  That G1 was the 2020 Equinics – Victoria Falls (10f-T-G1 (F)), coming midway through her 4yo season.  But even if that was her only G1 win, it wasn’t her only graded stakes win.  Tete Crick ran second in the February 23, 2019 Future Stars Series race, and spent most of the rest of the season at the allowance level.  But after beating the boys in a NW4L, she graduated from that level and ran 2^nd in her first stakes effort.  2 starts later, she nearly had her first graded stakes win, missing by a head in the Dulcimer Stakes (10f-T-G3 (F)) and earning a career best 115.352 SP.  2 races later, she would pick up that Grade 1 Equinics victory.  2 races after that, she would put up another strong G1 effort, with a 2^nd place finish in the Mike Beal Memorial (9f-T-G2 (F)).  Her 5yo season hasn’t been quite as strong, but she did manage to pick up her 2^nd graded stakes win in her most recent start, The Molson Export (9f-T-G2 (F)).  She’s currently scheduled to try and take on the competition next in The Best of Rome (10f-T-G1 (F)) on October 30.

Terror In The Barn (Sepoy x Sea of Terror [Sea The Stars x Monsun]) – Owned by achmed

Terror In The Barn didn’t show much in his Future Stars Series race on September 15, 2019, where he was unable to close and finished 7^th.  But it turned out that his best was yet to come.  His 3yo campaign started strong and only got stronger.  He picked up his first stakes win in his first stakes try in May 2020, and then followed that up with a 2^nd in the Upper California Derby (9.5f-T-G2), losing only to #5 on this list, Broadworld.  Owner achmed has kept Terror In The Barn on a pretty conservative racing schedule, as he only tried 1 other graded stakes (the 2020 Equinics – Space Shuttle (8f-T-G1)) and has spent most of his career in the allowance level.  That may be about to change, however.  In April 2021, he kicked off a three race win streak in an open allowance at 8f on the turf.  He followed that up by taking down his second stakes win in the Bailey Beach Turf Mile (8f-T-Stk).  Then, in July 2021, he one-upped that effort, with a 1-1/2 length victory in the Wingflys Dancer Turf Challenge (9f-T-Stk), where he earned a career high 120.935 SP.  That speed figure is the highest run by any Future Stars Series competitor.  It’s no surprise then that he bounced in his next race, finishing 10^th in a 9.5f-T stakes.  But we’ll be very interested to see where he goes next, as Terror In The Barn seems to be reaching his racing peak now.

Aces Over Fours (Camelot (GB) x Ace of Sparks [Forty Niner x Northern Dancer] – Owned by westburnmagic

Primetime Kameha (King Kamehameha x Primetime Dansil [Dansili (GB) x Daylami (IRE)]) – Owned by ss89

We’re combining these last two honorable mentions because they have something in common.  What is that?  They both ran in the 2020 Breeders’ Bowl Filly Juvy Turf (8f-T-G1 (F))!  That’s right – the Future Stars Series got not just 1 future Breeders’ Bowl Filly Juvy Turf runner, we got 2!  Primetime Kameha was the first to find herself in the Future Stars Series race, running on June 23, 2019, where she ran 2^nd. Aces Over Fours, meanwhile, ran in the August 18, 2019 Future Stars Series race and easily won.  Both fillies managed to meet each other for the first time in the following race, The Miss Brillo (9f-T-G3 (F)).  And they managed to duel like future sim stars would; Primetime Kameha fought for the lead the entire way, with Aces Over Fours right on her heels.  The two fillies went head-to-head down the stretch, and Primetime Kameha came out on top by a neck.  From there, it was time to head to the Breeders’ Bowl.  There, Aces Over Fours turned the tables on her rival.  Aces Over Fours couldn’t quite catch the winner or the pacesetters, but she ran a solid race and finished 4^th.  Meanwhile, Primetime Kameha dueled for the pace early but tired, finishing 8^th. 

Aces Over Fours has turned into the better of the two fillies.  Her 3yo campaign was littered with stakes races, and she found herself putting in consistent placings, but never quite finding the winner’s circle and instead having to settle for 2^nd and 3^rd.  There was one exception, however, as she managed to find the winner’s circle in the Surf The Turf Turf Filly Route (9.5f-T-Stk (F)), where she dominated a field of 6.  Following that win, she gave G1 company one more shot, but could only finish 5^th.  Aces Over Fours’ 4yo campaign hasn’t been as strong, as she hasn’t hit the board this year, but she’s set to try a 13f dirt stakes for her next race.  Primetime Kameha, meanwhile, has never recaptured the magic of those 2yo races.  The early part of her 3yo campaign was spent at the G1 level, but her best showing was a 4^th in the Vermont Is 4 Lovers (9f-T-G1 (F)) in her first start of the year.  But ever since a 6^th place finish in May 2020, she hasn’t seen the track much.  She was given 6 months off and came back for two disappointing allowances, but her and the rest of her stablemates haven’t seen the track since January.  So we might never know how good Primetime Kameha could have been.

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So there you have it.  Two years after the Future Stars Series dove into its last race, where do we stand?  Well, we didn’t exactly identify any champions.  But it wasn’t a total loss.  We did manage to nail 3 graded stakes winners, 1 Bluegrass Derby runner, a few Breeders’ Bowl runners, and a whole bunch of other Graded Stakes winners.  We also managed to give a shoutout to a whole bunch of horses who turned into bottom-level claimers.  But regardless, it was a fun exercise, and it just goes to show – finding superstar horses before they’re superstars isn’t an easy thing to do.  But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying.  So stay tuned…we might try this again.