Living Legend Graces the Stage in Sand Castle Classic

In 2021 a sim legend was born. Thewayoftheforce, a then four year old son of Pioneerof the Nile moved to Dubai where he won is first graded stakes, the Khartoum Challenge III. He subsequently had one of the greatest seasons of any horse the game has ever produced – and certainly the best dirt season. After announcing himself in that grade two he went on to stomp the field in Sand Castle Classic before adding wins in three more grade ones topped off by the Breeders’ Bowl Classic. He banked twelve million dollars last year and started 2022 off with another grade one win. This weekend he looks to defend his title in the Sand Castle Classic run at ten furlongs over a fast dirt course. It isn’t a given though and the biggest threats may be exiting the Khartoum Challenge III. He’ll also be facing off against horses who finished second behind him in last year’s race as well as in the Breeders’ Bowl. But as with any twenty horse field there is a lot of depth and anything can happen in the sim.

#1 Otto Belmont 12/1

A five year old son of Medaglia D’oro, Otto Belmont is a horse who really loves this distance. From ten starts at ten furlongs he’s hit the board nine times. A career best 118 speed came at this distance two starts back in a winning listed effort. Last out he dropped down a sixteenth of a mile and crushed a grade two field.

#2 Shammity 12/1

As a six year old gelding with twenty six starts under his belt you would think that Shammity had a lot of experience at this distance. But in reality he’s only run ten furlongs once! That was in a winning allowance effort two starts back where he ran a 114 speed. He is a listed winner going a mile and three sixteenths but this would be his first graded win.

#3 Imaginary Road 19/1

Imaginary road is a very consistent four year old who has only been off the board in two of his fifteen starts. He’s started twice this year with an allowance win and a third place listed effort, resulting in 114 and 117 speeds respectively. He’s got some experience with the distance including two allowance wins.

#4 Driven By Design 11/1

The first grade one winner in the field is Driven By Design, a six year old mare. She earned that distinction in last year’s Personal Sign at this distance. Driven By Design prepped for this effort in the Grade Two Khartoum Challenge III over this course and distance about six weeks ago. Running against males for the first time she ran a career best 121 speed but finished second behind fellow entrant Mandalore.

#5 She Wants Biceps 37/1

Another female in this race, She Wants Biceps was named last year’s Champion Three Year Old Female Classic. She had two grade one wins going this distance albeit against other three year olds. She tried males in the Breeders’ Bowl Classic but finished thirteenth. She’s been off the board in two starts this year but both came at less than her optimal distance.

#6 Daytona Savior 17/1

Millionaire Daytona Savior is looking for his first graded stakes win in this spot. He’s well rested, having not run since last season’s Breeders Bowl Classic where he finished eleventh. That said he gave Thewayoftheforce a battle inthis race last year where he battled for the early lead and ran a strong second behind that legend. He was second again behind that rival in the Grade One Movieland Shiny Cup and third in the Grade One Jockey Guild Gold Cup.

#7 Then They’re Gone 19/1

Then They’re Gone would become the biggest winner his sire Written Tycoon has ever produced with a win here. He enters off the fastest win of his career, a 121 in a nine furlong listed. He did win a grade three last season against fellow three year olds but he’s making his ten furlong debut in this spot.

#8 Giantstepcoltrane 16/1

A five year old son of Malibu Moon, Giantstepcoltrane seeks his first graded win in this spot. He did win a residency stakes last November at this distance with a 119 speed. He’s only made one start this year which resulted in a fifth place finish in a grade two. He’s had two months off entering this race so he should be very fresh.

#9 My True Name 13/1

The only horse in the field who was once available for a tag, My True Name was picked up by his current connections for $150,000 last February. Since then he’s won four starts including a nine furlong listed. He ran a very strong second in last September’s Grade Two Windy City Gold Cup at this distance. He’s not run this far since so his connections are hoping that this will be in his sweet spot.

#10 Eddstown 24/1

Eddstown has done well running ten furlongs but he seems even better at eleven where he has his only stakes win. He’s bounced around a bit in terms of distance, having run quite a bit at eleven and twelve furlongs but recently going nine and nine and a half. His best run from recent starts was a second place finish in the Grade Two Lewis & Clark Stakes back in November.

#11 Deputized Gold 30/1

Deputized Gold prepped for this spot in a seven furlong grade two. That resulted in a terrible thirteenth place finish but his connections are hoping that it will have him sharp going back to routes. He’s a grade two winner going fourteen furlongs but also has a third place finish – beaten only a half length – in the Grade Two Out of the City Handicap at this distance.

#12 Chief Urzikh 30/1

This colt has the fewest starts for any horse in the race with just eleven but he’s done quite well with the limited experience. Last year he won five straight races at this distance including a listed back in November. He followed that up with a second place finish in a grade two against fellow three year olds on Christmas Day. Most recently he was last in the local prep for this race.

#13 Jamison Again 8/1

Jamison Again has amassed over five million dollars in his twent four start career. Most of that was accumulated in his last two starts of 2021. The five year old was second in the Breeders’ Bowl Classic before winning the Grade One Japan Cup Dirt Cup at nine furlongs. He won two other grade ones going that distance in 2021. He prepped for this race with a second place finish over this track in a grade three at nine furlongs.

#14 Thewayoftheforce 7/1

Seven to one is a generous price on this horse. Last year’s race winner also has ten furlong grade one wins in the Breeders’ Bowl Classic, Jockey Guild Gold Cup, Movieland Shiny Cup and most recently in the Equinics. His career best speed of 123 came in this race last year but he finished up last season with a pair of 121s. It’s hard to look past such an amazing creature.

#15 Cadet the Dread 29/1

Cadet the Dread is the last of our three females in the race. She’s a four year old daughter of Curlin who won a grade one last season at ten furlongs against fellow three year old fillies. She prepped for this race in the Grade Two Khartoum Challenge III over this surface and distance and ran a bang up third behind Mandalore and Driven By Design. In that spot she ran a career best 118 speed.

#16 I’m Dead Sexy 37/1

I’m Dead Sexy was last year’s Champion Three Year Old Dirt Long off his win in the New Yorker. His best races have come at that twelve furlong distance so it remains to be seen if he can shorten up successfully. He only has one start this year, a seventh place finish in the Grade Two Khartoum Challenge III.

#17 Subtly Stated 22/1

2021 Bluegrass Derby winner Subtly Stated also exits the main prep for this race, the Khartoum Challenge III. He was eighth there but was exiting a grade two win over this distance back in December. Prior to the Derby he won the Wooden Indian Lock Prep, the anniversary of which will be in just a week. Perhaps spring is his season?

#18 Seattle War Front 8/1

Seattle War Front has two grade one wins from his last three starts. Those races both came at nine furlongs and sandwich a sixth place finish in the Breeders’ Bowl Classic. In those races (the Bob Woodward Memorial and the Glenn Kegasus Tradition Killer) he ran a 121 and 120 speed respectively. The Breeders’ Bowl was his only try at ten furlong and it wasn’t a bad effort. But this writer questions whether Seattle War Front saves his best races for those named after people?

#19 Mandalore 8/1

The only horse aside from Thewayoftheforce who has run a 123 speed is Mandalore and he did it in the local prep for this race The Khartoum Challenge III. The five year old gelding was dropping down in distance in that spot but last season he won the Grade Three Day of Dominion at this distance with a 120 speed. He’s obviously super fast and very classy.

#20 Deep Ace 19/1

Deep Ace is a son of Deep Impact who has been very ‘impactful’ on the dirt where he has eight wins and seven seconds from eighteen starts. That said he’s never even run in a stakes race and only twice outside of local bred competition. He’s also only run twice at this distance. The first of those tries came on the lawn and the second over an off track on the dirt. He did run a 120 speed two starts back but this one is a real wildcard.

Good luck to all!