The I STAY FOREVER Memorial
MICHIGAN – This weeks I STAY FOREVER Memorial going 10.5f on the lawn is a blend of young and old, lightly raced, and often raced. You can root for a fresh youngster, root for a young looking oldtimer, or root that a well raced steed can dig deep one more time. A little something for everybody on an unseasonably cool weekend in Michigan.
1 HUNGRY TRICK (trained by dpl) 4/1
(BITTER RAIN x NIJINSKY II x HABITAT)
-You can probably count all the 10 year olds in the sim on one hand that are racing as well as this one is. Lightly raced with only 18 lifetime starts but nonetheless still racing like a pony less than half his age. Won a stakes at this weeks distance LTO and seems to have the uncanny versatility to race well at any distance over a mile.
2 WISH ME WELLS (trained by priceless) 10/1
(SADLER’S WELLS x AFFIRMED x INHERENT STAR)
-In contrast to our 10 year old rail horse, this guy is 5 years old with 51 starts and the wear and tear is clearly showing. Former stakes winner has lost more than a few steps in his gitty-up and some of that is since the start of this racing season. Has strung together quite a few sub 90 speed ratings and will have to find a big 90+ to win this weeks event.
3 INDY FESTIVAL (trained by hornedfrog) 3/1
(TALE OF THE CAT x A.P. INDY x FORTY NINER)
-The lone 3 year old colt in the field this week has tried the aged company twice already and has more than held his own on both occasions finishing 4th and 2nd. Seems to be a grinder type that lacks that big brush of speed at any point in the race. Will be looking to hang around and wear them down late.
4 PROSPECTOR (trained by titleist) 5/2
(NIGHT SHIFT x MR. PROSPECTOR x ROBERTO)
-What a great name! And it wasn’t taken at the time. That seems amazing. Ok, how many of you thought of it and didn’t bother because, surely, you figured it was taken anyway? Likely race leader throughout every station, but will he have the lead at the wire? Should open up big and the get a little wobbly in the lane. Posted a big 107sr at 10.5f eight starts back.
5 EXPLOSIVE DAN (trained by nat329) 10/1
(SADLER’S WELLS x AFFIRMED x DANZIG)
-A 6 year old whose bones appear to be creaking at this point. A veteran of 58 lifetime start just simply may not have anything left in the tank. He did show signs of this early in the new season but snapped out of it only to race well again for a few starts. Hoping for lightning in a bottle one more time.
6 LYRIC POET (trained by opinora) 9/5
(DIXIELAND BAND x A.P. INDY x FORLI)
-A three time Grade 3 winner and the trackman’s early choice. Has only been past 9.5f once in his career and that didn’t go very well. He is solid a 9f and 9.5f so you wouldn’t think that getting another 1/8th would be a big deal. Proof comes this week.
Good Luck!