GR Simsters 12f Dirt Championship

I arrived at the Kentucky track this morning, form in hand, and was watching a few of the GR Simsters Dirt Cup contenders workout. It was at that point I hear 2 people discussing the movie The Replacements. As tends to happen, the movie discussion turned into movie quoting, and one of them quoted head ball coach Jimmy McGinty saying,
“A real man admits his fears.”

Hmmm. At this point I zoned out, and it got me to thinking. What exactly is a real man?

According to US patriot and political philosopher Thomas Paine,
“A real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.”

According to the famous clergyman Henry Beecher,
“A real man is one who always finds excuses for others, but never excuses himself.”

According to artist Alicia Keys,
“A real woman knows a real man ain’t afraid to please her.”

According to the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche,
“In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.”

According to a Yiddish proverb,
“A real man is what he is, not what he was.”

According to Irish dramatist, socialist, and playwright George Bernard Shaw,
“Never waste jealousy on a real man. It’s the imaginary man that supplants us all in the long run.”

According to Roman Emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius,
“Remember that what pulls the strings is the force hidden within. There lies the power to persuade. There, the life. There, if one must speak out, the real man.”

According to my Dad,
“Any man can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a Dad.”

Of course, no man of any kind can bypass the movie [i]The Godfather[/i] when looking for some inspiration and sage advice, right? According to every man’s Godfather Don Corleone,
“A man who doesn’t spend time w/ his family, can never be a real man.”

Mille grazie. A thousand thank yous Don Vito. Now I think we’re getting close to understanding what a real man is, but where am I going w/ this? A good question. Another appropriately good question would be…

How do you keep a jackass reader in suspense?
(long pause)
I’ll tell you later.

I had to throw something in here that the jokesters and non-philosophers would appreciate and find useful. What I do know, and what I will tell you, is what a real dirt racehorse is. Simply put, a real dirt racehorse is one that can cover the grueling distance of 12 furlongs in impressive fashion. That 2400 meter test of champions distance is the stage for the 2nd Annual GR Simsters Dirt Cup. The ability to cover that distance of ground is what we should respect the most about the nice group of GR Simsters’ horses that are contesting this year’s running. Let’s take a closer look at the credentials of these REAL RACEHORSES please.

PP 1: Royal Mission – 8/1
King of Kings x Kris S. x The Minstrel – 4yo Horse
Record in 05 – 11(3-2-2)
Top SF – 101 at 9.5f
Top SF at 12f – 93
Owner – Given
Stable – given – 16%
Jockey – B Drewrey – 9%

Royal Mission comes into the Dirt Cup off a string of long dirt route efforts. In his last three races, all 10f+ allowances, he’s shown a nice turn of foot, charging into the home stretch w/ 4, 6 and 7 length leads. Three races back, at 10f, he surrendered that lead, and tired to 3rd. Two races back, at 11f, he finished that race off nicely, cruising to a 2 length win and a nice 100 SF. In his last start, at 11f, he turned for home w/ an eye opening 7 length lead, but tired to 2nd. Royal Mission is one of 3 speed horses in this field that has a shot. If he can break well, and Drewrey can get him to relax, then the only thing left to do is hope and hang on.

PP 2: –Itstartsasacolony – 10/1
Empire Maker x Pleasant Colony x Forty Niner – 3yo colt
Record in 05: 10(4-0-1)
Top SF: 102 (11f)
Top SF at 12f: 96
Owner: TM
Stable: tmachine – 19%
Jockey: B Sipe – 8%

Itstartsasacolony is an interesting 10/1 shot in this field. In 4 starts at 11f+, 3 of those coming in stakes company, he’s missed the board only once. What’s most intriguing about this colt is that he’s a very impressive 2 for 2 at the Dirt Cup distance of 12f. It’s also worth noting that one of those 12f wins was his lone stakes victory. Itstartsasacolony enters this event off of a nice stalking 96 sf score at 12f in allowance company. That race should set him up well for this. Itstartsasacolony is another horse that likes to run up front, but he has shown the ability to sit just off the pace and pounce. With a little improvement, I think he could definitely put himself in the mix.

PP 3: Kabuki(Ire) – 7/1
Theatrical x Miswaki x Graustark – 4yo horse
Record in 05: 9(1-0-3)
Top SF: 110
Top SF at 12f: 110
Owner: SC
Stable: charmer – 16%
Jockey: D Sherman – 13%

You can’t always succeed by being practical. You do what you can, but sometimes you have to leave room for a miracle, and believe. At least that’s what I told myself when I entered this horse. Kabuki, the ’04 GR Simsters Derby and Belmont winner, is a stakes winner at 12f, G1 placed at 12f, and earned his lifetime SF high of 110 at 12f. Unfortunately all those things were accomplished in 2004. Kabuki hasn’t shown a winning pulse since his first time out in 05. Being a deep closer, he’ll need the 3 frontrunning types in this field to give him something to run at. He comes into this off of 2 straight long turf stakes efforts, the last being a 14f turf stroll. The miracle I’m looking for, and believing is possible, is that the turf to dirt 2f drop voodoo will wake up the echoes of last year’s dirt form and Kabuki will be rolling home in the stretch.

PP 4: Hurricane Ivan – 4/1
A.P. Indy x Kingmambo x Secretariat – 4yo horse
Record in 05: 10(2-4-0)
Top SF: 106 (11f)
Top SF at 12f: n/a
Owner: Epic
Stable: 2die4 – 23%
Jockey: R Staples – 10%

Hurricane Ivan comes into the Dirt Cup in nice form for Epic. In his last start, he took the 11f Jazz Club Stakes in impressive frontrunning fashion, running off to an easy 3 length win, and a sharp 106 SF. If you draw a line through his effort 2 races back in G1 company, “H.I.” shows off 3 straight SFs of 103, 104, and 106, all earned in 10f+ dirt stakes company. You have to like a horse in that kind of form, and you have to like a horse you can give a Raising Arizona nickname to. H.I. has done his best running on the front end this year. Although he’ll have some company on the front end in this field, I think his form is strong enough to make H.I. a definite contender for the “W”.

PP 5: Global Snow Mine – 7/1
Snow Ridge x Polish Navy x Mining – 4yo mare
Record in 05: 14(6-2-1)
Top SF: 109
Top SF at 12f: 95
Owner: Mig
Stable: miguel91 – 17%
Jockey: S Blood – 5%

Global Snow Mine, a 4yo mare Snow Ridge mare, makes her 38th start in Saturday’s Dirt Cup for Mig. Some might remember this mare destroying the G1 10f Barcelona Marathona last year in Equinics by 4+ lengths. Global Snow Mine has 2 wins and 2 2nds in her last 4 starts. She enters the Dirt Cup off of a nice 2nd in the L.P. Launch Pad Stakes at 10.5f, where she took way back, and rolled home in the stretch to just miss by a neck. That effort earned her a nice 105 SF. This nice closing filly could get a decent pace to chase on Saturday. If the race falls apart on the front end, and she puts her best hoof forward at 12f, she could very well be in the mix.

PP 6: Rainbow Knight – 21/1
Seeking the Gold x A.P. Indy x Sadler’s Wells – 3yo colt
Record in 05: 10(1-3-2)
Top SF: 97
Top SF at 12f: 86
Owner: TeeJay
Stable: saintly271 – 6%
Jockey: B Alt – 7%

The immune system thrives on hope. When a person dwells on heartache, regrets, bad news, worst case scenarios, and disappointments that’s as corrosive to the human spirit as any terminal illness is to what that spirit lies w/in. By entering Rainbow Knight in the Dirt Cup, TeeJay shows he is obviously a trainer who is no stranger to hope, and a trainer that will not let a few disappointing runs get him down. I like that. Rainbow Knight, the rangy 3yo Seeking the Gold colt, enters the Dirt Cup off an 8th place finish in the 12f Your Land Stakes, earning an 86 sf. With the Dirt Cup distance of 12f in mind, Rainbow Knight’s only 2 races above 10f resulted in 10+ length defeats and SFs of 83 and 86. He’s going to need to improve quite a bit off of that 86 SF effort, and TeeJay will need to have some of his hopes and prayers answered, if he’s to make a dent on Saturday.

PP 7: Unconcious – 19/1
Strike the Gold x Colonial Affair x Hurontario – 3yo colt
Record in 05: 13(3-3-1)
Top SF: 100
Top SF at 12f: 100
Owner: Reman
Stable: reman12000 – 19%
Jockey: L Goodburn – 9%

Reman enters the 3yo Strike the Gold colt Unconcious. Don’t let the name fool you, this hombre is as conscious as he can be. He enters the Dirt Cup off of a really nice 12f allowance effort. In that race, he took back, and unleashed a furious closing run, to score by 2 3/4 lengths. In doing so, he earned his lifetime high SF of 100. His only other attempt at the 12f distance, resulted in a nice 2nd place finish in the Lidocaine the Second Stakes. In that race he also took way back, and gobbled up nearly 10 lengths in the stretch. If the speed in this race falls apart, I like this improving 3yo as a live 19/1 longshot to pick up the pieces.

PP 8: Ghost Bar(Ire) – 17/1
El Prado x Kris S. x Secreto – 3yo filly
Record in 05: 10(2-4-0)
Top SF: 97
Top SF at 12f: 97
Owner: Lenny
Stable: lenny271 – 21%
Jockey: T Belser – 8%

Afte racing the first half of this year on turf, this beautiful dark grey 3yo filly has spent the latter half of this year on the dirt. Time she’s spent very productively. Ghost Bar has 2 wins, and 2 seconds in her last 5 starts, w/ all of those coming in dirt routes. She’s twice posted her lifetime high SF of 97 in those 5 starts. One of those efforts came in her last start, a 12f dirt allowance, in which she put in a strong closing run for 2nd. This filly seems to be on the improve, and if the speed in this race sets things up for a late runner, who knows? At 17/1, she’s another interesting longshot play.

PP 9: Turfson(Ire) – 7/1
Marju x With Approval x Tom Rolfe – 5yo horse
Record in 05: 9(5-0-1)
Top SF: 104
Top SF at 12f: n/a
Owner: Pilgrim
Stable: pilgrim1 – 13%
Jockey: B Carley – 10%

Turfson, a striking 5yo light grey horse, enters the Dirt Cup for Pilgrim. Eight of his 9 starts this year have come on dirt at 10f+, and he’s won 5 of them. You have to respect a horse that likes to win. Turfson is another horse in this field that shows early speed, as he showed 3 races back in winning the 11f Colonel Clever Stakes w/ a salty 104 SF. He exits a frontrunning 4th place effort in a 16f dirt stakes, that he could very well like wheeling back from. If this guy can relax just off the pace like he did in the Colonel Clever, he could be the one to catch in the home stretch.

PP 10: Slither – 9/5
Deputy Minister x Gone West x Northern Dancer – 4yo horse
Record in 05: 10(2-2-1)
Top SF: 114
Top SF at 12f: 98
Owner: Padre Bri
Stable: peeps6 – 21%
Jockey: M Margolf – 11%

Padre Bri enters Slither, the Dirt Cup’s morning line 9/5 favorite. Slither has had a nice year for Padre, winning the 9f G2 Statewide Pinhead Guild Stakes w/ a 114 sf, and taking 3rd in the 9f G3 Oaktree Handicap. He also put in a nice run 3 races back in the 10f Smackdown Stakes, settling midpack, and coming up just a length short w/ a nice 109 sf 2nd. Those gamblers looking to beat this overwhelming favorite, might spread out, considering his only run at Saturday’s 12f distance was a 4th place finish, and a double digit length loss. However, Slither has run 100+ SFs in 9 of his 10 starts this year, so you have to respect his consistency, and someone’s going to have to put their running shoes on to beat him.

It’s a good looking group of real dirt racehorses that have entered the 2nd Annual GR Simsters Dirt Cup. Good luck to all the trainers involved, may your horses represent the GR Simsters Residency well, and may they all come back safely.

*GR Simsters Dirt Cup stats – This year’s running is the 2nd annual for the event. The inaugural Dirt Cup was held in 2004. The winner of that race came from the Lennbrenner Empire; Magesterial Card. MC, a former claimer, covered the 12f in 2:31 2/5, and earned a nice 102 SF for the 2 length victory. TM’s Themistokles ran 2nd, w/ Jessimare’s Fancy Ribbons taking 3rd.

Geoff W.GR Simsters President