{"id":2384,"date":"2006-05-05T16:35:46","date_gmt":"2006-05-05T16:35:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=2384"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"oldbtb_4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/?p=2384","title":{"rendered":"Derby Post # 1: Lovely Sheep, bred for Bluegrass"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine this bizarre scenario:\u00a0\u00a0 It’s a picture-perfect 1st Saturday in May.\u00a0\u00a0 Glorious sunshine fuels a rabid crowd of excited railbirds.\u00a0 They applaud the bugler’s call and cheer wildly the\u00a0opening notes of “My Old\u00a0Sim Kentucky Home.”\u00a0 Fans of all ages crowd around their TV monitors and big screens, waiting to glimpse that gorgeous moment when the first of 20 sophomores step out onto the Bluegrass Racetrack.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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The first colt, a cocoa brown youngster (saddlecloth # 1!) gregariously leads the way.\u00a0\u00a0His name’s Lovely Sheep<\/STRONG>, a big wild-eyed colt with an unmissable broad white blaze on his face.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Slightly awash underneath the hot sun, the zany colt\u00a0pulls his “lad” (trainer Tonno200<\/STRONG> is from Britain!)\u00a0like a family pooch keen on an afternoon walk.\u00a0\u00a0 The crowd roars in approval.\u00a0\u00a0 This guy’s a leader and quite a character!\u00a0\u00a0He positively owns the show, head held high, ready for his warm-ups!\u00a0 Punters race back to the windows for one last bet.\u00a0 Perhaps they’ve overlooked this Lammtarra son at 23\/1?\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Unfortunately, Lovely Sheep’s admiring audience quickly turns aghast.\u00a0\u00a0 They watch in horror as the colt breaks away from his lad, tosses his jockey,\u00a0making a beeline straight for the\u00a0inner turf course.\u00a0 In one marvelous leap that would put any showjumper to shame, Lovely Sheep scales the rail\u00a0and sets to some serious grazing.\u00a0\u00a0 Mmm, bluegrass.\u00a0 Before you know it, all 19 colts follow their leader, tossing their peoples, and setting to an afternoon snack.\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Yoicks!\u00a0 Talk about headlines for the Sim’s 8th annual Derby!\u00a0 Just imagine reporters crowding around Tonno afterwards:<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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“What was going through your mind when Lovely Sheep jumped the rail?”\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV>
“Was your lad paid off to fall like that?”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT><\/DIV>
“Did you intentionally hide the fact that your horse is crazy?”<\/FONT><\/DIV>“Tonno, did you plan this as some kind of protest, and, if so what are you protesting?”<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Fortunately, Tonno200 won’t have to tell the reporters to go stuff their conspiracy theories.\u00a0\u00a0The answer of course would’ve been simple though:\u00a0 Lovely Sheep\u00a0was just running true to both his name and\u00a0bloodlines.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Sire<\/STRONG>:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Nijinsky II stallion, Lammtarra<\/STRONG>, an unbeaten champion 3YO\u00a0who won the 1995 English Derby(G1) <\/EM>and Arc de\u00a0Triomphe(G1)<\/EM><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
<\/FONT><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>
DamSire<\/STRONG>:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sadler’s Wells son Scenic(IRE)<\/STRONG>, precocious winner of the 1988 Dewhurst Stakes(G1)<\/EM> <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Dam’s DamSire<\/STRONG>:\u00a0 Danzig son Akaaber<\/STRONG>, an unraced full brother to Chief’s Crown<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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So there you have it:\u00a0 a\u00a0superb turf champion crossed with a\u00a0lovely precocious star….. all\u00a0crossed with a royal bred who spent a lot of time in the pasture.\u00a0\u00a0 Lam[b] + Scenic = Lovely Sheep!\u00a0 Oh, and all that crazy zaniness goin’ on in Lovely Sheep’s head is due to the multiple Northern Dancer inbreeding.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Indeed, Tonno200 told this reporter that if ‘Sheep “bombs” in the Derby, that he’ll bring the colt back in a listed grass stakes after a spell.\u00a0 Lovely Sheep\u00a0was stakes-placed from one try on the lawn as a\u00a02YO.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Speaking of freshmen seasons, Lovely Sheep enjoyed a splendid early career reminiscent of his grandsire, Scenic(IRE).\u00a0 It was mostly over the main track though —\u00a0‘Sheep broke his maiden at second asking and\u00a0a few starts later found himself boldly entered in the Sparkling Wine(G1<\/EM>), a traditonal Breeders Bowl Juvenile prep race.\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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The colt was an honest-to-goodness longshot that day at New York.\u00a0\u00a0 He had a maiden and NW1x as well as a stakes-placing to his credit by then.\u00a0 Breaking alertly out of the gate, Lovely Sheep brazenly\u00a0duked it out on the lead and\u00a0displayed marked determination gritting out a 1 1\/4 length win at the wire.\u00a0 The surprising score earned him a ticket to the Breeders Bowl Juvenile(G1)<\/EM> starting gate.\u00a0\u00a0 The colt perhaps wasn’t ready for the big show, finishing dead last to Half A World Away in the BB.\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Lovely Sheep raced two more times to end his freshen season.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0On both occasions, he displayed\u00a0strong early speed.\u00a0\u00a0 He was beaten only 4 1\/2 lengths in the Club Stakes(G2)<\/EM> to K’s Rumor Has It and Clan Of The Cat (Breeding Empire finished behind ‘Sheep in 5th).\u00a0\u00a0 A\u00a0month later,\u00a0Tonno raced him on an “early sharp” in\u00a0December’s Rumson(G2)<\/EM> over\u00a0nine furlongs.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Again, ‘Sheep zipped out to the pace, but tired somewhat in deep stretch to 10th (behind winner Peacenik, Remember Tampero, and Ermington Pegasus).\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV>
<\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>
That poor nine furlong effort might be worrisome to some handicappers and Tonno knows this:<\/FONT><\/DIV>
“He’s certainly bred for the 10 furlongs, but the 9 furlongs [Rumson(G2)<\/EM>] attempt is a worry,”\u00a0 Tonno200 said.\u00a0 “If you toss\u00a0out that [race] on the basis that he was tired and possibly unprepared, then he could run a nice race.”\u00a0<\/FONT>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
Lovely Sheep spent a good spell down at the farm following his freshman season.\u00a0 He\u00a0won his sophomore debut\u00a0the first week of March in an allowance race.\u00a0 Tonno then gave him a solid work in an April\u00a0listed stakes (where he finished 3rd with a 101 SP#<\/STRONG> over 8.5 furlongs).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV>
<\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>
A bit unorthodox Derby-trail with only two sophomore prep races, but Tonno has his colt where he wants him:<\/FONT><\/DIV>
“He had a hard campaign as a 2yo [and] I didn’t want to over race him,” he said.\u00a0 “I like his preparation.\u00a0 It gives him chance to step up if he’s capable, but if not it shouldn’t spoil his whole season.”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
Top New York jockey Nancy Lawton\u00a0gets the call again to pilot Lovely Sheep.\u00a0 Lawton\u00a0also\u00a0piloted ‘Sheep in the Breeders Bowl Juvenile<\/EM> last year.\u00a0\u00a0 Tonno instructed Lawton to hold back\u00a0the colt’s natural speed.<\/FONT><\/DIV>
“He’s set at 0.70 again like his last two races,”\u00a0 Tonno explained.\u00a0 “I think that suits him better than sprinting to the lead.”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
If you’re keen on a Derby longshot, then take a second look at this flashy cocoa brown colt named Lovely Sheep.\u00a0\u00a0 He’s bred for the “grass” in “bluegrass”….. a wild-eyed zany-crazy colt ready to jump the inner rail if you’ll let him.\u00a0 Hold onto your bootstraps and (hey, Lovely Sheep’s lad!) for gosh’s sake, hold onto the lead.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\u00a0<\/DIV>
And somebody tell Lovely Sheep that *if* he finishes 1st<\/STRONG> after a\u00a0mile-and-a-quarter on the\u00a0dirt track, a prize sure awaits:\u00a0\u00a0 roses, and grass, grass, lots of Kentucky winner’s circle bluegrass!\u00a0 \u00a0Good luck, Tonno and Lovely Sheep!\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tonno200’s longshot chance at glory<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":396,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-horses"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/396"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2384"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2384\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}