Another edition of the Grade 1 Walnut Tree Stakes headlines the weekend racing at the Sim’s California Track. The Walnut Tree Stakes returns to CA after a hiatus since the 2019 running. Today’s race includes a well-rounded group of 2yo fillies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Different running styles and different paths to this race are the story. There are fillies that like to go right to the front, like 6-1 morning line favorite Golden Sherlock, and those that like to stalk the pace and those that like to come from behind. This race will also be the first time around two turns for many of the fillies in today’s race. This race, given the morning line odds, should be very competitive. The favorite, Golden Sherlock, is a nicely priced 6-1. The longest odds at 19-1 is Coagulate Artoriou.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the filles have come here after recent outings against graded stakes competition while others have been in the allowance ranks and are trying this level of competition for the first time. The best Speed Figure (SP) recorded so far is by Almndbuter N Honey (SP = 89) against Grade 2 company. Golden Sherlock ran an 88 against Grade 2 rivals. Zapper Zig ran an 85 in the Grade 1 Dell Computer Debutante. Others in this field have recorded similar SPs. Seeking Kimber ran an 86. Newbirth Brass Ban ran an 87. Rancho’s Army ran an 88. The difference is that these horses ran those SPs against 4 horse fields in allowance company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This race will be a measuring stick for all the horses in the field. Can the horses trying two turns handle that distance? Can the horses that have good SPs against weaker competition (relative to Grade 1 company) sustain that level of performance against more and better horses? This race will provide an answer for at least some of today’s runners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here is some more information (in post position order) about each of the runners in the Grade 1 Walnut Tree Stakes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CRANBERRY CLUB<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Owner: asrdistorted1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Odds: 9-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jockey: M Buck<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cranberry Club<\/strong> enters the Walnut Tree with the hope to get back to her winning ways of her first two career races. After two allowance wins in a four horse field owner asrdistorted1 <\/strong>took the next step in Cranberry Club’s development and entered her in the Grade 3 Schoolerville at New York on July 27. In that race Cranberry Club finished third by 2 lengths. She stalked the pace but did not have the closing kick needed to get the win. Now going around two turns for the first time she will have to show that she has that extra gear and can handle the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Letmyselfbe (CURLIN x DANZIG x BROAD BRUSH) is the sim mare for Cranberry Club. In her racing career Letmyselfbe had a maiden win, a second place finish and two third place finishes in her 12 race career. Cranberry Club is the first offspring for Letmyselfbe. On the sire side, Tapit is the one. He was the number one sim sire in 2022 and the sire to sim legends. He also has two 2yo graded stakes winners for 2025. The pedigree is certainly in Cranberry Club’s favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GOLDEN SHERLOCK<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: babychicks<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 6-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: M Stearns<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another filly looking to get to the lead, Golden Sherlock<\/strong> is three for three so far in her career. She won the Grade 2 Lean Machine Stakes on July 5 at MI track in her last race. That race was at 6.5 furlongs, the longest distance so far for her. Owner babychicks <\/strong>is looking for Golden Sherlock to take a step forward into competing in longer races in the Walnut Tree. But speaking of the Grade 2 win Golden Sherlock was the 6-1 favorite, like in today’s race, in that race and it was an impressive victory. She beat subsequent graded stakes winners Go Right (Grade 3 winner) and War Silenced (Grade 1 Dell Computer Debutante, a race that included today’s rival Zapper Zig). Jockey M Stearns travels in from Vermont to ride Golden Sherlock for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Golden Sherlock is the daughter of sim mare D’Oro of the North. This sim mare won over $250k and was an allowance winner during her on the track career. She is the mom to Grade 3 winner Fake North. Golden Sherlock’s sire is Good Magic. Good Magic has sired multiple Grade 1 winners. This includes the 2025 Middle Jewel Stakes winner To Shape a Dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: suedois<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 18-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: E Sharp<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her first career race Slightly Unstable<\/strong> had a bad start but showed some moxie by making a move in the stretch. Though she finished seventh she lost by only two and a quarter lengths. For her next race owner suedois<\/strong> found a much easier spot in an allowance race, with NW of a race in a year condition, and a four horse field. Slightly Unstable again dropped to the back of the pack but roared home with an easy 5 length victory in the 8 furlong race. Slightly Unstable enters this race, her third race, with the same type of resume as other runners, a win in a short field with a good speed figure. The question is whether this type of path to a grade 1 race will work out. The not so musically named E Sharp travels in from Ohio for the mount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Slightly Unstable’s sim mare is Sleights (DISTORTED HUMOR x A.P. INDY x MAJESTIC LIGHT). Sleights was a stakes winner and graded stakes placed. Slightly Unstable is the tenth offspring of Sleights. There are no stakes winners and one stakes placed horse among her progeny. On the sire side is Volatile. He has stakes winners but no graded stakes winners on his sire resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n COAGULATE ARTORIOU<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: coagulate9<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 19-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: J Piotrowski<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Old vet” Coagulate Artoriou<\/strong>, one of several fillies with the most career races at five, looks to add to her win total of three. Owner coagulate9 <\/strong>places his 2yo filly in her second try against graded company. The first try, the Grade 3 GB Ireland Turf Finale, did not go well for Coagulate Artoriou. She finished 11th but that race was in open company and she was the only filly in the race. That race was on the turf and featured some impressive turf runners, including winners in later Grade 1 and Grade 2 races. After this race Coagulate Artoriou went to allowance company against fillies. She finished fifth in that race but rebounded with two consecutive victories. Her last race was on the dirt at 8 furlongs in which she recorded a career best 83 speed figure. Distance and surface work in Coagulate Artoriou’s favor in her first race at a North American sim track. Pennsylvania’s top jockey, J Piotrowski, travels to California for today’s race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coagulate Artoriou is from the sim mare Lesson Learnt (EXCEED AND EXCEL x SMART STRIKE x ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS)). Lesson Learnt won one race, a maiden special weight, in her career. She has four offspring one of which was stakes placed and two others that were allowance winners. The sire, Artorius (Aus), is a lightly used sire with a low breeding cost. He hasn’t sired any stakes winners, his best offspring is Magnetics who is stakes placed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n EL EXSPIRAVIT<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: amirnew3<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 13-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: L Radzinski<\/p>\n\n\n\n El Exspiravit<\/strong>, based on her past races, will run the Walnut Tree with a different running style than many of the other fillies in the field. In her four career starts El Exspiravit has stayed off the pace and showed her kick in the stretch. This running style served her well in her first three starts, all victories. Also, El Exspiravit won’t be disappointed if the weather people are wrong about the forecast for the Walnut Tree Stakes. She won her first two starts on a sloppy track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her latest victory was in the Baby Capote Dirt Juvenile Fillies at the Virgina Track in May. Her latest start, a second place finish, was in the Grade 2 Hoserhead Juvenile Fillies. As usual, El Exspiravit came from off the pace and finished with the a lot of momentum down the stretch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n El Exspiravit was a scratch breeding (GHOSTZAPPER x PULPIT x EL PRADO). Sire Ghostzapper is nearing the end of his sim sire career. His last year as a sire will be 2026. However, Ghostzapper has been a highly ranked sire for the last few years. He already has a Grade 1 winning 2yo (Esquilino) so far this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FEEL THIS REAL<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: intoasr1999<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 9-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: D Givins<\/p>\n\n\n\n As with several of the other horses in this race, owner intoasr1999’s Feel This Real <\/strong>will be trying two turns for the first time in her career. Feel This Real is a winner in 2 of her 3 career races. One of her wins was the Grade 2 Vermont BB Juvenile Filly on May 18. Her other win was by an impressive 16 lengths in her debut race. Of note is that win was in a four horse field and the other three horses in the race were CPU horses. The condition of the race was basically a maiden race even though it was an allowance race for horses (not restricted to fillies) that have not won a race in a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her last race, the Grade 2 Red Fish Blue Fish Stakes at 6.5 furlongs, Feel This Real finished fourth. She stayed off the pace but did not have a strong rally in the stretch. This running style was different from her first two races where she went to the lead or just off the lead. Getting to the lead and handling the added distance in today’s race will be the challenges for Feel This Real. She gets the services of top jockey D Givins who is travelling in from Kentucky for this race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feel This Real’s sim mare is Pioneersopioneers (PIONEEROF THE NILE x NUREYEV x ALYDAR).\u00a0 During her racing career Pioneersopioneers was a Grade 1 winner and earned over 1 million dollars.\u00a0 She is also the sim mare to other stakes winners.\u00a0 She ran successfully in 16 furlong races, winning a Grade 1 race at 16 furlongs.\u00a0 This suggests that Feel This Real has it in her bloodline to run longer distances.\u00a0 Feel This Real’s sire is Into Mischief, the sire to many Grade 1 winners.\u00a0 Mischief has been a top sire in the sim for the past several years.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n NAUGLAMIR<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: derbylane<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 8-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: A Jolly<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perfection is on the line today for derbylane’s Nauglamir<\/strong>. Nauglamir is a perfect 2 for 2 in her career. Those two races were against maiden and allowance competition so today’s race is a large step up in class for Nauglamir. She has the local track advantage since she won both races here at the California sim track. Her last race was at 8 furlongs and against a small field with a total of four horses. In that race she fell back about 7 lengths and came roaring back in the stretch to just get up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her sim ‘he-mare’ is Revelinthedarkness (TAPIT x EMPIRE MAKER x CURLIN). Revelinthedarkness was a stakes winner. He also finished second as a 20-1 longshot in the Grade 1 Continental. Nauglamir’s sire Into Mischief has been a very successful sim sire. He has sired many grade 1 winners and was the second ranked sim sire in 2024. So far in 2025 Into Mischief has sired two 2 year old grade 2 winners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SEEKING KIMBER<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: elkstables11<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 7-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: F Gossett<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeking Kimber <\/strong>travels across the Pacific and will run in her fourth career race after going against maiden and allowance company in Japan. Owner elkstables11 <\/strong>enters Seeking Kimber after seeing this 2yo filly win her last two races. In her first try Seeking Kimber finished second in maiden special weight company and then went on to win her next two races. Of note is that the last two races have been in four horse fields. Also of note is that her last win was by 5 and a half lengths going 8 furlongs. She also recorded speed figures of 86 and 85 in her last two races. This race will offer some insight into her ability to run high speed figures against a larger number and more talented level of competition. Seeking Kimber has California’s top jockey, F Gossett, in the irons today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeking Kimber (NYQUIST x FORTY NINER x GIANT’S CAUSEWAY) is a scratch bred with an impressive pedigree. Nyquist is the sire to many Grade 1 victors. He is also the sire to 2025 2yo Grade 2 winner Neutronic. Seeking Kimber will look to extend her two race winning streak and add to Nyquist’s 2yo graded stakes winner’s lineup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NEWBIRTH BRASS BAN<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: 6ward04<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 13-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: B Easy<\/p>\n\n\n\n Newbirth Brass Ban likes to be at the front or right at the front of the pace, as her four race record shows. In those four races she has two wins and a third place finish. The other race was the Grade 3 Montana Futurity. She raced against males in that race and finished sixth. Two of the participants in that race went on to win a graded stakes race. Her last race was an allowance race with a four horse field. That 8 furlong win included a speed figure of 87, one of the highest recorded among the fillies in today’s race. As with some other horses in this race, she must show that she can run that type of race in graded stakes company and against a larger field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sim mare for Newbirth Brass Ban is Rebirth Brass Band (SPEIGHTSTOWN x SEEKING THE GOLD x NUREYEV). She has 13 progeny from the sim and one grades stakes winner. That was a 2yo in a Grade 2 stakes race. Newbirth Brass Ban has the sire Carpe Diem. Carpe Diem is the sire to multiple Grade 1 winners, though there hasn’t been any graded winners for Carpe Diem since 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ALMNDBUTER N HONEY<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: legacy618<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 7-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: R Baggio<\/p>\n\n\n\n Impressive so far in her four race career, Almndbuter N Honey<\/strong> aims to set the pace in today’s race. Owner legacy618 <\/strong>looks for this 2yo filly to win another graded stakes race. On June 15 Almndbuter N Honey won the Grade 2 Stoker Handicap at the Idaho track. After that race she tried Grade 3 company in the Sorgento Stakes. Going off the 4-1 favorite she stalked the lead in second place and took the lead in the stretch. But she couldn’t hold on to the lead and lost in late stretch by a quarter length. Jockey R Baggio will need to pace Almndbuter N Honey properly in the longer distance of today’s race. Almndbuter N Honey has experienced success at the CA track, winning an allowance race on May 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Almndbuter N Honey is a scratch breeding with the sim breeding line of BOLT D’ORO x SUMMER SQUALL x DEPUTY MINISTER. Bolt D’Oro is the sire to multiple Grade 1 winners. Almndbuter N Honey will look to add to her sire’s resume of Grade 1 victors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RANCHO’S ARMY<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: snoopthedogg2<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 18-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: R Hansen<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rancho’s Army <\/strong>has finished in the money in all four of her five career starts. But there is a condition on that record. All but one of the starts has been in a four horse field. That one race had a field of eight and Rancho’s Army finished third. Also, four of her five career starts were in HOT races. She broke her maiden in the fourth race of her career, a HOT race against three other CPU horses. After winning that race by 12 lengths owner snoopthedogg2 <\/strong>entered her in an allowance race and she won that race by 7 lengths while her speed figure popped to an 88. Rancho’s Army won that last race at the 8 furlong distance. To match the success of her last two races, it is expected for her to get the lead again in this race, though it will be tougher against a larger number and more talented group of fillies. This is a large jump in class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rancho’s Army has My Army of Lovers (INTO MISCHIEF x BERNARDINI x SEEKING THE GOLD) as her sim mare. That mare has 4 progeny and no stakes winners yet. Rancho’s Army’s sire is Mr. Rancho Vista. He is a rarely used sire that has no stakes winners, though there is stakes and graded stakes placed horses among his offspring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ZAPPER ZIG<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: rubber4<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 8-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: N Lawton<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trying two turns for the first time in her career, Zapper Zig <\/strong>is looking to get back into the winners circle after coming in fourth in her last two races. Before getting into those races, owner rubber4<\/strong> was happy to see his 2 year old filly win her first two races. Those two races, a maiden and the Philly Flyer Stakes, occurred back in January and February. After winning the Philly Flyer, Zapper Zig tried graded stakes company in the Grade 2 Stoker Handicap. The winner of that race is one of her foes today, Almndbuter N Honey. In her last race, the Grade 1 Dell Computer Debutante, Zapper Zig again stalked the pace (as is her running style) and briefly had the lead about an eighth of a mile from the finish. However, she was overtaken by three other horses in late stretch to finish one length behind the winner. The winner of that race, War Silenced, was beaten previously by one of Zapper Zig’s rivals, Golden Sherlock. New York’s top rider N Lawton is making the trip to ride Zapper Zag today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zapper Zig is a scratch breeding (GHOSTZAPPER x DANZIG x STREET CRY).<\/p>\n\n\n\n MINISTEROFQUALITY<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: teamasr4<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 12-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: A Rolling<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ministerofquality<\/strong> has exhibited different running styles so far in her short career. In her first two starts she stayed close to the pace and that strategy worked since both races were wins. The second of those two wins was in the Grade 3 Arizona Shoot-Out Special on April at 4.5 furlongs. In her last two races owner teamasr4 <\/strong>saw Ministerofquality race from the back of the pack. Those two races saw her finish third and then sixth in her latest race. In that race, the Grade 3 Sorgento, she fell about 6 lengths behind the leader and had a mild rally in the stretch losing by less than 3 lengths. Keeping the recent running style may be of a benefit for the longer distance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ministerofquality’s sim mare is Tap The Minister (TAPIT x DEPUTY MINISTER x FAPPIANO. Tap the Minister was a stakes winner and graded placed during her racing career. She also won over 250 thousand dollars in earnings. Tap the Minister is mom to ten sim horses. Only Ministerofquality is a graded winner. City of Light is the sire of Ministerofquality . This sire has several graded winners and two Grad 1 winners on his sire resume. Two of the graded stakes winners were 2025 two year olds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SEARCHINFORVICTIMS<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owner: asrcurlin1999<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odds: 10-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jockey: O A Haack<\/p>\n\n\n\n Searchinforvictims<\/strong> comes into todays race a winner in two of her three career starts. Those victories came in the first two races of her career, both allowance wins in a four horse field. After those two victories owner asrcurlin1999 <\/strong>entered her in the Grade 2 Hoserhead Juvenile Fillies at BC on July 19. In that 6.5 furlong race Searchinforvictims fell back to last about 9 lengths off the lead. She made a very nice rally late but finished two and a half lengths back in sixth place. Also in that race was today’s rival El Exspiravit who also had a late kick but a better one than Searchforvictims. Searchforvictims speed figure in that last race was a career best 79. She will need to improve that SP and her closing kick in this race. Florida’s top jockey, O A Haack, gets the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Searchinforvictims is scratch bred with a fine pedigree (CURLIN x STORM CAT x DYNAFORMER). Curlin was the number one sire in the sim for 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Good racing for all the fillies in the Walnut Tree Stakes!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Another edition of the Grade 1 Walnut Tree Stakes headlines the weekend racing at the Sim’s California Track. The Walnut<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"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":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72084","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\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=72084"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72087,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72084\/revisions\/72087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=72084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=72084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=72084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}