Inside This
Issue
AMAAAW
Sire Profile
TBS Auction Preview
Who’s Who
Rising Stars
Claimer Hidden Gems
Trainer Highlights
PLP Highlight
Stars of Yesteryear
Year 42, Week 1
Stakes Report
SIMpoly Slant
AMAAAW: Ask Maddy Anything About AW
Is it possible or even worth it to try a dirt or turf horse on all weather?
Do you think I can “breed up” a nice all weather horse from dirt or turf mares?
I
get this question from one of two groups. They are
either 1) new players looking to increase their racing
stock, and assume that a horse who hasn’t done well
on dirt or turf should be ok on all weather, or 2) veteran
players who assume that all weather hasn’t evolved much
over the last 20 years.
Way way back when all weather was first introduced
(Y20 W11 to be precise) it was very much a last ditch
effort surface, similar to chasing. Essentially, if you had
an underperforming dirt or turf horse, you stuck it on all
weather for a few starts. If it liked it, it stayed. If it didn’t, it
was turned into a chaser for a few more starts or sent to
Greener Pastures (for those of us with less patience).
I actually had a lot of fun with all weather at this time.
It was very much all about finding that one “diamond
in the rough” type horse who was 8:0-0-0, dumped
unceremoniously into AJ’s barn, waiting to burst forth
onto the all weather scene in all of it’s stakes winning
glory. Granted, I only had one horse do that (Show Me
That Smile), but I found several other horses who didn’t
show any inkling on the surface but actually panned
out to be decent AW horses. Slowly I built my breeding
around these types, keeping their best daughters and
breeding them back to newfound sires.
That stopped being the case about 5-7 SIM years ago.
By that point, the sires who switched from a different
surface to AW now had full AW sons standing to replace
them, and most mares had at least 2 generations of sole
AW racing pedigree.
As a result, today’s AW pedigrees are highly specialized
(though not very diverse - another topic, another day).
You can immediately tell if a horse is an AW horse
simply by its pedigree, and chances are it won’t run
well on a surface that isn’t AW. Which is precisely
why, in most instances, AW isn’t a viable option for an
underperforming dirt/turf horse anymore. Even if it were
to compete against low quality AW horses, it still ends up
at a disadvantage because today’s AW horse will have a
higher natural AW ability compared to the pure dirt or
turf pedigreed horse.
So what about working your way into all weather with
outside, non-AW stock? I suppose you could, but it would
be a very time intensive and thankless process. I’ve been
building my AW barn on non-AW pedigrees since Y28,
and I haven’t really started seeing success until recently.
That was 10 years of selective breeding, all while the
division went through a growth spurt. If you’re planning
on starting that way now, not only are you fighting well
established AW pedigrees but the next 10 years of
growth in the division.
AD: I’m really terrible at managing
my horses lately. I’m actually looking
forward to other people’s tips here.
AMAAAW: Continued
Now, all of these doesn’t mean it’s
impossible for a horse to transition
to AW from a different surface. The
obvious exception, of course, are the
top multi-surface type horses who
just excel at everything. Colorado,
Magician, West, Quidditch...these
are just a few examples. But these
horses are really really rare (and
usually colts).
But if you’re set on trying a horse on
AW, there are a few things I might
suggest:
First, if the horse is doing so-so, but
still picking up checks on their native
surface, I would strongly recommend
just keeping them there, for the
reasons stated above. On the other
hand, if the horse is consistently
off the board, then you have a bad
horse period and surface isn’t going
to make a difference. Just get rid of it!
Before starting your horse on
AW, give it a trial AW workout
beforehand. That would be a 2
furlong work for a sprinter, 4 furlong
work for a miler and a 5 furlong work
for a router.
If the horse scores within the top
25% of work times, then you’re
usually ok to make the switch. If
it scores above average, but not
quite the top 25%, then weigh your
options. Most of the time it’s as I
mentioned before - the horse is
running decently on dirt/turf already,
and it’s not worth the switch. If the
horse works slower than average,
then AW isn’t going to work at all;
the horse just doesn’t have any AW
ability.
You can check out Abe Froman’s
workout stats on the forum. His Y39
times are still a viable measurement!
Year 42, Week 1
MG: Ok then, how about any goals for
the new year?
AD: Enter my horses. Our division
needs a lot of support I think, and
I feel kind of guilty lately for not
helping out more.
Who’s Who
with Ara Davies
I
got to sit down this week with
the trainer who hasn’t made a
public appearance in what feels like
decades. Or at least it would be
that if SIM time equaled real time.
However, she’s recently surged back
into action and I took advantage of
her renewed energy to ask her a
few questions. Please welcome Ara
Davies!
MG: Do you have a favorite AW horse?
AD: Colorado. He only had three AW
starts, but this was back in the early
days of AW so his wins were pretty
good! All three of his stakes had to
be sponsored by AW enthusiasts, so
I’m pretty pleased the division has
been able to grow past that.
MG: Any favorites in your barn right
now?
AD: I haven’t been racing much
lately, so my two favorites are
unfortunately retired: Sunbledore
and Sunscape. I have a foal from
them this year though that I have
high hopes for!
MG: Ah yes, the aptly named Sunsnape.
I’m keeping an eye on that one! Tell
me about the rest of your barn. Any
tips, tricks or practices you may have
regarding your AW horses?
MG: Which really is a shame, because I
think you’re an inspiration to our newer
players. I mean, you’ve been in the
SIM since 1999! But since you, as you
said, haven’t been around much lately,
are there any trainers whom you see
helping the division?
AD: Honestly I’m a big fan of ANYONE
who runs horses on AW. We need
as many enthusiastic players as
possible so I value every single one
of them.
MG: That’s very diplomatic of you, but
true. I think a lot of recent activity and
promotion has generated interest in
the division, and I’ve talked with more
people joining AW in the last few weeks
than I ever have before. But there’s still
a long road ahead of us. What would
you like to see in the future for AW?
AD: An expansion in the bloodlines.
Breeding horses is really difficult
because they’re all so closely related
to each other. I just know there’s
some outcross out there that would
be good on AW that we don’t know
about.
I also want to see a lot more
participation from new people! AW
is a lot of fun! We even have our own
forum! And you can win AW races
with horses that are much worse
than you’d need to win a lot of dirt
races, so it’s a nice place to break in.
Come and join us!
page 2
Trainer Highlights
with Garrett Folsom
Our top route trainers for Year 41 included: Madelene Gilbert (113), Bernard Kwok (63), Danny Warren (53), Garret
Folsom (44) and Lee Cara (34).
Heading into Year 42, our current top route trainers include: Madelene Gilbert (797), Lee Cara (428), Ricky Stamm
(363), Lucas Davenport (310) and Leigh Ann Anderson (307).
Madelene should hit 800 career wins quickly, becoming the first trainer to reach that number. Other approaching
milestones - Nena Olsen is very close to hitting 300, with just 299 career wins; Jolene Danner and Arthur Cutler
should hit 200 soon, with 199 and 196 wins respectively.
Stakes Report
Preview of the Rocky Mountain Stakes
D
ispite the Steward’s Cup running just the week
before, this race seems to be drawing all sorts of
class. Not to mention a full field of twelve! This listed
stakes is 1 1/8 m at Artificial Arena.
A Bird in Hand, the aging 6yo horse best known for his
precociousness and early stakes win, didn’t do much at 5.
He won the W3 Deserves a Shot Stakes but only finished
in the money two other times in 4 starts, and finished 4th
at best.
Arrows of Agony drank something late last year! He
began his 4yo year with an 11th and remained out of the
money in his next two starts. Then he suddenly decided
to win, churning out 3 straight to finish the year with a
win in the W15 Claiming Cup Classic.
Discovery Moment was certainly missed in the SC
Classic last year, his owning forgetting to nominate him.
Instead, he ran on dirt for the first time in W15 and hated
the surface, finishing 7th. However his sweep of the W6
All Weather Derby (G1) and W13 Plastics Classic (G1)
earned him the Champion AW 3YO Male Simmy.
Frontier Doctor was another missed presence in the
SC. He ran an incredible race in the W13 CHRTB Stakes,
winning spectacularly by 2 1/4 lengths and a 90 SR, a
personal record. He was a late blooming 3yo, breaking his
maiden in W1 and slowly moving up with an NWL win W4.
Year 42, Week 1
Hippogryph, now 4, was another colt who vastly
improved towards the end of his 3yo year. Despite the
slow start, he backed down to non-claimers after a 5th in
the W2 All Weather Conditioner. He was back to winning
by W8 though and spit out two more wins, including the
W14 Keep It Stakes.
Perfect Eyes looked like he would be a nice colt after 2
juvenile wins, but started his 3yo year in the money twice
GBR stakes. Sent back down to non-claimers, he won
easily in an NWL. He won nicely in his return to stakes
competition, taking the W14 All Weather 2000 Guineas.
Wealthy Error, a 4yo gelding, had a very respectible
record as a 3yo. He had a stakes win early on, and was
stakes placed including a 3rd in the W10 Instant Horse
Stakes. He picked up an easy confidence building win last
out in an NWL W15.
Other entries include Great Bay, I Keel You, Inextricable,
Oral Hygiene and Perfect Panda.
Honestly this should be an easy win for Discovery
Moment, provided his foray in the dirt hasn’t completely
devastated him. Otherwise it might go to Frontier Doctor,
who seems to really want to be 4.
page 3
She might not look like it, but she’s
responsible for three early AW
prospects in Downpour (8 winners),
Driving Rain (3 winners) and Fox in
Socks (3 winners and another son
of Inspired Fox). And while it doesn’t
technically count, she does come
from the female line of Priceless
Forever, Rivalry, Serena Success and
a bunch of other Serenas that can
be found further back in AW route
pedigrees.
Sire Profile
Plane
P
lane is already an established
sire, both as a dirt sprint and all
weather sprint producer. However,
since he’s currently listed as a Dirt
Sprint sire I want to make sure he
doesn’t get passed up and forgotten,
because his sire stats are on par
with the top all weather sprint sires
and he’s a great outcross to the
majority of current sprint lines.
Let’s put aside his phenomenal
career for a second and look at why
he’s such a great AW sire prospect.
His pedigree is chock full of early all
weather potential, and the best part
is it comes from deep female lines
past the 3rd generation, which is
pretty uncommon for all weather.
Take a look at his sire side first.
Look Danger definitely isn’t an AW
sire (he only has 2 winners out of
210), but his dam Look Dreams has
ability. Her son Look Eagles had
62 AW winners compared to 119
dirt winners, and his sire, Inspired
Fox, was one of the early AW sire
prospects, getting 21 winners on the
surface.
On his damside, go to Hailstorm.
Year 42, Week 1
Even better, he’s 3x4 to Inspired Star.
She’s the undefeated 10 for 10 dam
of not only Inspired Dream (sire of
Look Dreams) and Compelling (sire
of Jet) but also of Cherish, who’s
the dam of Tycoon (8 winners) and
Treasured, who in turn gave us
Esteemed (7 winners) and Inspired
Doxa (3 winners). Compelling himself
isn’t too bad; his son Dance Amore
was also an early prospect and had 3
AW winners.
So what can you learn from all this
history? If you notice, the most
successful all weather talent comes
from the same cross - namely, any
time this family was bred to Lost
Soldier or one of his sons (Lost or
Lost in the Fog). And which son of
Lost was (and arguably still is) the
most prolific AW sprint sire? Yep,
that’s right - Seraph.
Seraph mares have been bred to
Plane 66 times. Only 43 of those
offspring raced on the track, but 36
of them came back winners. 7 are
stakes winners. That’s an 84% win
rate and 16% stakes win rate!
At $20,000 he’s priced the same as
Barrack Street, Formidable Fager
and Rocket Launch, but if you want a
complete outcross for your copious
amounts of Seraph and sons-lined
mares, he’s definitely worth it.
Rising Stars
Check back next week for our first
update!
PLP Highlight
James Selby gets the first week with
his allowance Wizarding War filly out
of Defend Your State.
This unnamed filly is a half sister to
SC Matron winner and millionaire
Tamriel and graded stakes placed
Cyrodiil.
Defend Your State’s last 3 foals
haven’t been the greatest; the 4yo
is still a maiden and the 3yo hasn’t
raced yet. The 2yo is a “productive”
with average works, and will hit
the track later this year. However,
the two half-sisters mentioned
earlier were the dam’s other
“stakes”/”allowance” gallopers, so
here’s hoping this filly will follow in
their footsteps!
TBS Auction Preview
This one isn’t technically a yearling
preview, but good news for future
prospects!
The Steward had the opportunity
last year to lease both Drowsy,
multiple graded stakes winning
sprint mare, and her daughter
Bleary for fillies to add to her
broodmare band in the future.
Drowsy’s filly is named Soporific and
is by GP sire Variety Club. Bleary’s
filly is named Cloudy and is by
GP sire Shea Shea. Cloudy is also
Bleary’s first foal. Look for both to hit
the track early Year 43!
page 4
Claimer Hidden Gems
The first edition filly choices were a
bit unwhelming, but gem Rocchetta,
3yo sprint filly owned by Johanna Stk,
is the standout pick this week.
The filly debuted in a $50k claimer
and won by 1 1/2 lengths with a 75
SR. Keeping in similar company, she
then finished 3rd and 2nd before
nabbing her second win in her 4th
start. She then finished 4th in her
last start as a 2yo.
Stars of Yesteryear
T
his week is all about the multisurface prospects, so what
better way to start than with THREE
awesome multi-surface horses who
killed it on all weather.
totaled 12 wins in 25 starts over
4 surfaces, including 3 for 3 on all
weather.
I can only assume Johanna got
frustrated with her to put her in such
a low claiming tag. At $8k she’ll win
the race and some confidence too
boot. Why pick her?
The drastic claiming tag drop makes
for a very fortuitous pick, and while I
doubt this filly will leave the claiming
ranks, she will definitely be able to
earn that back and in the higher tags
too. She’s also at least a “productive”
gallop, based on her works and
speed figures, so she’s an above
average purchase at $8k.
The males looked a bit more
appealing as a whole, as they usually
do in the lower tags. With a nod to
3yo sprint gelding Talk to It, this
week’s gem is 4yo route gelding
King of Nada, owned by Lucas
Davenport.
King of Nada just started hitting his
stride last year as a 3yo, winning 3
of 5 starts, including last out at 1
3/16 m by a length with a 76 SR. He’s
been very consistent in the lower
tags, and should continue to run just
as well as a 4yo if placed well. For
just $3.5k, he should earn that back
before mid-year and keep going well
into his older years.
Year 42, Week 1
Four A.M. Miracle first debuted
on all weather in the Y21 Week 2 All
Weather Trial, where she stormed
away easily, winning by 3 1/2 lengths
over Cumbria (she actually debuted
on dirt first at 2).
She won two more stakes, this
time on turf, before returning to all
weather for the Week 12 All Weather
Ladies Classic (G1). There she won
by 1 1/4 lengths over miler sensation
Gelandesprung and Chincoteague.
Magician actually debuted on all
weather, something that probably
raised a few eyebrows at the time
(they did mine).
He started at 7 furlongs in Y21 Week
8, winning handedly by 3 1/2 lengths,
before winning the Juvenile Bound
Stakes by 5 3/4 lengths and an 80 SR
(extremely high at the time).
She’d go on to win 4 more stakes
on both dirt and turf, finishing her
career with 9 total wins in 13 starts,
and 2 for 2 on all weather.
Colorado was a super star long
before he started on all weather,
winning multiple G1 races including
the Long Island Classic. Actually, he
didn’t make it to AW until 6, but won
convincingly by 3 3/4 lengths in the
G3 Lil Sis Stakes in Y21 Week 3. His
next two starts were also wins (G3s).
He retired from the flat after that,
moving on to chasing for 3 starts
before retiring to stud. His career
He lost his all weather debut at 3 to
Chat by a length; that would be the
last time he’d see the surface until
he was 5. He entered the Y24 Week
13 Plastics Classic (G1) and won by 3
lengths over Eastern Dynasty.
Of course, he’s better known for his
Desert World Cup win in Y23 and
Steward’s Cup Turf win in Y24. He
retired with 16 wins in 19 starts, with
3 wins in 4 starts on all weather.
page 5