Ara is one of six currently active Hall of Fame Trainers, winner of the Year 13 American Triple Crown with Jet-Ski (yes, the hyphen is part of the name), twelve Steward’s Cup Races, and a three time winner of the 2 Year Old Sprint Championships. And that’s just some of her highlights! She’s also owner of fifteen (YES 15!) stallions including turf champions Atlas and Everest and dirt routers Fighter Jet, and Colorado (a Jet-Ski baby). Her amazing accomplishments could be spun off into its own reality show if necessary! But that’s for another day.
My flight towards Virginia went smooth as I slept most of the way. It’s actually on time, so I arrive around 5PM local time. After picking up my Chevy Silverado from a small unknown rental facility named Amica Rent A Car, I drive furiously toward her farm. When I arrive, Ara was leading Time Delay to her barn.
Time Delay is a beautiful dark brown filly out of Night Shade and Quarter Moon, a Sadler’s Well mare. She stands 15.1 hands tall and from the looks of it, is very energetic. As I watch Ara walk her, I’m not sure if it’s Time Delay really walking Ara! The filly looks ultra focused. Her full sister, a 3 year old named Phase currently races in Spain and is already a stakes winner.
I approach Ara and her filly carefully. As a non horseman and the ultimate city boy, I’m not sure how to act around her or any animals for the matter. I’m unaware of the dangers, pitfalls, or even the idiosyncrasies of handling a horse. As it is, my small stable is managed by my wonderful assistant Mary Weather.
I introduce myself as Ara continues to walk with Time Delay. The filly doesn’t want to stop and as I suspected earlier, she’s leading the way with Ara happily going along with her wishes. We have small talk. I shake her hand nervously, knowing that she is one of the SIM’s greatest owners and trainers. Her filly seems to have absorbed her “aura” of confidence.
“I’m feeling pretty excited! I think being on SIM Series will be a lot of fun,” she says. "I would hope to show some of the newer players what it's like to train a major horse and to have a major stable."
I ask her about her racing operations as we leave Time Delay in her barn and head towards her home.
“Three hundred and fifty horses,” she says somewhat lamenting. “Two farms, here and in Paris, fifteen stallions, multiple Grade/Group I championships, and I still want more.”
We continue walking side by side. Suddenly, she blurts out, “Don’t you hate it when you really want an expensive horse in the Trial By Summer Sales but there’s no expensive horses worth buying?”
I’m guessing she’s joking but I’m not sure. I know I should ask about Time Delay, but I can’t resist asking how she became so successful in the SIM.
“Most of my time, I spend refreshing myself in my office in boredom,” she says. “I’m constantly hitting the F5 key!”
I’m completely confused now but I pretend like I know what Ara is talking about. I make a mental note to myself. Make SURE you ask Mary Weather if she’s constantly hitting the F5 key as well! Whatever it does, I’m sure it’ll help my stable!
A little over an hour has passed since I arrived and I finally ask her about Time Delay.
“She’s currently in Child’s Play Park in Canada. Since SIM Series allowed us to pick our first race, I sent her to the Dark Fantasy Stakes, a 75k Non-Graded stakes race. Afterwards, she’ll be at the mercy of the SIM Community’s Vote. She IS expected to win or else!”
“Or else what?” I ask meekly.
“I might have to use lasix, tongue tie, blinkers, I don’t know yet. We’ll have to wait until after she races. I never start my horses with equipment. I run them naked! Wow, I have to go name a future yearling Run Naked!”
I breathe a sigh of relief. Sending a horse to greener pastures after one race is quite overkill! It could be borderline insane. We talk some more about random topics. Eventually, I thank her for her hospitality and head off to her guest room. Tomorrow, I’ll take a brief tour of her farm before I drive back to the airport. I have to catch a flight to San Antonio, Texas to meet Carolyn Eaton and her turf sprinting filly The White Album.
My flight towards Virginia went smooth as I slept most of the way. It’s actually on time, so I arrive around 5PM local time. After picking up my Chevy Silverado from a small unknown rental facility named Amica Rent A Car, I drive furiously toward her farm. When I arrive, Ara was leading Time Delay to her barn.
Time Delay is a beautiful dark brown filly out of Night Shade and Quarter Moon, a Sadler’s Well mare. She stands 15.1 hands tall and from the looks of it, is very energetic. As I watch Ara walk her, I’m not sure if it’s Time Delay really walking Ara! The filly looks ultra focused. Her full sister, a 3 year old named Phase currently races in Spain and is already a stakes winner.
I approach Ara and her filly carefully. As a non horseman and the ultimate city boy, I’m not sure how to act around her or any animals for the matter. I’m unaware of the dangers, pitfalls, or even the idiosyncrasies of handling a horse. As it is, my small stable is managed by my wonderful assistant Mary Weather.
I introduce myself as Ara continues to walk with Time Delay. The filly doesn’t want to stop and as I suspected earlier, she’s leading the way with Ara happily going along with her wishes. We have small talk. I shake her hand nervously, knowing that she is one of the SIM’s greatest owners and trainers. Her filly seems to have absorbed her “aura” of confidence.
“I’m feeling pretty excited! I think being on SIM Series will be a lot of fun,” she says. "I would hope to show some of the newer players what it's like to train a major horse and to have a major stable."
I ask her about her racing operations as we leave Time Delay in her barn and head towards her home.
“Three hundred and fifty horses,” she says somewhat lamenting. “Two farms, here and in Paris, fifteen stallions, multiple Grade/Group I championships, and I still want more.”
We continue walking side by side. Suddenly, she blurts out, “Don’t you hate it when you really want an expensive horse in the Trial By Summer Sales but there’s no expensive horses worth buying?”
I’m guessing she’s joking but I’m not sure. I know I should ask about Time Delay, but I can’t resist asking how she became so successful in the SIM.
“Most of my time, I spend refreshing myself in my office in boredom,” she says. “I’m constantly hitting the F5 key!”
I’m completely confused now but I pretend like I know what Ara is talking about. I make a mental note to myself. Make SURE you ask Mary Weather if she’s constantly hitting the F5 key as well! Whatever it does, I’m sure it’ll help my stable!
A little over an hour has passed since I arrived and I finally ask her about Time Delay.
“She’s currently in Child’s Play Park in Canada. Since SIM Series allowed us to pick our first race, I sent her to the Dark Fantasy Stakes, a 75k Non-Graded stakes race. Afterwards, she’ll be at the mercy of the SIM Community’s Vote. She IS expected to win or else!”
“Or else what?” I ask meekly.
“I might have to use lasix, tongue tie, blinkers, I don’t know yet. We’ll have to wait until after she races. I never start my horses with equipment. I run them naked! Wow, I have to go name a future yearling Run Naked!”
I breathe a sigh of relief. Sending a horse to greener pastures after one race is quite overkill! It could be borderline insane. We talk some more about random topics. Eventually, I thank her for her hospitality and head off to her guest room. Tomorrow, I’ll take a brief tour of her farm before I drive back to the airport. I have to catch a flight to San Antonio, Texas to meet Carolyn Eaton and her turf sprinting filly The White Album.
I land in San Antonio Airport around 3pm local time. I gained a few hours going east to west. The weather is rather humid and warm. I’m a bit tired, but I can’t wait to meet Carolyn and her filly.
I’m on the phone with my assistant Mary Weather as I arrive at Tosca Stables. “F5-ing!” I say. “What do you mean you don’t F5?… Is that good or bad?… What do you mean you don’t know?… Well, find out what it is and get back to me. OK thanks.”
I hang up my phone as I open my rental car door. I’m greeted by Carolyn’s handshake and smile. She’s dressed in khakis, a striped shirt and tie. I can see she’s very excited about being on SIM Series.
“Do you F5?” I ask. “Never mind.”
She looks at me funny as we begin walking toward the barn. Her farm is in the process of being upgraded. We walk past construction crews. They’re hard at work installing a pool, an equisizer, a veterinary hospital, and an automatic hot walker. The improvements are well over due. Carolyn has almost 350 horses in her stable. How many hot walks can you do in a day?
We walk into one of her many barns in search of her SIM Series filly The White Album. We pass the barns of Monticello and Jefferson In Paris, a few of the current stars that she is racing. Eventually, Carolyn introduces me to Thomas Jefferson’s barn. “Did you see him yesterday at New River Farm?” she asks. “We keep his barn ready for him.”
I politely tell her that I didn’t have the pleasure. I noticed that she is irked by my comment. Carolyn is a veteran trainer just like Ara. She boasts a millionaire bankroll and multiple Grade/Group I wins. She tells me how proud she is of Thomas Jefferson and fondly continues to talk about his racing career. I am sure he is a champion in her heart and the hearts of many.
We scour through the barn in search of The White Album. She’s a 16 hand white filly out of Right Hand Man and a million dollar earning Guitar mare named Gently Weeps. Her pedigree is phenomenal to say the least. Will she meet Time Delay in the Steward’s Cup?
We reach the correct stable and I notice that The White Album is quite the majestic creature. It like she knows she is blue blooded. I keep my distance for now. I’m still unsure of how to act in front of them.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Carolyn says. “She’s just like her mom.”
I respond with an enthusiastic YES! I’m tempted to ask if she’s named after the famous Beatles album. I decide against it. There could eventually be an obvious correlation later in her career. I mean, The White Album (the record) is only The Beatles best selling record at 19 times platinum (Yes, that’s 19 million copies sold) and “While My Guitar GENTLY WEEPS” happens to be a song off that record. Gently Weeps (the mare) is sired by a stallion named Guitar. I think there might be some connection.
Will The White Album (the filly) fulfill her career potential and become Carolyn’s all-time winningest filly? Either way, it’s a very clever name for her.
“I plan on starting her in a Maiden with no equipment.” Carolyn says. “I run them in the nude for their first time out. She’s currently entered at South Africa Racecourse. It’s a four furlong turf tilt. If she’s anything like her mom, no one, and I mean NO ONE will touch her.”
Her confidence is unmistakable, a trait that she and Ara share. I ask her about her expectations for The White Album.
“Champion,” she says. “Superstar champion.”
I might have to agree with her considering the pedigree. I wrap up the evening by thanking her for her hospitality. I plan on spending the night at her farm. Tomorrow, I’ll be off early to catch a flight back to Long Beach, CA and get back to helping Mary run my stable.
Will these two horses fulfill some of their potential on Week 1 Friday? I’m already anxiously awaiting the results next week.
I shut my eyes, knowing that I’ll need my rest in the coming Year 24. Next week, I’ll travel to Rhode Island to meet Mike Eaton (no relation to Carolyn) and his dirt sprinting filly Make Me Clever. From there, I’ll pull double duty again and trek to Toronto, Canada to meet Channi Ruzzo and her dirt sprinting colt The Proven One. They too, anxiously await their SIM Series debut. I check my Blackberry one last time and look at tomorrow’s scheduled events. The last entry says, “First SIM Vote next week.”
I hang up my phone as I open my rental car door. I’m greeted by Carolyn’s handshake and smile. She’s dressed in khakis, a striped shirt and tie. I can see she’s very excited about being on SIM Series.
“Do you F5?” I ask. “Never mind.”
She looks at me funny as we begin walking toward the barn. Her farm is in the process of being upgraded. We walk past construction crews. They’re hard at work installing a pool, an equisizer, a veterinary hospital, and an automatic hot walker. The improvements are well over due. Carolyn has almost 350 horses in her stable. How many hot walks can you do in a day?
We walk into one of her many barns in search of her SIM Series filly The White Album. We pass the barns of Monticello and Jefferson In Paris, a few of the current stars that she is racing. Eventually, Carolyn introduces me to Thomas Jefferson’s barn. “Did you see him yesterday at New River Farm?” she asks. “We keep his barn ready for him.”
I politely tell her that I didn’t have the pleasure. I noticed that she is irked by my comment. Carolyn is a veteran trainer just like Ara. She boasts a millionaire bankroll and multiple Grade/Group I wins. She tells me how proud she is of Thomas Jefferson and fondly continues to talk about his racing career. I am sure he is a champion in her heart and the hearts of many.
We scour through the barn in search of The White Album. She’s a 16 hand white filly out of Right Hand Man and a million dollar earning Guitar mare named Gently Weeps. Her pedigree is phenomenal to say the least. Will she meet Time Delay in the Steward’s Cup?
We reach the correct stable and I notice that The White Album is quite the majestic creature. It like she knows she is blue blooded. I keep my distance for now. I’m still unsure of how to act in front of them.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Carolyn says. “She’s just like her mom.”
I respond with an enthusiastic YES! I’m tempted to ask if she’s named after the famous Beatles album. I decide against it. There could eventually be an obvious correlation later in her career. I mean, The White Album (the record) is only The Beatles best selling record at 19 times platinum (Yes, that’s 19 million copies sold) and “While My Guitar GENTLY WEEPS” happens to be a song off that record. Gently Weeps (the mare) is sired by a stallion named Guitar. I think there might be some connection.
Will The White Album (the filly) fulfill her career potential and become Carolyn’s all-time winningest filly? Either way, it’s a very clever name for her.
“I plan on starting her in a Maiden with no equipment.” Carolyn says. “I run them in the nude for their first time out. She’s currently entered at South Africa Racecourse. It’s a four furlong turf tilt. If she’s anything like her mom, no one, and I mean NO ONE will touch her.”
Her confidence is unmistakable, a trait that she and Ara share. I ask her about her expectations for The White Album.
“Champion,” she says. “Superstar champion.”
I might have to agree with her considering the pedigree. I wrap up the evening by thanking her for her hospitality. I plan on spending the night at her farm. Tomorrow, I’ll be off early to catch a flight back to Long Beach, CA and get back to helping Mary run my stable.
Will these two horses fulfill some of their potential on Week 1 Friday? I’m already anxiously awaiting the results next week.
I shut my eyes, knowing that I’ll need my rest in the coming Year 24. Next week, I’ll travel to Rhode Island to meet Mike Eaton (no relation to Carolyn) and his dirt sprinting filly Make Me Clever. From there, I’ll pull double duty again and trek to Toronto, Canada to meet Channi Ruzzo and her dirt sprinting colt The Proven One. They too, anxiously await their SIM Series debut. I check my Blackberry one last time and look at tomorrow’s scheduled events. The last entry says, “First SIM Vote next week.”
Hello, my name is Scott Pho. Yep, that’s me on the left! Welcome to SIM Series! Simply put, this is the story of twelve SIM Players, who let go of their horses to allow YOU, the SIMSTER to control their actions. All to prove that the horses may not be real, but the emotions really are!
