SIM Series - Week 15 Episode 13

LAST TIME ON SIM SERIES…

The SERIES took a 2 week hiatus, but the horses continued racing. Some are ready for bigger challenges, while some will regroup and prepare for next season. Meanwhile, I’ve been back from San Diego…


AND NOW…SIM Series Week 15 Episode 13

I wake up to the sound of my roommate’s alarm clock. Again. How many times will she hit snooze before she finally gets up. So far, my count is at 6, which means that at 9 minutes between each “snooze” she’s been turning her alarm off for 45 minutes now! I finally get up even though it’s only 7AM. I was hoping to sleep until 10 to recuperate from not only a crazy weekend, but also a crazy month! Today is Friday.

I spent the first weekend of June (and basically all of May) helping my mom move into her new home in Orange County. I spent the weekend before that moving myself into a place that’s closer to my office. Two sentences don’t really justify how long it takes to move my mom’s four-bedroom home about 75 miles from one county to another. Add about 50-55hrs of work during the week and it leads to excessive craziness. In fact, we did all the moving in basically two days. Saturday we loaded the U-Haul and by Sunday morning, (that’s Sunday morning at 2:30AM) we finished unloading. By the time I was ready for bed, it was almost 4AM. I slept on the couch.

The second week of June was spent in San Diego…at least I was coherent enough on Sunday to watch the Kobe win his 4th NBA Championship and the Lakers winning their 15th as a franchise.

The third weekend in June was spent cleaning house, for the most part that is. I needed to really get settled into my new place and organize my belongings. Living out of boxes is only so fun. I also had a tux fitting for another friend’s wedding! I can only handle so much…until my other new roommate, not the one that hits snooze forever, my other roommate wanted to go get some drinks. Needless to say, we spent the night in Hollywood…at a bar/club, drinking Crown and Cokes…

Then, there’s last weekend, the final weekend in June. Vegas. Usually that’s enough said, but I elaborate. Bachelor party, except this was the four-day variety for a friend that I’ve known since grade school. Yes, the friend from the tux fitting. It’s safe to say he’s one of my best friends period.

Thursday night began with a trip to AMC Santa Anita (not to be confused with the track, but it’s a movie theater in the shopping mall next to the race track). We watched The Hangover, a perfect pre-cursor to the upcoming weekend. For those who have seen this instant classic, it led to multiple references for the rest of the weekend, like when I pulled up to my friend’s house at 8AM to pick him up, I yelled, “Paging Dr. Faggot!” We also referred to my friend as Doug for the entire weekend even though his name is Eric. There are a million other references, but it would take to long to go over them! Like how we plotted to steal a Las Vegas PD police cruiser after drinking a lot of Tequila (instead of Jaeger) and (no, we did not become blood brothers on the roof of Cesar’s Palace…we’re already blood brothers..duh!) I only have one question though about the movie…how come they didn’t explain the CHICKEN??? Where did the CHICKEN come from??? And what did it have to do with the plot???

Friday was spent playing golf and then bbqing at his house with his soon to be wife and us already locked and suckered in friends!

Saturday morning we left for Vegas….

I arrived home on Monday morning, at 1AM and went into my office at 7AM and then played in my local adult basketball league’s championship game at 7PM. We won.
Somewhere in between all that, I went to work.

And that leads us to today, the day before the 4th of July. We’re heading into Week 14 Friday and the great festivities that are the final two weeks of the SIM. Another season closing out. I’ve been so lost that I shipped my newfound Steward’s Cup hopeful Semper Fi (thank you btw, you know who you are for pointing out something important to me about Semper Fi) …anyways shipped her to Canada thinking that the Steward’s Cup was at Toronto Racecourse. I think I’ve all but sealed her fate in Week 16. Ironically, at the end of last season, I wondered if my horses would be better off in the hands of veteran owners. Would they fair better? Apparently, the answer is a resounding YES since I can’t even ship properly! Oddly, that led to the creation of SIM Series…

I’ve been clicking through the SIM Series tab and the SIM Forum in general. I’m really impressed by the owners who have taken it upon themselves to post their own polls. I’m also disappointed in myself for not helping the other owners get their polls up as I’ve been doing all season. I don’t blame them at all. For the most part, it was my responsibility, but if SIM Series is to continue (assuming the SIM wants to continue!), it will require much tweaking to the format. I’m a bit embarrassed, but I needed to take this hiatus. I couldn’t find time to do many extra curricular activities during the last few weeks let alone my required responsibilities at work! But now that June is in the books, I can rest easier knowing that July has absolutely nothing scheduled! (At least for now!) August is another disaster waiting to happen staring with Eric’s (Doug’s) wedding on August 1st.

So, with the season winding down, we go back to the main focus of SIM Series, the horses and their owners.

Led by Carolyn Eaton’s The White Album, the Sprinters have done quite well for themselves. The White Album’s performance has all but guaranteed a spot in the Steward’s Cup. The SIM has also overwhelmingly voted for her to race in the Juvenile Filly Dash. Her last time out, she won the Grade 1 Diamonds and Pearls Stakes at South Africa Racecourse with a 78 speed figure.

Mike Eaton’s Make Me Clever might also be headed to Sunshine Park to dance with other Steward’s Cup hopefuls. For now, the SIM is split between the SC and the West Virginia Debutante. Somebody needs to break the tie! Make Me Clever’s last time out was a very respectable 3rd place finish in the Beautiful Swan Stakes.

Hall of Fame trainer Ara Davies is still perplexed with Time Delay. Is she a sprinter, a miler, or a router? After consecutive 2nd place finishes, Time Delay took a minor step back when she finished 4th over a maiden mile. She’s entered again in a similar race, but with a minor tweak in equipment.

Then we have The Proven One aka Plato. Channi Ruzzo has probably raced him for the last time this season. In week 14 Monday, an aberration from his usual Friday racing, Plato finished 4th in a NW2 over 7 furlongs. Regardless, Plato has already earned $26,800 this season, which has more than covered his original 20k purchase price. He still has a long career ahead of him.

The Routers have done just as well if not better.

Jolene Danner’s Rockappella has lived up to her regal bloodlines. She finished 2nd in the 100k Test My Heart Stakes in Week 13 Friday while posting the same speed figure as the winner. All signs point to the Steward’s Cup and a chance to race her name into the history books.

Bill Deitch’s Think Legendary has been holding his own as well. He won a maiden event over 1 1/16 and is now headed to the Grade 1 150k Bubbly Stakes in Long Island Park, Week 14 Friday. A win here and we might see him at the Stewards Cup as well on short rest.

Michael Edward’s Sinsation has also shown much potential after finishing 2nd in a 100k stakes race while posting a 65 speed figure. He’s not entered in another race yet, however the Steward’s Cup could still be a possibility.

Meanwhile, Leonard Beagle’s Flyin’ Lion finished 7th in a Week 13 Friday Maiden over 1 1/16. Leo has no plans on a next race yet, but hopefully a poll will let the SIMsters vote on it.

Janey Adam’s Freeburn raced Week 12 Monday and finished 3rd while posting a 53 speed figure. She’s not entered yet in another race and no poll is up yet. I might take the blame for that!

And finally, Chuck Whittingham’s Hey Girl finished 5th in a 100k stakes race in Buffalo Park. Again, no plans or polls are up for the next race. Again, I might take the blame for that!

And so we charge forward to the finale of Year 24, the Steward’s Cup. Heck, it’s the finale for every season. We gather together via cyber space, all day, chatting it up, while watching the Steward call each race in roughly 30 minute intervals. It’s a charming day, filled with prizes and surprises. It’s a festive day of celebration for the SIM. Bitter sweet. Bitter that another season comes winding down and sweet while watching other owners celebrate their triumphs. Who would have known that these digital creatures could mean so much to the people who own them?

I squirm around in my couch at my new place. My snoozing roommate is up, moving some furniture around now. I peak out the door to see what’s going on. Her room is disorganized. She’s cleaning and moving stuff around. I walk out to say good morning as she tells me sorry if she had woken me up. I tell her no and that it’s all right. I’ve been up already, writing about SIMhorseracing.com.

NEXT WEEK ON SIM SERIES:

The SERIES will conclude with reactions from the Owners. What are they’re thoughts on their horses. Which ones will we see at the Steward’s Cup? Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

www.simhorseracing.com