I’m willing to continue these spotlights on most famous races, but to make them even more useful, I’ll group them into five types of distance / track preference, so you can better plan the racing calendar for your champions
Of the races I wrote about so far:
Dirt up to 10f
Dubai World Cup (Gr. 1)
Kentucky Derby (Gr. 1) - first leg of American Triple Crown
Preakness Stakes (Gr. 1) - second leg of American Triple Crown
Queen’s Plate Stakes (Gr. 1) - first leg of Canadian Triple Crown (second is Prince of Wales Stakes, third is Breeders’ Stakes)
Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1)
Travers Stakes (Gr. 1)
Pegasus World Cup (9 furlongs)
Jockey Club Gold Cup (Gr. 1)
Dirt over 11f
Belmont Stakes (Gr. 1) - third leg of American Triple Crown
Turf up to 10f
Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Gr. 1)
Secretariat Stakes (Gr. 1)
Arlington Million (Gr. 1)
Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr. 1)
Turf over 11f
Epsom Derby Stakes (Gr. 1) - second leg of English Triple Crown (first is Two Thousand Guineas, third is St. Leger Stakes)
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr. 1)
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr. 1)
SC over 11f
The Grand National (Gr. 1)
I’ll look for some more and I’ll make separate topics for each group of races. I guess only the dirt short / mid distance doesn’t need anything more, as there was a lot of famous races in this category. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A little summary, before the first 2yo race day looks like Littlefield dominates the turf!
Dirt up to 10f
There were two big races in this category; Pegasus World Cup, for the first time in the game; won by NCh. Fool To Be Smokin’ (Starfish Stables) & City of Light. The other was Dubai World Cup this week, won by Ch. Local Haunt (Black Storm West) in the game and Thunder Snow in real life. Kentucky Derby is next, and it’s the first leg of American Triple Crown.
Turf up to 10f
Three races here; Barretts Stakes at Santa Anita, won by Ch. Maelstrom (Marshall Creek Ranch); Cox Plate in Australia, won by Ch. Northern Secrets (Littlefield) and Dubai Duty Free, won by Ch. Secret Victor (Starfish Stables) and Japanese filly Almond Eye in real life. Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong is next.
Turf over 11f
Four races in this category, and fifth coming soon. First was The Metropolitan in Australia, won by GCh. Never Let Go (Littlefield); then Caulfield Cup won by Ch. In The Stars (Littlefield), and Sheema Classic won by GCh. Flames of Passion (Littlefield). The real life winner was Old Persian by Dubawi. Soon after, Littlefield won the Victoria Derby with Big Bad Billy. Melbourne Cup is next.
Steeplechase
There was one big event so far; a steeplechase sprint Santa Monica Handicap at Santa Anita, won by Big Money (Krajina). Next is Highland Rogue Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Winners of Kentucky Derby, the first leg of American Triple Crown, were Lord Percy (Gant’s Farm) and Country House in real life. In the Preakness, the winner was a filly, GCh. Ancient Ghost (Pruchna), and War of Will. Ch. Fuzzy Square (Starfish Stables) won Belmont Stakes, and in real life it was Sir Winston. Now, the first leg of Canadian Triple Crown is coming - Queen’s Plate Stakes.
Turf up to 10f
Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner was Ch. Cologne (Gintara Lodge) and Win Bright. Then, Ch. In The Stars (Littlefield) won Tattersall’s Gold Cup, and Kirsch (Generous Bloodstock) won Final Furlong’s Irish Two Thousand Guineas. Soon after, Ch. High South (Black Storm West) won English Two Thousand Guineas. GCh. Saturn’s Rings (Krajina) won Prince of Wales Stakes, and Ch. Northern Secrets (Littlefield) won Irish Champion Stakes.
Then we had Dewhurst Stakes in England - the first Grade 1 for 2yo’s, and the winner is Bicton (bred and owned by Lochiedo Stables).
Turf over 11f
Melbourne Cup winner was GCh. Loewe (Black Storm West), and Ch. Kolko (Gant’s Farm) won Irish Derby. 4yo Knight Enchanter (RC Bee), leased by Black Storm West, won Coronation Cup. Quote (Generous Bloodstock) and Anthony van Dyck won Epsom Derby. Yokozuna (Gant’s Farm) won Final Furlong’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and in real life we’re still waiting for it; possible contestants are Anthony van Dyck, Enable and Cheval Grand, among others.
In Final Furlong, St. Leger Stakes in England is next.
Steeplechase
GCh. Unequalled Flight (Littlefield) won Highland Rogue Stakes at Churchill Downs. Ch. Vague Writer (Littlefield) won Ascot Gold Cup. Massive Title (Final Furlong) won The Grand National, and in real life it was Tiger Roll. Cheltenham Gold Cup in England is next!
Ch. The Red Romance (Rainee Thoroughbreds) won the Queen’s Plate Stakes, but we had no Canadian Triple Crown winner (neither in real life). The real life winner was One Bad Boy. Ch. The Red Romance (Rainee Thoroughbreds) finished 2nd in Prince of Wales Stakes; Ch. Fuzzy Square (Starfish Stables) won.
Soon after, my colt Neat Mist won Blue Diamond Stakes, and he remains undefeated still. Public Enemy (Coleman Branch) won Final Furlong’s Travers Stakes, and in real life it was Code of Honor.
Jockey Club Gold Cup is this Wednesday in Final Furlong.
Turf up to 10f
There was a surprise winner - Gilded Glass (Krajina), a 7yo stallion, won the Eclipse Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths. He’s now entered in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which will be his first race on dirt, second race this year, and fifth race ever. Contrary Mary (Darkwood Stables) won Middle Park Stakes, a 2yo Grade 1 race.
Soon after, Charlotte’s Worth (Starfish Stables) wins Sussex Stakes, and Ch. Secret Victor (Starfish Stables) won International Stakes.
After that Confucius (Gant’s Farm) won Cadbury Guineas. Ch. Auctioneer (Rainee Thoroughbreds) and Valid Point in real life won Secretariat Stakes. On the same day in Final Furlong, Ch. Ephemeral Scraps (Krajina) won Newmarket Handicap in Australia. Ch. Royal Sacred One (Sakura Springs, bred by Starfish Stables) and Bricks And Mortar in real life won Arlington Million.
Back in Australia, Ch. High South (Black Storm West), the Two Thousand Guineas winner, won Rosehill Guineas. We’re now waiting for Doncaster Handicap there.
Turf over 11f
The real life King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner was Enable, and she is now considered for Prix De l’Arc de Triomphe (again).
In Final Furlong, Ch. Quote (Generous Bloodstock), our Epsom Derby winner, won St. Leger Stakes. Ch. Power The Passion (Lochiedo Stables) won Breeders’ Stakes. Ch. Arctic Expedition (Sakura Springs) won the Sword Dancer International with a speed record, and in real life the winner was Annals of Time. Ch. Final Scene (Sakura Springs) won FF’s Man O’War stakes. Ch. Arctic Expedition (Sakura Springs), won the Turf Classic Invitational.
Steeplechase
GCh. Vague Writer (Littlefield) won Cheltenham Gold Cup. Ch. BoughtandPaidFor (Cricket Hill) won Irish Grand National. 6yo Ch. Fifteen Birds (Gintara Lodge) won the King George VI Chase. Ch. All The World (Krajina) won the Joe Aitcheson.
In real life, the 2019 Velká Pardubická is coming soon - a race that is not in the game, but it’s very similar to The Grand National.
Code of Honor , the Travers Stakes winner, won the real life Jockey Club Gold Cup, and in the game it was Ch. Hot Cross Buns (Marshall Creek Ranch). Pruchna’s amazing filly, NCh. Ancient Ghost, won the Australian Derby. Then we had the Breeder’s Cup Festival, in which one of the leaders, Mongolian Groom, was euthanized after fracturing his limb during the race. The winner was Vino Rosso. After that was the Queensland Derby in Australia, and the winner was Ch. Cleomenes (Gant’s Farm).
Turf up to 10f
5yo Ch. Dark Moon (Marshall Creek Ranch) won the Doncaster Handicap in Australia, and 5yo Ch. Blue Angel Fighter (Sakura Springs) won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes there. Then we had Hong Kong Cup, and the winner in the game was Moscow Mule (Littlefield). In real life it was Win Bright, who also won QEII Cup earlier this year.
Turf over 11f
5yo multi-millionaire Ch. Discovery (Gintara Lodge) won Mercedes Classic. Ch. Mozart (Marshall Creek Ranch) won Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. In real life, Enable tried to win it third time in a row, but she lost against Waldgeist. Then, GCh. Hollywood Wren (Starfish Stables) won Canadian International. In real life it was Desert Encounter. Ch. Pretty Please (Gintara Lodge) won Japan Cup, and in real life it was Suave Richard. The last race was Brisbane Cup in Australia and the winner was GCh. Vague Guide (Littlefield).
Steeplechase
GCh. Fifteen Birds (Gintara Lodge), the 6yo King George VI Chase winner, won Vosburgh Stakes. Then, there was Velka Pardubicka in Czech Republic, and the winner was 9yo French gelding Theophilos. After that, 6yo Denobulan (Krajina) won Meadow Brook Stakes. The last race was Townsend Prince Breeders’ Stakes, with a very unusual result… only one horse ran? @Shanthi? The lone runner, and winner, was Ch. Sherlock Holmes (Gant’s Farm).
