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Goodguywearsblack Pensioned and What He Meant to Me

Original article written by Keith Maidlow posted 11 years 3 weeks ago

Goodguywearsblack was bred in SIM Year 20 by Mr. Steward, Dave Shields, on November 11, 2007. A pair of yearling works at 2 furlongs in Year 21 and he was ready to run as a two year old, Year 22 Week 2. His first race was the “Serena Slew Stakes”, which had a $100,000 purse and was run at a distance of 4 ½ furlongs. The nicely bred son of Saturn out of the Forever Silver mare Forever Bright won that race by 2 ½ lengths starting a four race win streak, all stakes, that included three G3s, one of those being a “Two Year Old Sprint Elimination Race”. Beaten by ¾ of a length in the “Two Year Old Sprint Championship” by Standard Gray, Goodguy finished his two year old campaign with a record of 5:4-1-0 and $420,000 in earnings. In that championship race, my previously undefeated colt, Driving Rain, finished fourth but later would be a key player in my acquisition of Goodguywearsblack.

Year 23 would be very good for Dave’s black colt. Five win in five starts, $462,500 in earnings, a G1 win and three G2s. As luck would have it, Mr. Shields would have two other top sprinters in Scream City and Big Block. They would finish one-two in the “Steward’s Cup Sprint” and Scream City would take the Simmy for North American Champion Sprinter.

I had gotten Driving Rain for $326,000 in the Steward’s 2 Yr Olds in Training auction. Midway through Yr 23 I decided to see what I could sell him for. He was 8:5-0-1 with $355,000 in earnings at the time. My price was $2,500,000 and I was very surprised when he was promptly taken by Brianna McKenzie who then took him on a win streak of nine stakes wins in a row (a big mistake on my part?).

During the break between Year 23 and 24 a decision was made that Dave would retire from the SIM as an active player. His stable had been an overwhelming success and now his talented charges would be dispersed in an auction format giving a special opportunity to many SIM players. Having raced against him, I was very aware of Goodguywearsblack and was surprised when the bidding moved along lower than I expected. I was more surprised when the gavel hammered the end of the auction and I owned the beautiful black colt for a “mere” $1,401,000. I say mere because I had sold Driving Rain for almost twice that amount and that was the money I used to obtain Goodguy. If not for the Driving Rain sale I would never have gotten my stable maker.

I promptly shipped Goodguy to Pegasus Feathers International in the United Arab Emirates to await his first race under my ownership. The race would be the “Sand Storm Stakes” at Desert Oasis Park which seemed to be a good G3 prep race for the million dollar “Desert Golden Sprint”. Goodguy won the Week 3 race by a neck over Super Weapon in a pedestrian time of 1:10.30 but then came back to win the Golden Sprint by a neck over former stable mate Big Block in a sizzling time of 1:09.03. The next win in Week 9 in the G1 $250,000 “Esteemed Stakes” would be his last. In week 12 he would finish second to Big Block in the “Inspired Fox Stakes” and fourth in the “Steward’s Cup Sprint” beaten by two quarters and a neck by Kiln, Ultimate Aero and Big Block. Off to the breeding shed and the next phase of Goodguy’s story would begin.

The stud fee was set at $50,000 and 55 mares were bred to him at the end of Year 24. The fee eventually reached $100,000 as race results began to impress and his value defined. The mares being brought to him in his first four seasons were fantastic. Almost 340 mares with eye popping race records were sent his way in those years hoping for that sprint champion colt or filly. Eleven millionaire mares and 49 more with earnings over $300,000 passed through the shed to meet Goodguy. Ninety-six mares had won graded stakes. What was happening was significantly greater in scope than I could ever have imagined. So far there are four millionaires sired by Goodguy, so not every millionaire mare produced a millionaire son or daughter. But add to that another 62 progeny exist with earnings of $100,000 or more and you have some very impressive results.

The top earner on the list is my own homebred, Lookhowgoodiam with $1,599,250 who is out of my homebred mare, Lookupdesireitsme and possible Goodguy’s first offspring. Lookupdesireitsme is a story unto herself. With humble beginnings she became a stakes winner of $651,800 and after foaling Lookhowgoodiam was sold to the Steward for $4,500,000 where she is still producing high quality runners. Other Goodguy millionaires are Angel in Black, Limousine and In Black and White.

Numbers don’t lie and so far they show over $32,789,000 in progeny earnings, 893 total wins, 81 stakes winners and over 300 stake wins. For me, the figures were a stable maker. In the first few breeding seasons Goodguy kept me in the top ten owners by cash on hand with $29million in stud fees. Add to that several homebred runners accounting for several more $million and the ability to purchase other top level stallions and it wasn’t too bad a financial situation.

On August 7, 2010, I request to purchase but was given for free Goodguywearsblack’s mother, Forever Bright from Brittney Ellison. I quickly pensioned her and keep her in the comfort she so richly deserved. Now, on January 5, 2013, Goodguy has been pensioned and is relaxing in the comfort he similarly deserves.

It was an honor to be associated with Goodguywearsblack and I will miss the excitement he generated for me for all these years.


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