Hall of Fame - Loki Dynasty

Original article written by Leigh Ann Anderson posted 15 years 2 weeks ago

The colt in question was bred by the Steward, and sold as part of the Trial By Summer Select Yearling auction. The final bid by McKenzie was $12 million dollars, and the horse was Loki Dynasty.

The dark bay colt was regally bred, by the amazing racehorse and sire Conduit, and out of the blue hen mare Sahara Gold. Himself a legendary racehorse, Conduit's first foals were already showing that they were inheriting their undefeated sire's racing ability, with Atlas, Lookit and Zinfandel (all three would become millionaires) winning first time out as two year olds, early in year 12. Sahara Gold was also a proven producer, with eleven foals to reach the track before Loki D, and all had or would surpass the million dollar earnings mark (Forest City Girl was the only foal born prior to Loki Dynasty who did not reach the racetrack).

Loki Dynasty's racing career began with a bang in week 5 of his two year old year (year 13). He won a 6 ½ furlong maiden special weight by 4 ½ lengths. He came right back in week 8 to take the 1 mile Graduation Year Stakes by 8 ½ lengths. In his final start as a two year old, Loki D took the 1 mile Derby Dancer Stakes by 5 ½ lengths in week 11. With a record of three wins from three starts, McKenzie gave her colt a break to prepare for his three year old campaign.

As a three year old, Loki Dynasty's first start (and win) came in week 2 in the Walkover Stakes, where he finished 6 lengths in front of Nevergotttosaygdbye, his closest competitor. This race set the dark bay colt up nicely for his shot at the Louisville Derby.

Year 14's Louisville Derby drew a field of fifteen entries, and included several well regarded horses. Loki Dynasty was not the only undefeated colt whose owned has aspirations of a blanket of roses; Alysse Jacob's Cobalt, Eric Nalbone's Unheard Of, and Bob Allensworth's Konstantine also had unblemished records, and several other entries had been very consistent in on the board finishes in graded stake preps for the Derby. In the closest race of his career, Loki D beat Viper by a neck with that colt a head in front of Cobalt.

Loki Dynasty's next target would cause a stir in the Sim community. Instead of competing in the final two legs of the American Triple Crown (the Baltimore Crown and the Midsummer Classic) Brianna McKenzie sent her horse to Toronto to compete in the Canadian Triple Crown. McKenzie remembers “I got a lot of flak for not finishing the American Triple... but he was my horse... so I [did] my own crazy thing with him.” And why did she decide to race her colt in the Louisville Derby? “I only ran him in the Derby to make people happy... The derby was a family tradition for Sahara Gold's kids... except those sprinter types.”

So, in week 8 Loki Dynasty faced seven competitors in the Grade 1 Queen's Derby. He won the 1 ¼ race convincingly, defeating Unheard Of by 4 lengths. The next week, Loki D won the 1 3/16, grade 1 Prince of Peace Stakes by 5 ½ lengths, giving him the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. And in week 10 the dark bay won the Canadian Breeders' Stakes (GI) by 1 ½ lengths. The Canadian Breeders' stakes wrapped up the Canadian Triple Crown for McKenzie's colt and gave Loki Dynasty his first win over the turf. When asked why she chose this route for her colt (the Canadian Triple Crown, with one race over the turf) “I'm Canadian... and wanted to win my triple crown... and Conduit could sire both. Sahara Gold could throw both... Loki D could do the job, so I made him.” With the Canadian Triple complete, McKenzie sent her colt to the farm for a much needed rest and freshening for his four year old campaign.

Loki Dynasty's debut as a four year old was in the 6 furlong Truckle Feature Memorial Handicap, a grade 2 sprint, where he faced and defeated Amanda Kessler's champion sprinter Black Light by 2 ½ lengths. In week 5, Loki D would take the grade 1 Metropolitan Mile by 2 lengths and in week 7 he would win the grade 1 Pacific Classic by 1 length over Viper. Week 9 had Loki Dynasty back in his owner's home country of Canada winning the grade 3 Sky Classic Handicap at 1 ¼ miles on the turf by 5 ½ lengths.

In his final start, McKenzie entered Loki Dynasty in the grade 1 Steward's Cup Classic, to be contested at 1 ¼ miles on the main track at Long Island Park. The full field entered in this race were: Atlas (undefeated, eventually retired with earnings of over $12 million), Saga (3 year old and winner of the Louisville Derby, eventually retire with earnings of almost $ 6 million), Chinese Bandit (multiple G1 winner, retired with earnings in excess of $8.7 million), Bebravedon'tcry (multiple G1 winner, retired with earnings of over $ 2 million), Prize Fighter (multiple stakes winner, earned just under $ 2 million), Viper (multiple G1 winner, earned over $2.5 million), Avonds (multiple G1 winner, earned just over $ 1.3 million), On the Precipice (multiple graded stakes winner, earned over $ 1.1 million), Regime (multiple G1 winner, earned $557,200), Primeval Night (multiple graded stakes winner, earned $633,000), and Dream (graded stakes winner, earned over $1.3 million) and Loki Dynasty (undefeated winner of multiple G1 stakes, eventually would retire with earnings of $4,443,200).

This race would be the sole defeat for McKenzie's colt. He would finish ¾ length behind the superstar Atlas and a length in front of Saga. This would be Loki D's final race, as the Sim was shutting down (actually it would be more of a hiatus, but none of the players had the ability to read the future to know that).

When the Sim did restart with year 16, Loki Dynasty began a new career as a sire. His stats speak volumes about his ability to sire offspring who are exceptional racehorses. With his youngest foals being 2 year olds in year 24, Loki Dynasty has sired 275 winners from 334 foals to race. He is represented by 84 stakes winners and his foals have earned on average $163,549. A majority of these wins have come on dirt, but he is well represented by winners on turf, all weather as well as steeplechase winners. These numbers are certain to go up as the distances increase and his younger offspring mature. Loki Dynasty was retired from stud duty in Year 22 due to declining fertility, and is currently enjoying retirement at Vishtaspa Stables

So, the $12 million was a bargain for Loki D, in Brianna McKenzie's estimation. I would hazard a guess that he is priceless.

---

Back to Hall of Fame articles