During times like that (and I've had a few in the Sim over the past 16 years)...sometimes it's a 'little horse' in my stable that just makes me smile. Mine at the moment is a $1 auction purchase. A gelding that I only bought to reuse his name.
I decided that I would go ahead and race him at least once before I retired him and steal his name to put on another horse.
I have a daughter of Roughian named, Turned To Stone, (old ELO hit). I thought, if she ever foaled a colt that was a stakes or better, I would give the foal the name of that $1 purchase.
His name is Granite
~ Dirt Miler, Born Yr59 as a productive LB. by: Some Rocky Socket x Debra Granik --bred by Tom Mudgett
~ Broke his maiden as a 2 year old. Was claimed a few races later by Stina Vica for $1,500
~ Tom Mudgett raced him only in claimers, earned $20,800 in purse money + the $1,500 claiming price.
~ Stina raced him twice - he never earned any money - and at age 3, Granite, went to auction
~ Y62 Khalifa A bought him for $2 and raced him 7 times. ~ Granite earned Khalifa $2,300
~Enter me : )
~Granite was 1/2 way through his 4yr old season when I purchased him at auction for $1.
~He won his first race for me...it was the first time he ever ran in a non claiming race -- a NW3 at Simperior Park.
My $1 purchase collected $10,000 for me.
He hasn't won since then, but he's been fairly consistent earning money. He's now a 6yr old.
I galloped him as a 5yr old and found he had at some point jumped to an Allowance Peak.
Last night in Japan finished 2nd in a $30,000 NW4 and picked up a $6,600 paycheck
In total he's raced for me 9 times. He's earned for me a total of $26,900
HIs career total at the moment is $50,750
What I have found to be so fun, is the change in my utterly low expectations with this $1 auction purchase. Again, one who in his prior auction was sold for $2...and before that was claimed for $1,500. I figured I would be racing him once, and retiring him, but here he is, a few years down the road and still earning me money.
As I said, sometimes it's this kind of thing that makes the Sim fun for me....to be so surprised by a lower level runner.
Would love to read about the goobers in your shed that have earned you more peanuts than you ever expected.
Stormy
