I was on the West Coast following my attendance at the Sim Eclipse Awards, taking a week to relax in the sun, something I hadn�t seen in a while. It was Wednesday when I glanced down at my cell phone to see the number of the BTB Editor�s office calling. I was, of course, reluctant to pick it up, as I was looking forward to a rest period and knew that this call meant that I would be asked to report on some Sim event. A quick look at my calendar told me that the event was probably the Equinics. So I avoided the call. Instead, I went to Disneyland.

Thursday morning I awoke, once again, to the sound of my cell phone ringing. It was the BTB again. Still reluctant to answer, I pretended I didn�t hear it and went on with my morning. Later that evening I received another call, but continued to avoid answering. I did not want to cover the Equinics.

Friday morning I got another call. I felt a little bad constantly refusing to answer, but I was adamant in my feelings. But finally, on Friday evening, I couldn�t avoid it anymore. I had to answer and turn down the opportunity politely. So I finally picked up the phone.

"Hello, Shag?"

"Yes?"

"This is Roys. Would you be able to head to British Columbia to cover the Equinics?"

"Sorry Roys, but I can�t. I�ve got a flight back to Pittsburgh in the morning, and I�ve got some things I have to do there this week."

"Oh, that�s ok. Thanks anyway Shag."

Saturday morning came around, and I headed out to the airport. I hadn�t turned on the news the previous night, so it came as a bit of a surprise when I heard that my flight back to Pittsburgh was delayed. I waited at the airport 2 hours before finding out that my flight was cancelled. Sure enough, every flight heading to Pittsburgh from LAX for the day was cancelled. I went to the ticket counter to figure out what to do. I was told that all domestic flights into Pittsburgh were cancelled due to snow, but some international flights were still landing. I asked if there was some way to connect to a Pittsburgh flight through either Mexico or Canada. The woman behind the counter said "You�re in luck. They�re a flight leaving very soon for Vancouver, with a flight from Vancouver to Pittsburgh that�s still on schedule". So I took the ticket and boarded my plane to Vancouver.

It wasn�t until I landed in Vancouver that I found out the Pittsburgh Airport had been completely shut down due to 2 feet of snow falling. So there I was, stranded in Vancouver. I figured it was probably a sign that I was stuck in the same city as the Equinics. When I heard that the Sunday flight into Pittsburgh was also cancelled, I decided I�d call Roys back.

"Hey Roys, it�s Shag."

"Hi Shag. What can I do for you?"

"Listen. I hope you didn�t think I was serious yesterday when I said I couldn�t cover the Equinics this year. Of course I can! In fact, I�m in Vancouver right now!"

"Great! Can you report on the Hispano-America?"

"Sure! I wouldn�t have it any other way."

I hung up the phone, went to the bed in my hotel room, and curled up in the fetal position for the next 4 hours.

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History of the Race: This race has been run in every year since the Equinics beginning in 2000. In the first running, it was for 3yo+, but since then it has been restricted to older horses.

2000 � The Prometheus Gift was sponsored by Phillipj and Karynj, 2 individuals, in the inaugural edition of the Equinics. Although 3 Hall of Famers were initially nominated for this race, only one, School Kris(GB ), actually took to the track. School Kris, trained by theatrical, represented California and was the prohibitive favorite in this race, with morning line odds of 8/5. Only two other horses, Shin Brook (Viking Racing, mrtrav) and Lucky Light (Longchamp, whiptowin) had single digit odds in the field of 12. But this race was more of a coronation for School Kris than a horse race. School Kris got out of the gate under jockey N Lawton near the lead, only � lengths behind pace-setter Foggy A.P. (Minnesota, crisis). But as they hit the top of the stretch, it was all School Kris. He broke away from the pack for a 1 length lead, and widened it to nearly 5 before crossing the finish line, earning a 120 SP and clocking in at 1:34. The battle for 2nd came from a couple of closers and was won by S. Dance (Nebraska, kiwi). In 3rd, a mere � length back, was Pleasant Neck (Nevada, varsitytwo). But the race was all School Kris, who earned 1 of 3 gold medals for California on the day on his way to eventual Horse of the Year honors.

2002 � The Nureyev was named for the famous horse by stretch, representing Winning Track. School Kris(GB) was scheduled to be back to defend his title, this time under the Nexis banner, but a last minute issue came up and he was forced to be scratched. Even without him though, the field had plenty of talent. Enough Knock, another inaugural Hall of Famer who was named Champion Turf Horse in 1999, was entered by his trainer win for Team Independent Unity. The favorite at 3/1 was Used Bandaid, who ran under the Nebraska colors for jungleboy. But it would turn out that the pace would make the race. Enough Knock, who found himself out in front many times over his career, seemed to have finally hit a wall in his burst out of the gate after his 60th career race. He still found himself in 2nd, � length behind Nightly The Gordie (Viking Racing, sos). In 3rd was 63/1 shot Contagious Lord(Terrapin Jockey Club ,webpilot), sitting 1-1/4 back. These three battled for the lead early, but they were not moving at a particularly fast pace. This set up very well for the finish. Nightly The Gordie still had the lead at the top of the stretch, with Enough Knock and Contagious Lord looming. But in a surprise to everyone at Hong Kong, it was H Harbert aboard the longshot Contagious Lord that made the move, rather than Q Cassell aboard Enough Knock. Soon Contagious Lord had the lead and pulled away, crossing the finish line ahead by 3 in 1:34-1/5 (118.721 SP) and scoring one of the largest upsets in Equinics history. Nightly The Gordie held on for 2nd, � length in front of Enough Knock. For the TJC, this was their only gold medal during the games.

2004 � The Amsterdam Grass Special contained a larger number of horses who were competitive than the previous years, when only one or two stood out. The favorite at 4/1 was zinjahal2�s Keep The Faith(IRE), running for his home of Ireland. Right behind him at 5/1 was Real Deal Squeal, lip�s entry for Global Sim Racing. There were a couple more at 6/1 in Artful Victory(International Sim Racing Club, scorpion) and Armsmaster Eleven(Terrapin Jockey Club, kdiv). The 17 horse field was the largest the race had seen, and caused a bit of confusion coming out of the gate. Barkboy (Minnesota, twister) was forced out of post 11 quickly in order to make it to the rail, and soon found himself 2 in front. As he pushed the pace, favorite Keep The Faith(IRE) continued to fall back, winding up last of the 17 as they entered the far turn. As Barkboy began to tire, the rest of the field started to catch up, led by Popular Alm (Benelux, manostable). Popular Alm had grabbed the lead halfway through the stretch and looked as though he was going to coast to a victory. However, Keep The Faith(IRE) had different plans. Unleashing a monstrous move in the stretch, Keep The Faith(IRE) managed to pass Popular Alm just as they were approaching the wire. After the photo was looked at, Keep The Faith(IRE) was declared the winner in a time of 1:34-3/5 (114.229 SP). Popular Alm finished second and Real Deal Squeal edged out Home And Country(Vermont, correction) for 3rd. For Ireland, it was one of 3 wins on the day, helping them to a 4th place finish overall.

2006 � The Dick Francis was named after the jockey-turned-crime novelist by the Ireland residency. The highlight of the field from a career standpoint was Hall-of-Famer Seeking Sal, owned by keryn and running for DelPenn. But at the time, Seeking Sal was the mere 9th choice of the 20 horses in the field at 14/1. The very lukewarm favoritism, at 8/1, was tigerman�s Manifest Destiny, a member of Queensland. As the gates opened, the race looked about as expected from the odds. Dubeye (EAAA, Londoner) had 1/4 length on the rest of the field at the first call, but there were 18 horses within 4 lengths of the leader. Dubeye quickly dropped off, ending up last of the 20. With all of the horses in a block, those on the inside seemed to have an advantage, as they were not forced wide. Clearly, a perfect trip was going to win this race, and only 1 horse got that trip. Jockey K Ledwith guided Jacky Hollandia (Benelux, tote) down to the rail early, and managed to avoid getting trapped in while other horses faltered. Sure enough, as they hit the top of the stretch, Ledwith guided Jacky Hollandia outside and had plenty of room and speed left. With one strike of the whip, Jacky Hollandia was off and pulled away from the pack to with by 2-3/4 in 1:33-4/5 (114.073 SP) on the yielding turf. Manifest Destiny, who had managed to pull ahead briefly at the top of the stretch, held on for second. It was another 2 lengths back to third, where a photo between Seeking Sal and Fear Seeker(AUS) (Alpine Turf Club, hellified) showed Seeking Sal to have a nostril in front. Jacky Hollandia earned 1 of 3 gold medals for Benelux, who finished tied for 4th overall.

2008 - The Michael J. Fox, named by Hispano Parlante in honor of Parkinson�s disease, was the kickoff of another Horse of the Year campaign, this time by guyinchlt�s Basketball Jones, running for Great Plains. However, the favorite in the race was Crazy Scoob, owned by offdapace and under the banner of CR Racers. The race set up for closers after the gates opened, as Mr. Inconspicuous(KY) (Alpine Turf Club, foxon4) bolted for a � length lead over Big Day (Blazing Saddles, nobiz). Mr. Inconspicuous(KY) continued to lengthen his lead on the front, bringing the rest of the front runners with him. This seemed to tire out every horse but himself, as Big Day, Crazy Scoob, and SJ�s Fandamonium (EWC, calumet) all began to fade. Mr. Inconspicuous(KY) kept running, but the closers, lead by Basketball Jones, started coming for him. As they hit the top of the stretch, Mr. Inconspicuous had a nearly 3 length lead, but Basketball Jones was shortening that with every stride. With 1 furlong to go, Basketball Jones grabbed the lead from the pacesetter and never looked back, pulling away to win by over 2. Mr. Inconspicuous fought hard to maintain his position, but he could not stop the deep closer K�s Intense(Hispano Parlante, ledwith2) from coming from 18th to catch 2nd. Mr. Inconspicuous was able to hold onto 3rd, 2 lengths in front of Five Star Cadet(GB) (GR Simsters, desperado4) and only � length behind 2nd. For Basketball Jones, this race was an integral part of his Horse of the Year season, and for the Great Plains, this was one of their 3 gold medals on the day.

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Now let�s take a look at the 2010 edition of this race, the Hispano-America, sponsored by Sim Hispano. The field contains 19 horses, and is listed here by Residency, starting with host Vermont.

The Hispano-America:

Vermont � The gracious hosts have opted, as usual, to send the turf races out of the home state and with that goes their entry, Nothin� To Plunder(IRE) (Excellent Art(GB) x Cause And Effect(IRE) [Giant�s Causeway(IRE) x Danzig]). Stormboot owns and trains this 4yo colt. "Nothin" has picked up 6 wins in his 17 starts, and has hit the board in an additional 6. Unfortunately, the 5 runs that were off-the-board finishes were all in Graded Stakes, including a 7th place finish in the G2 Daniel Wild at a mile on the turf on week 4099, where he was distanced. The horse came back a little lame and was given a long break. He came back in an allowance prep to cap off his 3yo season, followed by a try in the G3 Adam George Cap as his tuneup run in 2010. That effort saw him run a good race as he stayed within 3 lengths during the race, but had to settle for 5th. He has been given 6 weeks off to train up to this event, and hopefully will be 100% in this race. If he is, expect to see him on the lead. But either way he will be up with the leaders. Nothin� To Plunder breaks from Post 18 with H. McCoy aboard at 18/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Nothin� To Plunder(IRE) has a record of 5:0-1-1 in 8f turf graded stakes, but this is his first G1 try.

Universal Racing Club � The group from around the world brings early�s Eyedominator(IRE) (Galileo (IRE) x Galileo�s Daughter [Storm Cat x Kingmambo]) to the Hispano-America. This 4yo colt was on the Derby Trail briefly in his career, but eventually fell off of that and into the NWRC Triple Crown. It wasn�t until his 10th place finish in that race that he really found his mile strength. Eyedominator(IRE) has actually found that his best efforts come on the dirt (where he has broken a 110 SP twice) and in shorter races, but as he has matured, his style may have as well. He got a prep race for this during week 4197 in the Carson�s Habit Stakes, at 7f on the turf. There, he was a fast closing 3rd, where the only downfall was his running out of turf. He put up his best turf SP to date (108) in that race, and comes back here in 4 weeks. He looks to still be on the upswing of his career after 24 races, and will likely be coming from midpack based on his last few races. Eyedominator breaks from Post 11 with U Greenleaf aboard at 20/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Eyedominator(IRE) is 0 for 1 in his Graded Stakes career, with a disappointing 12th place finish in the G1 Movieland Futurity back in 2008.

DelPenn � The Mid-Atlantic veterans bring the comedically-named Tush(KY) (Pleasantly Perfect x Duplicate [Miswaki x Deputy Minister]) to Vancouver. Owned and trained by 3-time Trainer of the Year texasace00 (2005, 2006, 2010), Tush comes into this race as the #24 ranked Turf Classic Older Horse. The 5yo horse has spent most of his career in 8f turf races, earning 8 of his 9 wins in these races. Included in that are 2 Graded Stakes wins, both coming in 2009; The G1 Road Kill Mile and the G2 Ribot. A tough 2nd during DelPenn Champions Day ended his 2009 campaign, and 2010 opened with a decent 3rd place finish in the New Years Stakes (where he faced several other Equinics horses). In that race Tush showed a powerful move at the end, but came up a mere 1-1/4 length short. He should settle in midpack in this race before unleashing his speed. Tush breaks from post 12 with W McClendon aboard at 12/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Tush(KY) has run for DelPenn 5 times before, with a 1-1-1 record in those races. He has also not been under a 100 speed figure since 2008.

GR Simsters � The Playstation fans bring the #33 ranked Turf Classic Older Horse, Doth�Raki(KY) (Johannesburg x Khaleesi [Danzig x Mr. Prospector]) up to British Columbia for the Equinics. Owner khalasar has guided the 5yo horse to 12 wins in 29 starts, including numerous graded stakes wins. Doth�Raki is used to residency-sponsored competitions, and is 2 for 3 in these events. The one loss, a 5th place finish, was the 2008 Adopt A Greyhound Equinics race, which was the 6f version of the race. He ran out of time in that one and it took another year before khalasar stretched him out to the 8f distance. Since that time, Doth�Raki has picked up 5 wins in 8 starts at the 8f turf distance, including wins in the G1 Locksmith and the G2 Railweigh Stakes. His one race in 2010 was a victorious one during week 4190, where he took the Echoes Challenge in Belgium by 1-1/2. The 5 week rest has given Doth�Raki a chance to get used to his surroundings in Vancouver. Expect him to be midpack during the race. Doth�Raki breaks from post 8 with J Caves aboard at 8/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Doth�Raki(KY) has cracked a 105 SP in his last 7 starts at 8f on the turf.

Queensland � The Brisbane collection sends Wallop(AUS) (Power of Destiny(AUS) x Momalino [Kingmambo x Trempolino]) as their entrant in the Equinics. Noor55 owns this 4yo colt and has given him ample rest in between races. After bringing Wallop back in 2 weeks to kick off his 2010 campaign, noor55 has given his horse a little extra time to get adjusted to the cold of British Columbia. Wallop has spent most of his career at the allowance level and this has led to a career record of 19:8-2-1. He dipped his hoof into stakes company in 2009, finally hitting the board with a 3rd place finish in the Gingobell Stakes during week 4134. His prep race in 2010 was a victorious one, taking an open allowance in Australia at 8f by 1-1/2. The speed figure of 113 was a significant step-up from previous outings, and it is a good sign of things to come for this horse. He tends to stalk the pace-setters, and there�s no reason to expect anything different this week. Wallop breaks from post 5 with J Hardy aboard at 21/1.

Thing to keep in mind: This will be Wallop(AUS)�s first race west of the Atlantic (and East of the Pacific).

Sim Hispano � It�s no surprise that this race is sponsored by this particularly residency, as they offer 2009 Champion Older Turf Horse and #1 ranked Otto Haack(KY) (Seeking The Gold x Nijinsky II x Storm Bird). Oahaack trains the champion 6yo who will be looking for his 3rd G1 win in the Hispano-America. Otto has earned 9 wins in 24 starts in his career, with another 11 ITM finishes. It is a bit of a surprise to see him running here, however, as he ran just two weeks ago (week 4211) in the G3 Sussex Handicap in Florida. There, he ran one of his worst races, finishing 5th with a 104 speed figure. However, it did not appear that he ran all-out as he was likely just trying to get a race in before the Equinics. Even still, Otto managed to close in that race and pick up 10 lengths in the stretch, missing by only 2-3/4. He is a deep closer who expects to be sitting back, and as long as he is fully rested, he will be the one to catch. Otto Haack breaks from post 19 with F Duffy aboard at 6/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Otto Haack(KY) is the Sim record holder for 8f turf of 1:32-4/5, set in the G1 Sourball Mile at Eastern Kentucky.

Hong Kong Racing Club � The Hong Kong contingency will attempt to Take Charge (Broad Brush x Valid Appeal x Dr. Fager) in the Hispano-America with this 8yo horse. Owner unionave campaigns this member of the Broad Brush�s last crop and he has been fairly lightly raced for an 8yo, with only 40 races behind him. He has been running since 2004, but he didn�t make the jump to Graded Stakes until 2009. Unionave has done a good job spacing out his races so as to not tire him out, and this plan eventually paid off with a win in the G3 South Florida Mile during week 3931. Recently, however, this has not appeared to work out as well. Take Charge received a 2.5 month break at the end of 2009, and came back with a dull last-place finish in the New Years Stakes in his only race during the year (where he faced several other Equinics horses). A horse who stays on or near the lead in his races, Take Charge hopes that his aging legs still have a little something left in this one. Take Charge breaks from post 6 with O Ridenour aboard at 24/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Take Charge has typically been given 5-6 weeks off between races, and comes back here in only 4.

Comedy Central � The jokesters of the sim are going for a Last Minute Ride(KY) (Forestry x Capote x Broad Brush) to Vancouver to make the Hispano-America race. This 4yo colt comes in as the #88 ranked Turf Classic Older Horse for trainer 11807frank, who is one of the most-lightly raced horses in the field. In only 14 races, Ride has taken home 5 wins, including 2 Graded Stakes in his last 3 races. Debuting as a 3yo, he still has his best ahead of him, succeeding in the jump from allowances to the higher levels. He has already managed to squeeze in 2 races this year, the first of which was a 1 length victory in the G3 Adam George Cap at this 8f turf distance. His second race of the year came only 2 weeks later in what was a common prep for the Equinics race, the New Years Stakes. There, he missed by a nose in an incredibly close finish, closing from 9 lengths back to just get nipped by a head-bob. Ride should be coming on from the back of the large cluster of horses that will be mid-pack, and if his recent form is any indication, he should get very close at the end. Last Minute Ride breaks from post 4 with N Armstrong aboard at 16/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Last Minute Ride(KY) has never once tried the dirt.

MIDAS � The Sim�s former RASH has gotten a golden touch and hopes to have a big After Party(IRE) (Desert King(IRE) x La Mongie [Capote x Dixieland Band]) for the Equinics. This 7yo horse was claimed by sparadise in 2008, and since then he has picked up 15 wins in 26 starts. Overall he is 17 for 36, but most of his running has actually come in sprints. After Party has a mere 1 win in 11 route starts, which came at 8f in a 10K Starter Allowance in the middle of a 10 race win streak in 2008. The horse has not run at this distance since March 2009, but his one prep race this year shows that he has been looking for more ground. He began to gain on the leaders in the Night Gambler Special at 7f, but finished 10th of 11, 6-1/2 lengths behind 4 weeks ago. His better races tend to come when he stays closer to the pace, but recently he has been trying to come from further back. He could sit anywhere from 2 lengths off the lead to 10 lengths off the lead. After Party breaks from post 13 with D Fendlay Jr. aboard at 25/1.

Thing to keep in mind: After Party(IRE) has tried Graded Stakes twice in Grade 3 races, and has been beaten by a combined 22-1/4 lengths in them.

Northwest Racing Circuit � Like many successful musicians, the NWRC will try to ride Mr. Jones(KY) (Smarty Jones x Broad Brush x Saint Ballado) to fame and riches at the Equinics. Sledge4 trains this 5yo horse who comes into this race with 7 wins in 13 turf starts. Mr. Jones has found 8f to be his best distance, as 4 of the 5 races in which he broke a 100 SP were at this distance. However, most of these came at the allowance level rather than the Graded Stakes level. His one attempt in a Graded Stakes was the G3 Anglewood during week 3931, where he faded in the stretch to finish 6th. It was, however, his first try with blinkers on and since then he has succeeded with the new front-running style. He has run his last 2 at this distance, ending his 2009 campaign with a 2nd in the NWRC Cavalcade Cup and opening 2010 up with a 1-3/4 length victory in an allowance. That race should have warmed him up well for this one, and he should be expected to battle for the lead early on. Mr. Jones breaks from post 17 with F Feller aboard at 36/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Mr. Jones(KY)�s 2010 allowance prep was at this track, and he is 2 for 2 at the 8-8.5f distance here in British Columbia.

Blazing Saddles � The team at the bottom of the standings in 2008 comes into this race looking very strong with Stormin Blues(KY) (Bernardini x Hold On Loosely [Storm Cat x Forty Niner]). The 5yo desperado2 horse comes into this race as the #14 ranked Classic Turf Older Horse. Stormin has stayed at the mile distance during his last 9 races, winning 3 of them. All 3 of these wins came in Grade 2�s, making Stormin Blues a perfect 3 for 3 in G2 races in 2009. His most telling race, though, is likely the Horse Rescue, the 3yo version of this race in the 2008 Equinics. Running for GR Simsters then, Stormin Blues "stormed" to a 1 length victory. He followed that up with a 3rd place finish in the Breeders Bowl Mile, but has not won a G1 since that race. He comes into this one off a game 2nd place behind rival Doth�Raki in the Echoes Challenge during week 4190, where he tried to stay close to the lead the whole time. It is more likely that he will try and stalk the pace in this one, but he could be pretty close if the pace is slow. Stormin Blues breaks from post 1 with F Gossett aboard at 9/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Stormin Blues(KY) has broken a 110 SP in 3 of his previous 5 races.

EAAA Racing � The foreigners travel to the opposite region of the sim racing world with Theatrical Trailer(IRE) (Theatrical(IRE) x Blushing Groom(FR) x Deputy Minister). Coolk2 campaigns this 6yo horse that comes into this race as the #2 ranked Classic Turf Older Horse, behind Otto Haack(KY). Trailer has earned 9 wins and 9 seconds in 25 career starts, and it�s safe to say that this is a horse in the middle of his prime. He ran in 12 Graded Stakes in 2009, all G1 or G2, and was victorious in 3 including the G1 Canada Mile, with another 5 seconds. Coolk2 has made the decision to train Trailer up to this race, and this will be his first run in 2010. It should leave him well rested for this one, which will be important for his near-the-lead style. His 3 wins in 2009 all came when he wired the field, and those were also his only three races that he had the lead halfway through the race. He expects to be close to the pace in this one, and if it�s slow enough for him to have the lead, he likely won�t do worse than 2nd. Theatrical Trailer breaks from post 7 with O Osbourne aboard at 8/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Theatrical Trailer(IRE) has never finished worse than 2nd when leading the field through the 2nd call of a race.

Ohio � The gang on the Great Lakes sends Words And Music(KY) (Borrego x Organic Project [Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector]) up to British Columbia as their representative. This 5yo roan horse has been given an interesting name by his owner estreet, and I�m sure Bruce Springsteen would approve. He would also approve of the horse�s 11 wins in 41 career starts, with 3 of those coming at this 8f distance and all 11 on the turf. Words And Music was heavily raced in 2009, running a total of 17 times, with 7 of these in graded stakes. Words went 1-3-2 in those 7, with the only miss a 9th place finish in the G2 Mile Championship in Japan. The win came in the G3 Cold Cup Cap, but ever since a 3rd place effort in a dirt race during week 4106, Words has not looked the same. He has run no better than 3rd in the 4 races since, and comes into this one off of a 4th place finish in an 8f allowance during week 4204. He is a front-runner, and expect him to be up there in this one as well. The question is whether the heavy workload last year has begun to take a toll on his legs, or if he will be able to come back against top competition. Words and Music breaks from post 10 with M Wallace aboard at 27/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Words and Music(KY) comes into this one off of 3 weeks rest, which is the standard for his career.

Ireland � The Irish mob brings Kepler H(IRE) (Rock of Gibraltar(IRE) x Kepler Grape [A.P. Indy x Sadler�s Wells]) to British Columbia for the Hispano-America. The 4yo colt owned and trained by marre is taking a step up in this one to take on top Grade 1 competition. A winner of 6 from 23 starts, Kepler found his 8f strength fairly quickly, debuting back in 2008 at this distance on the turf and taking the MSW by 3-3/4. Since then he has spent most of his time in allowance races, but did take on Graded Stakes company early in his career and again recently as a prep for this race. Kepler ran 3rd in the G1 Knick Knack Juvenile in 2008, and finished 4th in the G3 Adam George Cap during week 4183. In that race, he showed a powerful late move, coming from nearly 12 back to miss by only 2-1/2. However, his most recent race during week 4204 was a miserable 8th place finish, where there was no acceleration at the end and he was beaten by over 10. Still, Kepler has the ability to be a contender here. Expect him to come from well off the pace, as 12 lengths back is standard for him. Kepler H breaks from post 16 with B Renfroe aboard at 26/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Kepler H(IRE) only has 1 stakes win in 8 tries at that level or higher, but has come close on numerous occasions.

East-West Connection � The EWC hopes that it will be a Dream Taker(KY) (Kingmambo x Nijinsky II x Forli) during the Equinics this year. A lightly raced 5yo, stablebums� horse has only run 17 times, earning 7 wins in the process. Dream Taker is taking a major leap by trying Graded competition for the first time. He only just graduated to stakes company, following back-to-back allowance wins at 9.5f and 10f distances. In each of those races, he came from midpack to take the lead close to the wire, and one would have to wonder if he can make the move early enough to win an 8f race. He has shown the ability to win at this distance before, typically when staying a little closer to the pace. His most recent race was during week 4155, when he ran 3rd in the 8f Secret River(FR) Memorial on the Japanese turf. He comes into this one off of a 10 week layoff, and it will be interesting to see how his maturation over these past three months will manifest itself. He certainly has shown the ability to surprise people here, and if he can manage to stalk the pace without dropping too far back, he should be right in this. Dream Taker breaks from post 15 with F Atwater aboard at 24/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Dream Taker(KY) has already won an inter-residency competition for EWC, and this will be his first time in the Americas.

Benelux � The 2006 winners of this event bring Veni Vidi Visa(KY) (Kitten�s Joy x Edinaz Hollandia [A.P. Indy x Sadler�s Wells]) to the Hispano-America. The #21 ranked Classic Turf Older Horse, mgfarms�s 5yo horse comes into this one having won 4 of his last 6, all at this distance. Three of those were Graded Stakes victory, including the G1 Maudlin Cup during week 4071. Veni does have a tendency to win in spurts, with multiple strings of at least 3 wins in a row. In addition, 8 furlongs seems to be his specialty, as 9 of his 18 wins have come at the distance. He threw a clunker 2 back in the Breeders Bowl Mile, where he was not able to keep up with the leaders, but he bounced back in his only race in 2010. As the 3/5 favorite in an allowance during week 4190, Veni actually grabbed the lead and pulled away to win by 2. It is more likely that he will sit just off the pace in this one, but with his history of winning streaks, Veni has to be looked at favorably here. Veni Vidi Visa breaks from post 2 with C Shoemaker aboard at 11/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Veni Vidi Visa(KY) has never tried the dirt in his 26 race career.

Minnesota � The group with the shortest distance to travel brings Mortys Clantati(KY) (Stormy Atlantic x Affirmed x Sportin� Life) across the Great White North to the Equinics. The 4yo colt comes in as the #13 ranked Classic Turf Older Horse for trainer rrlogan. Morty has won 7 of his 22 career starts, with all 7 coming at either 8 or 8.5 furlongs. One of the fastest horses currently running, Morty currently has 3 graded stakes wins to his name. Two of these were back-to-back Graded Stakes wins in 2009, in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and the G2 Trial By Night Stakes. His biggest race, however, was not a win at all. He took on older horses in the G1 Sourball Mile, where he set a blistering pace. He got out to a 5 length lead at the top of the stretch before fellow Equinics competitor Otto Haack(KY) set a sim record to win. But Morty hung on for a game 2nd, only 1-1/2 behind Otto. He followed that up with a 4th place finish in the Breeders Bowl Mile. Mortys� only run in 2010 was a 2nd place finish in the G3 Nippon Sport, where he surprisingly did not go for the lead from the beginning. Expect him to be in his usual position, out in front, in this one. Mortys Clantati breaks from post 14 with D Bauder aboard at 9/1.

Thing to keep in mind: An up-and-comer in this division, keep your eyes on Mortys Clantati(KY) come Eclipse Award time.

Great Plains � The defending champions bring Pick And Chose(AUS) (Redoute�s Choice(AUS) x Sam And Jack [Seeking The Gold x A.P. Indy]) to try and becoming the first repeat winners of this event. The 4yo colt has been trained very successfully by dixon, as he has won 8 of his 13 career starts. Debuting as a 3yo, Pick And Chose attempted a stakes race after breaking his maiden, but finished 5th. After taking a step back into allowances and reeling off 4 straight wins, he once again returned to stakes level races. Two wins at that level led to yet another step up, and this was a much larger step as he jumped from listed stakes to DelPenn Champions Day. Entered in the G1 Penn Mile, Pick surprised many except his owner when he battled for the lead early and pulled away to a nearly 3 length victory. Unfortunately, 2010 was not kind to him and he comes into this race off of the worst race of his career, a 9th place finish in the Sunny Millions Turf. This race at 9f though may have been a little longer than he prefers. Expect him to be one of the horses battling for the front of this race. Pick And Chose breaks from post 3 with L Jenkins aboard at 14/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Pick And Chose(AUS) is 1 for 1 in Graded Stakes, and has the ability to outlast others vying for the lead.

Alpine Turf Club � Those looking for Winter Olympics favorites need look no further than the ATC, and they bring Scythian(KY) (Sky Classic x Seattle Cindy [Seattle Slew x Track Barron]) to the Vancouver slopes. Imatiger2 campaigns this 6yo horse, and after a taxing first season (15 races in 2007), the races have become much more sporadic for him (7 races in 2009). Scythian has avoided Graded Stakes recently, but ended 2008 with 5 straight runs at this level. He picked up 1 win in the G3 Violin Mile, which helped contribute to his 8 career wins in 34 races. More recently, however, he has stayed at the stakes level and has been mildly successful, with 1 win and 2 seconds in 5 races. He ended his 2009 season with a win in the Utah BB Mile in October, and was given the winter months to train for the Equinics. Scythian was brought back out for a prep race in 2010, but he needed to shake off the rust and did not have his typical closing kick, resulting in a 6th place finish. He is a very deep closer, often coming from 15 or more back in 8 furlong races, and this race should be no different. Scythian breaks from post 9 with B Bauder aboard at 13/1.

Thing to keep in mind: Scythian(KY) will likely take an extra second or two in the gate to look around and take in the scenery, but don�t write him off just yet.

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Overall, this is a very competitive field, and each of the 19 teams has sent a representative who has a chance to win. In my mind, though, there are enough pace-setters in this race (particularly Mortys Clantati and Pick and Chose, as well as Theatrical Trailer) that it will set up well for those coming from off the pace. And in that event, I find it hard to go against the sim record holder at the distance, especially at his bread and butter. So I will go with Otto Haack to take home the gold for the race sponsors, Sim Hispano. I also like Last Minute Ride as a longshot pick, and one pace-setter is likely to hang around, so I�ll take Mortys Clantati there.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the 6th running of the Equinics.