Digiturf.com’s 33rd Championship Week
Day 1 – The Sprinters
It’s known as the quickest day on digiturf.com as over thirty different owners filled the gates with eighty-four of the speediest horses with hopes and dreams of bringing home a sprint distance championship. Day one of Championship Week did not disappoint as we saw plenty of new owners earn their way into the finals for the first time and, of course, they found plenty of familiar foes that would try to maintain their dominance here on Digiturf.
The Championships got underway with the Juvenile Sprint Championship ran by the two year old colts covering the distance of 1200 meters. Rival owners Tockyocky Racing and Chrisman dominated the entries in this race placing seven of the fourteen finalist colts in the gates. No surprise in the first race as Tockyocky Racing’s favored entry Toc Black Mamba took first place and prize money of $1,000 by less than a half length over Chrisman’s Jaime Lannister who earned a game $500 cash. Fourstardave didn’t let the unlucky 13th post slow him down as he finished in third for Evil Racing Ltd. Rounding out the prize winners was the $500 auction purchase of Tr Returns out of the Gebb barn. Fourth year owner Tockyocky Racing has over fifty Championship starts and this win gives him his seventh overall Championship trophy bringing his career earnings to a grand total just shy of $120,000. Winning horse Toc Black Mamba has now earned over $3,000 in just his first season of competitive racing. The soft spoken Tockyocky Racing located in the winner’s circle humbly commented, “It felt great to come out swinging. So much anticipation and emotions flowing that winning the first champ race really relaxed me and took off some self imposed pressure. I was able to sit back and just enjoy the rest of the day. We all want to win but I didn't want to get shut out. Very happy and there was a nice crowd at Traxide to share it with.”
The young two year old fillies were up next for their version of the Juvenile Sprint Championship. With the distance also covering 1200 meters, the fillies would have to deal with a muddy track which was sure to wreck havoc for those not accustomed to the tricky surface. Nine different owners were hopeful to bring home the gold in this race and the result would not disappoint. A major upset crossed the finish line first as The Manor House’s Tmh Said It What was the first to pass and grab the gold. Barely earning $500 during the season there were zero tipsters in the official Tipping Contest that picked this filly to win. For the second time in two races, the most dominating owner currently on Digiturf, Chrisman had the second place winner as the sister of the colt runner up Cersei Lannister took second place. Tr Phoenix owned by Tockyocky Racing took third and Flock made owner Cobarn happy by earning the last payday of the race. Championship winning owner, The Manor House, was unable to speak at the winner’s press conference but it was indeed announced that it was his first ever Championship win in just his seventh career Championship start. The win brings The Manor House’s total career earnings to over $57,000.
Next up were the three year old sprinters as they would do battle to see who would reign supreme in the Triple Crown Sprint Championship. The colts were up first and they found that same tricky muddy track as this final took place in the United States. With the distance covering 1200 meters, which horses would this surface help and which horses would it hinder? For the second straight Championship race we found ourselves congratulating a first time Championship winner as owner Horse Heaven Hills celebrated the victory and the $1000 winner’s check once the underestimated mudder Spill Wine crossed the finish line first. Only one tipster in the official Tipping Contest chose Spill Wine but that just thrills the winning owner better known by fellow owners as HHH who shouted out in joy, “This was my seventeenth Championship race, not even a place in the first sixteen. The win feels absolutely wonderful!” Tockyocky Racing continues a great Championship week when Toc Road Wreck came in a game second less than a half length behind the winner. Veteran owner Black Lotus watched auction purchase AP Devils Bag finish third and excited owner Xstud had the fourth place entry, the self-named Xstuds Darknight.
Owner Black Lotus was apparently just getting warmed up with his placing in the three year old colt’s race, as he was hopeful for an even better finish with the fillies version of the Triple Crown Sprint Championship. This run would be yet another off track surface, this time held in England on the turf. Coming out of the twelfth post it was indeed First Up upsetting the pack and taking the trophy as Black Lotus celebrated the victory over a very strong field. Two entries in this field have earned over $5,000 in career earnings and five others including the winner entered the contest with over $1,000 in career earnings before they turned four. Just missing the exacta sweep, owner Tockyocky Racing had the second and third place finishers with entries Toc Mo Money and Toc Kill At Will. Owner Maple Leaf Farms got on the Championship board when Center Ice Loonie passed the rest of the field to finish fourth. The win gives Black Lotus his fifteenth Championship in over 150 career Championship starts. As is beginning to become a trend in the official Tipping Contest, there were again zero official tips on winning horse First Up.
Though we move up into the next level of age groups it was déjà vu all over again when the Saratoga Sprint Championship for colts came to its conclusion. Ran once again on the upset providing muddy track in the U.S., the winner of this race was no upset at all. Things returned to order as the career earner of over $13,000 and smart auction purchase Toc Black Magic crossed the finish line first in dominating fashion. Owner, purchaser, and now back to back Championship owner, Black Lotus celebrated his now sixteenth golden trophy bringing his career earnings to well over $300,000. Owner Colwells End was seen smiling and happy when colt Ritchies Titanic crossed the finish second for a $500 pay day. It was one of the famed Ap horses placing third as Ap Silver Striker finished in the money for Master stable owner Mudflaps. Race favorite and $11,000 career earner, Toc Genghis Khan finished a disappointing fourth.
In the final Championship race of the day, it was the fillies turn to give their shot at the Saratoga Sprint Championship. Would the Black Lotus winning streak continue or would another veteran owner take charge of the day’s last trophy? Or would it be a third first time winner of the day? Silent Reward would do just that and reward owner Myrtle’s Knackery to a first ever Championship win. Nobody saw this twenty two time stakes winner coming as the winning horse only received two tips from the days official Tipping Contest. In only the sixth career Championship start, Myrtle’s Knackery celebrated all night and watched the career earnings grow to over $13,000 with Silent Reward earning almost half of that amount over her career. Chrisman watched his entry Roosters Flute finish a close second and probably the most upset horse of the day, the living legend herself, Rusty’s Princess, a career earner of over $20,000 and 136 victories finished third on this frustrating day. Overheard on the chat portal called Traxide, owner of Rusty’s Princess, Maple Leaf Farms was very gracious in defeat and very happy for the first time winning owner. Finishing off the check haulers was fourth place finisher Miss Independence owned by McKinleys.
Well indeed a great day of racing was seen during day one of Championship Week. We had major upset victories, as well as, dominating wins by dominating horses and owners. Day two has a lot to live up to as the Classic distance runners prepare for battle.
Reviewed by The Mad Russian
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