tmcdevitt Wrote:
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> Having read every single post on SM, I dont think
> people are discounting him because he ran for a
> tag.........

That Tag race doesn't bother me. Let me take the liberty of reviewing his races with some commentary.

March 2005 - Sinister Minister is purchased for 40K at the Barretts Select 2YO in training sale.

12/31/05 - Maiden Race Day. They enter Sinister Minister in a maiden special weight. He catchs a wet sealed track. He can't get in front and races four wide finishing mid pack beaten 8 lengths. Still its not a horrible effort, his figure isn't atrocious. Its a first out 13. The winner clears by 6 so Sinister is only beaten 2-3 lengths for second. The third place finisher in that race is Point of Impact, a Baffert trained 800k yearling. Do you think old Bobby saw some potential in Sinister that race?

1/20/06 - Happy Birthday Sinister Minister!!! He's three now and what better way to celebrate than by breaking far outside in a 62,500 maiden claimer. If he had been claimed that race it would have been a good day for the owners. A first place purse, the claiming fee, and remember he only cost 40,000. Storm Cats should be so lucky.

2/12/06 - "Hiya Bobby"... Sinister thinks to himself..."You're the best now, the best there ever was and the best there ever will be. I'm so happy you bought me Bobby. I like you" Bobby enters Sinister in a Grade II stakes off that maiden win against GULP...TOO MUCH BLING...and tries a rating gambit with Sinister that doesn't pan out. Sinister tries to tell Bob, but the words come out all wrong: "He choked me Bobby, that monkey on my back choked me...I can do better. You know I can."

3/11/06 - California Derby Day at Golden Gate Fields. Sinister looks over Cause to Believe's Resume and Whinnies, Hey Bobby, this guy over here has never finished worse than 2nd. He's won:

The Cavonnier Juvenile
The Bay Meadows Juvenile
The Mill Valley and
The El Camino Real Derby

Hey that last ones a Grade III whats that mean?"

Sinister is bet down to under 2-1 in the five horse field and he's beaten that day after an incident with the rail. He didn't bear in. He bolted in and bunny hopped. Still, it was better than it looked.

"Bobby, I can do better than that. You know I can. Dont' give up on me."

4/15/06 - Bluegrass Day.

"Whats a Grade I Bobby? They say this race is one and that horse First Samurai has two of them on his resume. That other horse Bluegrass Cat has a grade II and a Grade III. I know what a Grade III is. I just don't like the jump out rail in them."

Sinister has a change of lead issue but runs through the stretch on a rope. Steve Haskin has a column with a paragraph titled "More on the Batty Bluegrass". Its worth a read. Some folks are saying. Abberation, toss that kind of race. They came home slow, but it was fast slow and it was honest slow considering the early running. Those interior fractions are very interesting.

Good job Sinister, now you got a Grade I too and its better than the ones that other horse had and if you run big in the next one you're going to Claiborne. I'll tell you about that later.