WON: Breeders Bowl Juvenile -G1, Camel Juvenile -G2, The FESTIVE Stakes -Stk
3rd: Movieland Futurity -G1

Chamberlain Takes the First Steps to Greatness

By- Afc

Potential. All of them have it. An unraced two year old, who shows such talent in the morning. He has an air about him, a way of moving, a look of the eye. It always gets your blood pumping. But as we all know all too well, potential can be a very dirty word. It emphasizes the expectation of great things to come, but which remain unfulfilled. Every horse has potential. Only the elite live up to it. Your journey to the promised land begins, but only one will succeed. All the other 10,000 plus two year olds will fail to reach the ultimate goal.

Promise. The potential begins to become reality. You’ve got your two year old past his maiden special weight contest, which he has passed with flying colors. Now the journey really begins. It can be a fascinating odyssey, with uncompromising highs and gut wrenching lows. Now, the ride becomes interesting. Your promising colt stomps his way through allowance races. Now, you’ve got something to build upon. But where do you go next?

Purpose. It’s time to go to stakes races, where the cream of the crop reside. By this time, thousands have fallen by the wayside. But your two year old colt is still there. You dutifully plan out a race schedule for the summer and fall, where the biggest challenges await. You’ve done your work. Now it’s up to him.

Arrival. Now is your time. Your colt has just won the biggest race of the season for two year olds, the Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile.  He is regaled with compliments and the accordant accolades. Your reward for your work, through the breeding process, through the MSW, through the allowances and up to the pinnacle of a Grade 1 win on the Sim‘s biggest day, awaits you.

So, sipe, step forward and accept the Eclipse Award for the Champion Two Year Old Dirt Colt. And don’t forget to bring Chamberlain with you.

The strapping son of Turkoman out of a Miesque’s Son mare is actually a homebred from a retired mare, Art’s Girl. She was a nondescript sort, recording only two wins from 25 career starts, and never even made the board in stakes company. But as we all search for that special retired mare to breed to, hoping to get the next big star, reflect first, if you will, upon this obscure mare who has now produced a Champion- in her first breeding. With a sire who has no business being mentioned in the ranks with the top in the sim, no less. Sometimes, this is a truly magical place.

Chamberlain took his first steps to the promised land in the not so famous world of Alabama racing. Breaking in mid pack in his debut race, he stayed there until the field hit the top of the lane, where he drew off with ease to win going away by three, recording a 76 speed figure in the five furlong test. Coming out of the race in good form, he waited for six weeks before sipe decided to wheel him back for his first foray into allowance ranks, this time in Kansas. When the gate opened, Chamberlain’s head was turned sideways, and he missed the break. Languishing uncharacteristically at the back of the pack, he made a mile rally to split horses in the stretch, but finished a non-threatening third.

Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise. Not convinced that his horse was stakes quality- yet- sipe adroitly decided to keep him in allowance races rather than tossing him directly to the wolves in stakes company. Patience is indeed a virtue in many walks of life.

Another six week break later, Chamberlain ventured to the backwoods of the Smokey Mountains and Tennessee for another allowance test. This time, the results would be much different.

Breaking near the back of the pack again, Chamberlain looked hopelessly beaten turning into the stretch. And then, it happened.

There comes a time when the horse must step up. Adversity is a strange thing. You hate to have to deal with it, because it can be painful. But, it’s also the mark of a champion when he can stare adversity straight in the eye and come out the victor.

Switching leads smoothly, Chamberlain for the first time demonstrated the turn of foot that every champion must possess. In mid-stretch, he found another gear and blew past the opposition, leaving them reeling in his wake en route to a two length win. It was the kind of performance that gets you thinking, “maybe this is the one……”

Still not fully convinced, sipe continued to nurse Chamberlain along slowly. The lanky chestnut was beginning to feel some growing pains, and sipe saw no reason to rush him through it. It was relatively early in the year, and there would be plenty of time to catch up to the other early season stakes winners. But make no doubt about it, the window of opportunity was beginning to slowly close for Chamberlain.

He stayed in allowance company for his fourth start, this time in Northern California. Matched against a field of seven, he was sent off as the solid favorite. Appearing to hang in mid-stretch, he once again looked like a beaten horse. But he was beginning to show the intangible that no one can ever know that their horse has until they actually demonstrate it. Heart. Digging deep, Chamberlain found a burst of energy and surged to the front a sixteenth from the wire, and then gamely held on over a determined challenger to post a narrow ¼ length win. The challenger’s name? In a twist of irony, it was Major Player. Which is exactly what Chamberlain was about to become.

Having worked diligently through allowance ranks, it was time for sipe to take the next step. True to his careful ways, Chamberlain was astutely placed in a non-graded sprint stakes, facing only six other horses in British Columbia.

Forced to race wide throughout, the bright chestnut tossed his problems aside as easily as he did his opponents. Rallying four wide around the turn, Chamberlain made a protracted move, and his momentum carried him to a facile two length win. Now a stakes winner after five starts, it was time to start looking for bigger conquests.

Onto a plane he hopped, and when the bewildered juvenile strode off the Tex Sutton charter, he found himself in unknown territory. An arid land, unlike any he had ever seen. But he adapted to his surroundings with aplomb and trained forwardly for the Grade 2 Camel Juvenile.

At this time, sipe was well aware that anything but a super effort in the Camel Juvenile would likely keep Chamberlain out of the Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile. His competition had gotten well in front of him. But both the trainer and horse appeared confident on the eve of the big race.

Faced with a daunting task, Chamberlain was near the back of the pack in his now accustomed position. But this was a different matter. These were graded horses. This was a full field. This was two furlongs farther than he had ever been asked to run. What would happen when the question was asked?

As it turns out, it was déjà vu all over again. Caught in what looked to be a hopeless spot, strung out some five wide around the far turn, Chamberlain began gathering momentum. Still six lengths from the leaders at the top of the lane, he dug deep once again and found that special piece of his makeup that so few others possess. He launched himself forward in the drive, catapulting past horses and powered off to a two and a half length victory.

Now, it all had come to fruition. The best laid plans had worked to perfection, with only one minor stumble. Chamberlain was Breeder’s Bowl bound, where he would seek to fulfill his unexpected rise to glory against the best of his generation.

Sent off at a lukewarm 9-2, Chamberlain took up his customary spot near the back of the pack. Alongside was fellow Eclipse Award nominee Stormy Bluff II. In front were other Eclispe worthy candidates Prill, White Graeme  and Estrecho. Clearly, this would be a challenge the likes of which Chamberlain had never before faced.

Launching his bid four furlongs from the wire, he began cutting into the margin of the leaders. By the time the horses reached the top of the stretch, it was a mere formality of finishing the race. Chamberlain had so much momentum by that time, that it was only a matter of several strides before he swallowed the leaders whole and ran off by himself to a nearly four length score. In doing so, he had vaulted to the lead of the two year old division, and proved himself an accomplished router, gaining a career top 101 figure.

In the final race of his juvenile campaign, the Movieland Futurity, Chamberlain managed to grab only third place, behind Eclipse nominee Brabawells  and the promising colt, Seeking Ransom. Understandably dull after an arduous campaign, he still finished with vigor, albeit in defeat.

But he had accomplished the goals sipe set out for him, winning the BB Juvenile. The voters have seen fit to justly reward him.

And so, we present to you, the new and undisputed Two Year Old Champion Colt, Chamberlain.

Greatness. Potential fulfilled. The question remains to be answered. Are Chamberlain and sipe up to it?

Time will tell. But now, as you purposefully stride into the Sim Hall of Fame, go proudly knowing that you have accomplished something that can never be taken from you.