I am here today with the Man/ the Myth/ the Legend – Smokey Stover!
So Smokey thanks for allowing me to visit your farm today in New Jersey and interview you exclusively on behalf of the SRF. I understand you are a lawyer by trade.
Q. What do you classify yourself as a good or a bad Lawyer’?
Good.
Let’s not let this interview drag out to many years please 🙂
Q. I broke a mirror and got 7 years bad luck. Can you get me off with 7?
Depends on if you are willing to part with some mares 🙂
Q. Who is your favorite horse all time In RL?
When I was in high school I would go almost weekly with my Dad to Golden Gate Fields. I would read the Daily Racing Form, pretend like I had some kind of unique insight, and then would donate $2 to the betting pool. The horse that really got me hooked on the sport was Lost in the Fog, a horse of modest breeding. I was there for his incredibly impressive debut maiden win at GGF. There was a buzz about the place after the race, as horses with that type of obvious potential do not race at GGF very often. He would go on to be the best sprinter in the country as a 3 year old. I tracked him obsessively until he died of cancer at age 4. He won a graded stakes race at Churchill Downs just a few months before vets realized he had an inoperable tumor the size of a football growing in him. The heart he must of had! He stole mine and I have a picture of him hanging in my apartment.
Runner up: Zenyatta! I would make the trip down to Southern California at least 5 times to see the super mare. She was simply a different specimen in her demeanor, size, running style and ability. It was simply a thrill and privilege to watch her run. She had a fantastic personality, almost dancing for the crowd. The noise in the grandstand when she rallied wide to win the BC Classic at SA surpassed any sporting event I have attended, including when American Pharoah won the TC at Belmont. The ground was literally shaking.
Q. The name “Smokey Stover”; where does the stable name originate/ come from?
Lost In the Fog’s connections a few years later had a horse with a striking blaze on his face named Smokey Stover, who I also became very fond of. I loved the name, made it my Xbox gamertag, my friends starting calling me “Smokey” or “Stover” as a nickname and it just stuck. Most people assumed the name had to do smoking weed; they were just a decade early on that one
OK so in 2018 saw you finish a very respectable 8th in the Racing leaders. Congratulations.
Q. Prediction where you will finish this year and also who will finish in top 3?
2018 was a wild year for me as I transitioned from a stable that looked to purchase the top talent, to a stable that was far more breeding oriented. I would be very happy if I could finish 5th this year.
Mb-DJC-John Henry would be my prediction. Bold I know.
Q. Favorite horse all time @ HRP?
What a fantastic question. I am going to say my former horse Golden Eagles. He was a horse of limited ability, never winning an open allowance race, but the horse just had heart and gave it everything he had every race. After his debut for me, he ran 10 times for claiming tag of less than $15, never finishing off the board, and winning races ranging from 5F turf sprints to 9F dirt routes. The horse just had heart!
Q. Doing great at the moment though in the past ever felt like quitting? And what was your low light?
I have never felt like quitting . I have been logging in almost every day for a decade of my life and don’t regret it at all. The game really allows you to play at your own level – in ability, money & time. Prior to 2015, I had a stable of about 25 horses, mostly lower level. My understanding of the game was limited, but I nevertheless enjoyed playing. I think my low point was probably when I started playing and would breed autogens like it was a slot machine. I wouldn’t recommend that!
Q. What was your Highlight/ best moment playing game?
Winning my first graded stakes in 2016 with Tropics. It took me many years, $400, and a horse with so much ability that even I couldn’t screw it up to get it done, but she did! That was incredibly satisfying. I still remember watching the race in Palm Springs on the then new 3D viewer. I think that was when I first decided to start investing more into the game.
Q. Who is your Prediction for the Top Breeder of 2019?
Mb. I am super excited for 2020ish as then the breeding leaderboard will be a very interesting reflection of how the top breeding operations stack up. By 2020, the 150 foal breeding cap will have been in effect for quite a while. Right now the breeding leaderboard is more of a reflection of how many foals each stable breeds, rather than quality.
Q. That’s a good point Smokey. On the subject of MB – Friend? Or Foe?
Friend! Mb has taught me so much about the game and has always been willing to answer questions. He also demonstrated to me that time spent learning the game pays off.
I think people would like him a lot more if he wasn’t as good at the game as he is!
Q. May I ask; who is the Stable you respect the most in the game and why?
DJC Racing Stables. My respect for a stable has almost nothing to do with their success in the game, but instead how they treat the other players playing the game.
Dom has always been a kind and friendly presence in the forums and chat room, making this game a more enjoyable experience for all. It doesn’t hurt that he is also great at the game – both on the breeding and racing sides. He is now placing his horses better and it is paying off with a 25% win rate. Watch out!
Q. Onto The Triple Crown: Do you personally think we will see a winner within 3 years?
No. The odds are very much against it. The horses are so close in ability here that post/jockey/track conditions matter way more relative to RL, and it doesn’t happen very often in RL as it is.
I think it will happen, but it will take a super horse and a ton of luck. I will let you know when I breed him.
Q. Please do so! Who do you think is an upcoming trainer to watch out for this year?
Fractious.
Q. What is your best tip to help New Stables please?
Go to the chatroom and just pick up the information through osmosis. Most of the top stables are there often and are more than willing to answer any questions. Best of all, it is a great group of guys you can just hang out with when you have some time to kill.
Q. In the shed you have worked very hard last few years (kudos). I don’t expect you to share all your breeding secrets or insights, though if you could share just one that would be cool.
Thank you! I really hope my investment in breeding pays off in the long run. I believe that horses are getting faster with each generation, so you need to stay up to date with your breeding program. If you are breeding to sires and mares that were good breeders 7 years ago, there is a good chance they will not be competitive against the new shinier faster models.
Q. Looking around you have a lot of good quality horses active and retired. Who is you most promising Sire and why?
State Police. I can’t wait to breed him and I would go as far to say as there is not a better active sire prospect in the game. He is the leading son of the top earning sire in the game, Cherokee Sunset. The dam side is absolutely loaded, having produced two 1K earners, and several other stakes quality horses. His conformation is excellent and obviously is an extremely talented G1 winning dirt router. It is a daily struggle to resist the urge to press the retire button!
Q. The game has gone from strength to strength and support I have made a number of positive changes. What aspect of the game in your personal opinion do you think needs revamping next?
I think the breeding side of the game is a far better product than the racing side of the game right now. The racing side of the game needs revamping. Due to the limited separation in abilities, posts and jockeys matter way too much. It takes away from the game when races are so heavily influenced by luck. Racing could be far more dynamic than it currently is. Horses win rarely from the lead or from the back, and as such, almost everyone is using the same instructions. This doesn’t lead to interesting strategy. The horses natural running style preference doesn’t seem to matter very much. With all that said, it is still a very good racing game.
Q. You have achieved 50 G1 to G3 wins since 2009, which is impressive! Noticed you not landed a meet title yet. Is it something included on your road map for 2019? If not why?
You are too kind. Despite my success recently I am still a relatively small stable in size compared to the big boys who are racing three times as much as me. That makes meet titles pretty tough. It just is not something that interests me too much.
Q. What’s your goals for 2019?
I would like to take a big step forward in my long term goal of having the best breeding stable in the game. I think this year will go a long way in determining whether that is a realistic goal. I hope Good Authority’s foals are as fantastic at age three as they were at two. But above all else, my main goal is just to continue having fun playing this fantastic game. I want to continue to learn new things about the game, fully understanding that process will never be complete.
It’s been a real pleasure to chat with you today and get to know you better Smokey, thanks again.
You heard it first with The SRF
In our next stable interview on The Inside Story we will be speaking to ‘The New Kid On The Block’ – Maxmillion Farms.
Stay Tuned!
El Primero Rodeo
Categories: FEATURED STORIES, SRF Interviews
