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Sim Trainer Stats Sim Race Stats |
DUKE ALI Owner/Trainer: seveii Record: 57-25-9-5; $3,467,431
Win: Cosmopolitan Handicap(G1), Sterile Mile(G1), Sim Equinics' Man O' War Mile(G1), Diplomat Way Handicap(G1), Bill Greenhaw Special(G1), Prims Memorial(G2), twice, Middle Ground Mile(G2), Orangeton Handicap(G2), The Guiness Mark(G2), KY BB Mile(G2-T), Winchester Cap(G3), Eviscerator Stakes(G3), Keystone Derby(G3), Garden Party Stakes, Run The Gantlet Handicap, Soda Springs Stakes Place: Mansur Le Roys Handicap(G2), Lil' Leprechaun Mile(G3), IN Derby, Double Ready Handicap, Sensitivo Handicap, Robber King Cap. Show: Glenn Handicap(G1), Walnut BB Mile(G2-T), Clem Special, Foggy Legacy Challenge, Hill Pass Stakes. To this day, Duke Ali remains a daring benchmark for the main track miler division. His story is a wonderful mix of talent, consistency, dominance, and pure climactic speed. But it's all set against a rare backdrop of Sim stardom: throughout Sim history, the common dirt miler division has always been an extremely competitive and often sea-saw group. Stars are prone to inconsistency, but Duke Ali transcended your average eight furlong stakes star. His magnificent career stood out not only in his day, but beyond to the present. He enters the Hall Of Fame as the "Great Miler." Although the "Great Miler" notoriety built up over time, Duke Ali was always a hot talent. After a pair of smacking maiden special weight and allowance scores, Duke Ali blazed the way in the star-studded Grade 1 Eddie Haskell Stakes for sophomores in just his third career start. He was another loaded Storm Cat colt in 1999 -- unfortunately he got caught up in a frontrunner duel and tired to sixth. Still, the Sim took note of trainer seveii's rising star. They followed the 3YO speedster toying with his rivals in his next two stakes scores, and delighted in his runner-up performance in the supremely fast IN Derby(G2) won by Hunt Fanfare (winner of the Haskell). Eventual Horse Of the Year Gatling Prospector finished close behind Duke Ali that day. All of these races were from 8.5 furlongs to 9 furlongs. Duke Ali had talent and class to vie against the best in 1999's sophomore division..... but seveii still didn't know what was exactly Duke Ali's niche. Seveii experimented a bit closing out Duke Ali's three year old season. The colt impressed all, nailing his turf debut over a mile at the Grade 2 level. Two starts later, he competed admirably against top older horses when switched back to the dirt in the nine furlong Lewis & Clark(G2). His final start over the year resulted in a fine effort sprinting over the turf at the Grade 1 level. But this was all continuing prelude that carried over well into his four year old season. A kind of mish-mash of experiments, all performed at the black type level. In February 2000, Duke Ali won his first Grade 1 at nine furlongs, but then stumbled awfully over 10 furlongs. He yo-yoed back into the winner's circle at a furlong less, then ruined his late springtime form when asked of a second trip to stay the ground (Sand Castle Classic(G1)). Through all of this, a dilemmna formed. Seveii had such a talented short route-type horse, but no Breeders Bowl race to aim for. The only close thing was the BB Mile over the grass and the colt did start in the 2000 Mile (won by Huge Tale). It seemed like a perfect fit, but Duke Ali soured after dueling early. It was the first of two forgettable Breeders Bowl outings. But out of heartbreak comes the long-at-last arrival. To close out his sometimes troubled, other times starpower 4YO campaign, Duke Ali finally entered a showcase event. 2000's inaugural Sterile Mile(G1) brought together a gorgeous field of milers. It was late November and there was no DelPenn Championship day. Post-Breeders Bowl stakes events for dirt horses were few and generally regulated to non-G1 status. There was a lot of excitement for the Sterile Mile as a kind of championship event for the short route horses. Duke Ali numbered among the favorites as always. Seveii's colt broke alertly as usual, overpowering on the front end through the opening quarter. But, at one point, "The Duke" put some serious daylight on his competitors...... and that was all she wrote. In an ethereal 1:33 1/5, Duke Ali cruised under the wire in a glorious coronation of his speciality. He crystallized the term "Monster Mile" and the time and way he won (still ahead by three solid lengths at the finish!) set the Sim on fire. Finally, this long-time talent had a storybook performance to match what by then we all knew -- that a flat mile was his best and superior distance. Over the next two years, Duke Ali would go on to win just about every mile race that mattered in the Sim. He won the most recognizable miler event, the Cosmopolitan Handicap(G1) at age 5 in 1:33 2/5. The horse won the summertime Prims Memorial(G1) two years in a row at ages 5 and 6. Graded miler racenames like Middle Ground Mile, Orangeton, Winchester, and Diplomat Way also were added to his winner's circle trophies. He lost his quiet share (including a poor misplacement in the 2001 Breeders Bowl Classic), but was also at his best on 2002 Equinics Day. He won 4 of 7 races cracking the 1:34 magical mile barrier. Additionally, he was almost always the charismatic favorite in his races too -- the daring focus of the race as the one to fear and the one to beat. Duke Ali remained a competitive miler in at least allowance company through his seven year old season. He was retired at age 8 with a record of 25 wins from 57 starts and over $3.4 million in earnings. He won a whopping 17 career stakes victories (including 5 Grade 1's). But it took a long while for Duke Ali to claim his Sim fortune. We since measure milers by both his career and charisma. Though he never won a Sim Eclipse championship nor a Breeders Bowl race, Duke Ali's fame arguably outweighs that of his contemporaries. To Sim culture, he will forever be cast over his beloved main track mile, always out front, blazing the way, setting bold daylight between him and the rest of the field. He was a "speciality" talent who excelled in that miler niche, a rare consistent star for that division. And, to this day known as the "Great Miler," none dare Duke Ali. |
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