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Sim Trainer Stats Sim Race Stats |
RAIN GOD Owner/Trainer: kevoman3 Record: 41-19-11-4; $8,059,960
Win: Sand Castle Golden Turf Classic-G1, Japan Classic-G1, Royally Modest Cup-G1(2x), Lots of Luck-G1, The Half Century Stakes-G1, Canada Turf-G1, Big Red Stakes-G1, Shimko Classic-G2, CEO Classic-G2, Mean Joe Green Classic-G3, St. Ledge Stakes-G3, Farrell Lion Memorial, Graduation Night Memorial, His Inning Stakes, Rally Cat Handicap, North With Tenant Handicap. Place: Breeders’ Bowl Turf-G1, Derby De English-G1, Japan Classic-G1, The Penn Marathon-G1, Coalminer Cup-G1, Aslan Memorial Turf Classic-G1, Doomben Cup-G1, San Francisco Capitan Handicap-G1, The Dubai Millennium Memorial-G1, The Plum Pudding Stakes-G1, Bluegrass Cup Turf-G2. Show: United Countries Handicap-G1, Doomben Cup-G1, John Henry Classic-G1, Pan American Handicap-G2. As one might suspect with long distance loving bloodlines like Rainbow Quest, Dynaformer and Nijinsky II, this cleverly named son of Rainbow Quest was unraced at two. It was not until March that kevoman3 debuted the tall, powerful colt. While Rain God was a very green fourth in that effort, gawking about, he quickly came to hand, breaking his maiden by 6 ½ lengths next time out, skipping a condition to win a nonwinners of three, and with a speed figure of 102 in a win so easy that he could have run even faster, it was time to seek some black type. And so, Rain God, in his fourth lifetime start, entered a small stakes, which he completely dominated, winning by 11 1/4 lengths despite being geared down. Next came the North With Tenant Stakes, and Band of Budas, a graded stakes winner who would later become a fine marathoner, tried to rally, but Rain God had opened up an 8 3/4 length lead, and while the lead dwindled to two lengths at the wire, Rain God was never seriously threatened, posting an excellent 110 SF. It was time to move up the ladder. Moving up consisted of the Derby de English-G1 and a challenge to Sunnybank Memorial, who had shown an absolutely devastating turn of foot in the Adelaide and Sydney Derbies. Unlike many of the top routers in the game, Rain God did not stalk and wait to make his move. He would dash to the front, daring you to pick your poison - attempt to keep up with him early, or try to reel him in late. In this race, Rain God broke just a step slow, and rated just behind the early pacesetters. By the time he was set to pass Dancin in Seattle, Memo was in full flight, but Rain God hung tough, finishing just 3/4 of a length back, in a time that smashed the previous stakes record. Sunnybank Memorial may have won the first meeting, but Rain God showed that he wouldn’t go away quietly, like so many of Memo’s other competition. After an easy win in a listed stakes, there would be a rematch, back at Epsom, in the G1 Dubai Millennium Memorial. Rain God seized the lead exiting the final turn, but he was no match for Memo, who was en fuego that day, and just rolled over everyone en route to a 6 3/4 length win. The two rivals would separate for a while, and Rain God proved just as dominant. First came a 1 1/4 length score in the Big Red Stakes-G1, over At the Chateau, I Am Scheming, Rainbow Moonshell and Preferred Power. Next, was the Saint Ledge Stakes, and once again, Rain God pressed the pace early, made his move on the back stretch and dared everyone to catch him. Neal Daniher, a talented colt in his own right, could not do it, settling for second. And, given Rain God’s performance, it was no wonder, as kevoman3's pride and joy covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:00 4/5, good enough for a 118 SF, a new best in an already remarkable career. Rain God then challenged his elders in the Canada Turf-G1, and if there was a difference in maturity or in experience, it certainly didn’t show, and Rain God simply ran away and hid from the field, opening up a seven length lead and despite relaxing enough to eye the crowd as he strolled down the stretch, still finished 6 1/4 lengths ahead of the runner up, putting up a 115 SF in the process. Somewhat ironically, while you might think that a horse named Rain God would like a wet track, the colt proved he wanted nothing to do with it in the Coxless Stakes, sulking every step of the way as he finished far behind the leaders. Understandably, he would never set foot on anything other than a firm turf course again. Back where he could hear his feet rattle, Rain God was set to challenge Turning Japanese, who was fresh off a win in the Breeders’ Bowl Filly & Mare Distaff. It didn’t matter to Rain God, who stayed on his A game, and beat the gallant filly by three emphatic lengths. The son of Rainbow Quest would finish out his remarkable campaign with the rather unusual experience of being run off his feat, after having done the same to so many other rivals, by Eclipse Stakes-G1 winner Lizard’s Halo, in the Plum Pudding Stakes-G1. At the end of a storybook nine months, Rain God had emerged to be a three time G1 stakes winner, and a worthy rival to Sunnybank Memorial. In a busy season, Rain God had finished with a 15-9-3-0 record. The following year would only add to Rain God’s growing reputation. After a dull fourth in his seasonal debut, kevoman3 had his colt back on track for the Half Century Stakes-G1. Rain God bounced out of the gate and never looked back, making every step of the race a winning one, as he dashed off to a 4 ½ length win. It was then off to Dubai, where the fiesty colt faced defending champion Bristol Rovers, Horse of the Year Sunnybank Memorial, and several other graded stakes winners. Rain God was unimpressed. After engaging in a head to head speed duel for the first half of the race, that rival ultimately fading to fourth, Rain God steadily increased his lead, until he stormed home in the desert a good five lengths ahead of Sunnybank Memorial to capture his tribute, the rich winners’ purse fo the Sand Castle Golden Turf Classic-G1 (109 SF). From there, it was on to another easy win, this time in the CEO Classic-G2. Cut back to 10 furlongs, Rain God floundered slightly, tiring to finish third behind Bristol Rovers and I Am Scheming in the Doomben Cup-G1. Redemption was not far behind, as once again, a strong field had assembled for a G1 event, this time the Lots Of Luck. Sunnybank Memorial was there, as was Hey Zeus and Treasure of Armana. Once again, Rain God provided that quality speed kills, firing the opening shot by dashing away to a 7 1/4 lead on the backstretch, daring the laterunners to come get him. Sunnybank Memo mounted a furious challenge, gaining with every stride, but just couldn’t get there, as Rain God skipped home first, still with a 2 3/4 length cushion. The two rivals would separate briefly, with Rain God continuing to roll along in Memo’s absence. First came the Royally Modest Cup-G1, which Rainy hung on to win by a determined 3/4 of a length, and next came the Shimko Classic-G2, which gave Rain God’s connections no cause for concern. The four year old was never threatened while pulling ahead to win by five lengths. Dropped down to a listed stakes race for his final Breeders’ Bowl prep, Rain God won for fun, and kevoman3 seemed delighted with his charge’s performance. An all star cast of turf titans was set to compete in this year’s edition of the Breeders’ Bowl Turf. Past winners Sunnybank Memorial and Allied Assault were there, as was top 3yo turf router Horseshoe Bay, and graded stakes winners A Rub of Irish, Bristol Rovers, Rainbow Moonshell, Swingshift Sal, Militant, Revelation, Hey Zeus, Dante and Minesweeper. In the end, Rain God ran his race, staying just behind the pacesetter, opening up a four length lead on the turn, and yet, it simply wasn’t good enough. On this day, Horseshoe Bay was simply better. Rain God would have to settle for second in the final two starts of his campaign, in the Japan Classic behind Jupiter’s Moons, and the Penn Marathon. The latter was a special race indeed. Rain God, once again was firing his absolute best, dashing ahead to a 5 ½ length lead, and victory appeared certain. Yet, Allied Assault, in his swan song performance, made it one for the ages, storming past his younger rival to add one last G1 win to his legend, and earning a stunning three-peat in this event. Like in the Breeders’ Bowl, Rain God had run lights out; but he could not outrun Allied Assault’s date with destiny. It was another solid campaign, even if it lacked seasonal honors, and some of the seconds were a bit tough to take. Still, with a record of 11-7-3-1, including four G1 wins, it was hard to be disappointed. At five, it did not take long for Rain God to find the winner’s circle, as he captured the Mean Joe Green Classic-G3 in his seasonal debut, just four weeks after the Penn Marathon. But, he exited the race a little bit off, and when he returned seven weeks later, could not withstand Rapid Grey’s late charge in the Pan Americana Handicap-G2, having to settle for third. After a dull, disappointing effort in an unsuccessful attempt to defend his title in Dubai, the old Rain God returned in the San Francisco Capitan Handicap-G1. After dueling with Confederacy in the early going, Rain God won the battle, but lost the war, with Horseshoe Bay swooping down for the win. Still it was good enough for second, and the time was nothing to sneeze at. Four of his next five starts, all in graded stakes, would come against Sunnybank Memorial. On several of those occasions, Rain God would hit the lead on the turn, only to see his rival pass him by in the stretch. But, in the Royally Modest Cup-G1, the Rainbow Quest horse managed to turn the tables, this time staying 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Memo at the finish line, winning this event for the second year in a row. The frustrating string of wouldas, couldas, shouldas, continued after that win, which would prove to be the final G1 victory in a long and accomplished career. Rain God would be forced to take the runner up position in his next three starts - his competitive spirit and early speed were still there, but it wasn’t quite enough, not as it had been earlier in his career. He would finish second behind Memo in the Aslan Memorial-G1, second again in the Bluegrass Cup Turf-G2, and second behind Director in the Coalminer Cup-G1. His season would end on a downnote, as he could only manage a distant eighth in the Breeders’ Bowl Turf, never getting close to the lead, and finishing more than 20 lengths behind Horseshoe Bay. Still, while age and mileage were starting to take their toll, Rain God still managed to finish the year with a record of 12-2-5-2. Kevoman3 would send his star back to the racing wars for one more season, but it would prove to be an abbreviated affair. After dropping down to a listed stakes for an easy win, Rain God tired badly in two starts against graded competition, and the decision was made to retire him. At stud, he produced a Storm Cat filly named, fittingly enough, Rainstorms, who just broke her maiden, as of the time of this writing, in her third career start. While Rain God raced in the shadow of Sunnybank Memorial for most of his career, he was by no means inferior, defeating that rival on more than one occasion, and competing successfully at the highest level for almost three seasons. His speed, his come and catch me if you can style of running, so different than most of the elite turf routers, made him visually exciting to watch. Would they catch him? Or would he laugh in disdain? In his prime, more often than not, it was the latter, against some of the best of the turf routers in the game, several of them current and future Hall of Famers. He won almost half of his 41 starts, which included eight G1 victories, and is a worthy addition to the Hall. |
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