The Morning Line Podcast: Recent Episodes
Tamara Vess
ON INDEFINITE HIATUS
The dynamic duo of Mara Jade Vess and Nini Hunter team up to bring you the newest, hottest, coolest, (insert adjective of your choice here)-est SIMhorseracing podcast! Together, we bring varying perspectives, skills, and all kinds of hijinks as we review races, game developments, and other topics of choice.
You asked, and we answered with a little help from some of the best to play the game! Hall-of-Famers Danny Derby and Pete Vella graciously share their insight on questions submitted by new players on the forum. What are some common mistakes? How do you value a broodmare? What are our thoughts on specialization? We answer all of this and more, with a few tangents, of course.
Stay tuned for our fully fleshed out SIMhorseracing New Player Starter Guide, coming early Year 58!
No memes. No laughs. No giggles. We're completely all about business as we discuss the Arc de Triomphe. Will Fiery Eyes cement herself as an all time great this early? Will there be an upset? Can Yang Wenli repeat? We'll find out!
Today, we talk about the richest Turf Sprint race in the SIM, the Chimborazo! Does it render the Steward's Cup Turf Sprint obsolete? Nini doesn't know what reading comprehension means. Mara doesn't want to do trifecta picks anymore. The horror. (Spoiler: We still do it this time.)
Today, we're all business because Mara has a hockey game to watch and EVERYTHING else is secondary. We go over the Oceanside Classic, Midsummer Oaks, and Midsummer Classic. There is a surprising lack of lallygagging. Anything for hockey.
It's Mixer Week on The Morning Line! For the first time, we exclusively focus on Mixer races. We go over the Most American Derby and the Most American Futurity. We also talk about some personal victories in our SIM life and briefly go over what lies ahead on The Morning Line for the rest of the year. Also Nini is hopped up on cheesecake, and this amuses Mara.
Distance is not real. We are a mess. "Carole Hanson" makes an appearance. There is an impostor among us. This is certainly our worst work to date, and we loved every second. Somewhere in there, we talk about the Week 9 Day 5 broadcast races - the London Oaks, London Derby, Louisville Classic, Long Island Acorn, and Long Island Classic.
It's one of those days. The kind where everything is moving in slow motion. No matter, we still bring you a look at every single horse racing in the Baltimore G1's this Friday. There are several horses featured with names from musicals and while this is horrifying for Mara, Nini couldn't be happier. You might want to lower your volume.
After last week’s train wreck of an episode, we come back on a quick turnaround to look at the other races that will be called W6D5! In this episode, we rapid-fire preview each field give our picks for every race sans the Derby, and Nini tries to add a phrase to the English language.
Happy Week 6 and good luck to everyone!
You think you’ve heard train wreck episodes before? Well, hold on to your hats folks, because they’ve got nothing on this Derby Deep Dive!
On this episode, we welcome the lovely Steward to join us for the beginning of this episode for some Derby thoughts, share some breaking news, and talk about some other Week 6 Day 5 races. Then, we battle through technical difficulties to evaluate every single horse in the field and then some.
We also have an unexpected guest and go perhaps further off the rails than ever before, so it’s a fun one! We hope you have fun listening, because we sure had fun recording!
Happy racing and good luck Week 6 to all!
This week, we dive into the Saudi Cup. We preview mixers for the first time on the show, and Nini is blatantly wrong about some things and Mara probably wishes she had a different co-host. We offer insight and picks, and as usual, venture way off topic a few times.
This week, we dive into an evaluation of our Triple Crown Trails, naming our picks and justifying why we picked them. Maybe we also toot our own horses' horns. Just a little bit. A tiny bit. We promise. Legitimately promise, this time. No Pinocchio here! Nini also uses big brain energy to recite the intro from memory for the first time.
We'll be back next week for the Saudi Cup!
This week, we are completely, 100% prepared to take on the Pegasus previews. Seriously, we did our homework, we looked at every single horse before recording, all sorts of things one does when they prepare! We promise. This is definitely true.
We go over all the Pegasus races, and Mara is done with Nini. There are several tangents, lots of laughter, and we talk about what's coming soon on The Morning Line, too!
Right before the racing year starts, we have a nice, non-scripted conversation with the Steward to kick off the new SIM year. We talk about the best of Year 56, how the SIM got started, changes that lie ahead, the dreaded gallop threshold adjustment, and a whole lot more. It's a good time from top to bottom, with a lot of laughs and as usual, the train does come off the tracks a little!
Welcome to the final installment of this year's Steward's Cup extravaganza! Newly energized, the hosts go over all of Friday's races at a breakneck pace. Races are previewed, picks are made, and we joke about our own horses for a bit of a laugh. Good times are had.
Good luck to all entries, and thank you for listening to us this year! We look forward to a great Year 57 ahead.
Turf Sprint: 0:35
Filly and Mare Dirt Mile 4:29
Filly and Mare Turf Sprint: 8:41
Sprint: 12:50
Filly and Mare Turf Mile: 15:34
Dirt Mile: 19:35
Filly and Mare Turf: 24:19
Filly and Mare Sprint: 30:27
Turf Mile: 34:10
Ladies Route: 37:48
Marathon: 42.12
Distaff: 48:26
Turf: 54:02
Classic: 58:36
Steward's Cup week continues as we we attempt to preview a massive amount of races in a short amount of time. The hosts power through feeling less-than-great and review all of Thursday's Juvenile races, putting the spotlight on the stars of tomorrow. As much as we love going off the rails, the train stays en route to its destination for this one!
Filly Turf Dash: 2:31
Turf Dash: 8:22
Fillies Sprint: 12:56
Sprint: 20:17
Fillies Turf: 24:03
Turf: 25:54
Debutante: 29:41
Futurity: 35:26
Bunburette: 37:50
Bunbury: 41:57
Juvenile Fillies: 43:58
Juvenile: 49:59
On this episode of The Morning Line, we take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about what it's been like having a podcast for a whole SIM year, and we also talk about the All-Weather Steward's Cup races! The train stays mostly on the tracks for this one, but we can't help but take a couple (a lot) of shots at our old co-host, Dylan. Most of our takes are lukewarm at best, but we also say a few words to pay tribute to one of the greatest SIMsters to ever do it, Scott Eiland. We'll always love you, Scott.
This week on The Morning Line, we sit down to preview one of the SIM's most prestigious and history-rich races, the Arc. Nini shares a tale about an Arc from the SIM's past and wants to move to Canada; Mara claims she's edgy and complains about the weather. Tangents definitely happen. We don't go too far off topic though, and every single horse in this star-studded field gets a thorough breakdown before we make our picks.
This week on The Morning Line, Nini and Mara preview the Chimborazo while feeling guilty about neglecting the other 24 G1 thoroughbred races that week. But alas, the richest turf sprint race in the SIM is upon us, so it's time for it to take the spotlight as the shiniest star in the game this week! We review all the horses, make our picks as usual, and of course, bully each other gently.
We're back! After a short break, The Morning Line returns with two dishonorable guests to preview the Midsummer Oaks and Classic as well as the Oceanside Classic! Strap in, because we go farther off the rails than we ever have before! Is The Spa really located in Times Square? What really happened while Tim was in Australia? Why did everyone rib Mara today? If you're not part of our alienated listener base by now, listen in for 90% chaos and 10% us actually covering the races!
Warning: This episode contains strong language.
The Morning Line enters a new era as we record our first podcast without Dylan. We review the Queen’s Plate, Toronto Oaks, and Toronto Mile. Mara schools us on how apparently Toronto should be pronounced without the second T, and Nini is sleepy throughout. An impromptu Trainer of the Year discussion is had, and as always, some banter ensues.
It’s the end of an era on The Morning Line Podcast as the original trio sit down to preview races for the final time. We breeze through the Louisville Classic and Long Island Acorn before previewing the Long Island Classic and making our picks. After, we reflect on how far we’ve come since creating the podcast at the end of Year 55, and then Dylan shares he will be leaving the podcast in the interest of his real-life happenings. As always, bullying ensues.
Nini and Mara will return next week, and we hope to welcome Dylan back on again in the future!
At the midpoint of the year amidst Dylan’s mysterious disappearance, The Steward returns to the Morning Line to answer your burning questions. Why did she change her stance on real-life sires in the game? How does one support their own stallion? Does schooling in the gate or paddock actually do anything? And most importantly, what should you do with a dead body? She answers all these and more, with some hot takes interspersed throughout!
This week, The Morning Line welcomes its first special guest, Tim Matthews! Tim joins us as we discuss and give picks for the Baltimore Distaff, Special, Oaks, and Crown. There's lots of laughter, lots of sarcasm, and lots of picking on one another. What does it feel like to lose the Baltimore Crown with a Derby winner? What does everyone think about Ziggy Stardust's Triple Crown chances? And why is Tim salty about Witted? Join us for this special podcast and find out!
In one of our craziest podcasts yet, we attempt to review all of the Dubai and Louisville races, with some shenanigans along the way. Dylan is mean, Nini is hyper, and Mara’s had enough with both of them. We get a bit crasser and loose-lipped as we try to answer these questions: Are Tim and Dylan trying to kill each other? There’s a horse that transcends time and space? Why is Nini belching? And does a chipmunk joins the podcast? And don’t forget, it’s all in good fun!
In this episode of The Morning Line, our hosts have an in-depth discussion about the SIM's crown jewel, the Louisville Derby. We identify prevalent trends, discuss every horse entered in this year's race, and we present some fun facts at the end! Mara also tests Nini and Dylan's Derby knowledge. Analysis, trivia, and mutual co-host bullying all occur. What more could you want?
This week on The Morning Line, we're efficient and organized as we preview the Saudi Cup races and the week for TCT races. Except, not really. The train gets derailed again, but only a little bit! We share a lot of laughs on this episode as we get ever-closer to the Week 6 extravaganza that awaits us. Happy racing!
This week on The Morning Line, our tired and banged-up hosts talk about some of last week's TCT happenings and then talk about this week's races, including some heavy favorites that are sure to waltz in their Year 56 debuts. Do we have it all figured out, or will there be some upsets ahead of us?
In our most chaotic episode yet, Nini, Mara, and Dylan are the epitome of poise and professionalism as we preview the Pegasus races and go over the Week 2 TCT races. (Except not really). We promise that despite what it seems, no one was under the influence of anything - except for maybe increased endorphins from buying Stewardbreds! We go off topic, have a wild time, and the train is derailed more than once. But hey, it was fun!
The second episode of Year 56 is full of questions. Where's Tamara, and who's Mara Jade? Why doesn't Dylan know who Giacomo is? Who does everyone have in their Triple Crown Trail stables? And is one of Dave Matthews Band's best sons also his uncle?! In this episode, we answer all these questions and review the Week 1 Triple Crown Trail races!
Happy New Year! Welcome to our first podcast for Year 56! In this episode, we welcome a very special guest, The Steward! We talk about 8.1 updates, and then she answers questions submitted by our listeners. What goes into winning a race? How do we avoid bounces? What's the deal with the future of Steward-breds? And maybe most importantly, why do guys suck?
Greetings fake horse racing fans! We're baaaack! (With better audio quality, too!)
In this epic episode, Nini, Tamara, and Dylan preview EVERY Steward's Cup Thursday/Friday race. We begin by rapid fire previewing the majority of the races before presenting full previews for the Juvenile, Juvenile Fillies, Turf Sprint, Sprint, Turf Mile, Distaff, Turf, and Classic! Time stamps can be found below. Good luck to everyone running in the Steward's Cup, and thank you for listening! We'll see you soon!
Filly Turf Dash: 2:20
Turf Dash: 4:29
Juvenile Fillies Sprint: 6:14
Juvenile Sprint: 7:17
Juvenile Fillies Turf: 9:00
Juvenile Turf: 10:51
Debutante: 13:03
Futurity: 15:19
Bunburette: 17: 26
Bunbury: 19:57
Filly and Mare Dirt Mile: 23:00
Filly and Mare Turf Sprint: 25:35
Filly and Mare Turf Mile: 27:58
Dirt Mile: 30:22
Filly and Mare Turf: 33:35
Filly and Mare Sprint: 37:18
Ladies Route: 40:22
Marathon: 43:41
Juvenile Fillies: 47:50
Juvenile: 1:07:34
Turf Sprint: 1:17:59
Sprint: 1:29:38
Turf Mile: 1:40:50
Distaff: 1:51:38
Turf: 2:07:00
Classic: 2:17.37
In the inaugural episode, our co-hosts introduce themselves, the podcast, and review four Steward's Cup Monday races. (Yes, only four. Some unforeseen events in our personal lives put a time restraint on us. We're sorry!)
Tamara previews the Steward's Cup Synthetic Mile and Distaff, Nini previews the Steward's Cup Synthetic Classic, and Dylan previews Steward's Cup Steeplechase.
Good luck to all Steward's Cup contestants this week!