How often should I run my horses?
There are 16 weeks in the SIM year. Horses with talent should run a maximum of 7 times in those 16 weeks to be effective. Lower level horses may run up to 8 times per year. It is not advisable to run a horse in back-to-back weeks, however, it can be done, it just increases the risk of injury. Tiredness allowances are made for horses competing in a race series, such as the Triple Crown, Two-Year-Old Turf Triple, etc, where a horse must run in back to back weeks. Two-year-olds should not make as many starts as older horses in a year, so 4 - 5 starts is most effective for two-year-olds.

Where should I run my horse?
You may run your horse at any track, however, shipping from track to track and especially shipping overseas takes energy out of the horse. Resting at a farm helps to replenish energy.

Maiden - A race for a horse who has never won a race before.

Claiming - These are races are for horses at the bottom of the talent pool. There are different levels of claiming races. The higher the level, the higher the claiming price. Prices can range from $5,000 - $100,000. All horses in a claiming race are for sale.

Starter Allowance: The horse must have run in a claiming race in its last start.

Allowance - A race for a horse who has broken its maiden and is not stakes-ready, or perhaps prepping for a certain important race. This is a good option for horses coming off a layoff as well.

Non-Winner of 2 Races lifetime (NW2) - A race for a horse who has never won two races in its life. There are also NW3 Lifetime races and NW4 lifetime races, although these can only be sponsored and won't be carded by the computer.

Stakes - A race for top-level horses running for the biggest purses. Stakes can have a grade of either 1 (the highest) 2 or 3, or be "ungraded" also known as a "listed stakes."