I'm Glad I Found You II

Original article written by Regina Moore posted 8 years 0 weeks ago

Newbie player James Baker recently posted a lovely little article called "I'm Glad I Found You". Like a lot of recent newbies, he's been quite textually articulate in expressing his early experiences in SIM.

This is my 19th game year. After so many game years, one would expect some jadedness to set in about SIM. In some ways, there has been. I've got a "stakes" dirt route yearling galloper? Big whoop. I know how unlikely it is that it's going to amount to anything in that super tough division.

Mostly, though, I make a point of keeping jadedness at bay, by switching things around to keep myself interested and amused. For example, I've been very disciplined in keeping my stable population in check, because I've seen so many players suddenly get negative about the game, because they're overwhelmed with too many horses. I might have 200 broodmares, but breed only 150. That sort of thing. Last year, I let myself cut loose and bred all the mares I was interested in keeping, in the name of doing something different, and that amounted to 370 foals. I bred some mares to Game Point-sired studs that I stood, despite less than outstanding racetrack credentials, but nicked decently, because I wanted to see how those bloodlines on the sire side would impact my herd. I also bred a mare who couldn't nick higher than a C, in the name of further experimenting. Of course, both these experiments are long-term endeavors. I intend to be around for a long, long time.

A couple of game years ago, I was so busy managing my stable, that it wasn't until close to the end of the season that it dawned on me that my operation was bereft of any solid, quality horses. I was winning races and earning purse money, but most all my stakes winners were one-shot wonders. Finally, I did get a Quarter Horse Steward's Cup winner the final week of the game year, but it was still pretty pathetic that he was the only horse, of over 500 I'd raced, that earned as much as 200k during the season.

I suppose, for some players, who have a blah season like the above, they start thinking about quitting. That's something that I don't ever contemplate. One bad season means that it's more than likely that the next will be better. There's a saying in racing that, "No one ever committed suicide who has an unraced two-year-old in their barn." The sport of horse racing, by its nature, exists on the concept of hope for the future.

I've always supported the SIM by purchasing as many game points as I can afford, each Game Point and a Half Day. I like to be liberal in buying headshots, but insist that, if not a Grade 1 stakes winner or stallion standing stud, the horse at least attain some unique milestone for my stable, in order to earn a graphic. Suddenly, this season, I've got three headshots for youngsters that haven't even raced yet. Buying a headshot for an unraced horse -- let alone three of them -- is a new experience for me. I'm fully aware that any, or all, could bomb on the racetrack, however impressive their yearling credentials. I rationalize the purchases in the context of those yearling accomplishments indeed being unique milestones for my stable. Those headshots also suggest that I'm quite optimistic about my stable's future.

I'm not a player who places much importance on yearling workouts, since I give all my youngsters -- all 370 this season -- the same attention and training, regardless of their quality. I race all my own homebreds with the intention that they at least break their maiden by the end of their 4yo season, and don't ever sell youngsters. Nevertheless, it was a quite a moment this weekend to cycle through all the breed/distance divisions for working out my yearlings, and belatedly realize that one of those gorgeous homebreds worked the fastest time in SIM's history for his breed. Oh, my.

SIM, from an 18-year veteran... I'm glad I found you.

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