Hopeless Stakes is back!

[Gigi Gofaster]

It's not open yet, but here we go!

https://www.simhorseracing.com/race.php?RaceID=1424082

As I can;t actually restrict it at entry to NW in 20 starts, please let me know by PM if you see horses entered that don't meet the criteria and I will try to persuade them to scratch. I also have some eligible horses to lease if people are trying to find entrants, but I thought I'd give folks tome to claim out or this weeks races , or pick up and freshen up something from Jaysman. At first glance this one is sitting over there:

https://www.simhorseracing.com/horse.php?HorseID=903748

[Dylan Christensen]

Just submitted the claim for mine

[Troy Gallant I]

Thanks again Gigi...appreciate you doing this every year.

Too late for this year, but perhaps next season, I'll follow your lead and sponsor a similar race for pacers.

[Gigi Gofaster]

Well, I've messaged all of those who have horses in the race who are not maidens. Samuel and Ross haven't picked up their messages yet, so if anyone knows them please give them a nudge. I messaged Dustin this morning, so hopefully he will scratch. Justin just ignored my request regarding his two entries. I'm extremely disappointed.

[Troy Gallant I]

Me too. I've never minded putting up the $1000 entry fee when racing against all maidens, but when there are even 1 or 2 winners entered as well, it almost makes it like throwing (fake) money away.

Unless we can finagle Em to somehow allow a race with these kinds of "different" conditions, then we run this risk. It's definitely going to make me think twice about sponsoring a similar race for pacers next season.

[Gigi Gofaster]

Justin kindly scratched his horses - got my message but just forgot to do it but it's done now. Dennis scratched, Ross still hasn't opened my message. Samuel, well...

I sent him this message (the exact same one I sent to everyone else):

Subject: Sams Sweet Dancer

Would you mind scratching your horse from the Hopeless Stakes? It’s intended for horses that are still maidens after 20 starts...

Thanks!

And this is what I got back:

Subject: Sams Sweet Dancer

If you hadn't used three dots at the end of your message (attitude)
I would have gladly done so.

Have a nice day.

Well I'm pretty sure Sam's not throwing attitude with 'have a nice day' either, but since he isn't prepared to enter into the spirit of the race since I dared to present him with an ellipsis, and since he's quite prepared to fleece his fellow players of a bit of purse money to take a shot at me in a race I paid real money to sponsor even though I have bat's ass chance of winning with my endless maiden duds (which I have also offered to lease out to anyone who wanted to run in the race - I think I still have a couple eligible horses available or I will lease the ones I entered), here's what I propose:

Any horse that is bumped down by Sam's (or Ross's if I can't reach him before the race runs), I will 'top up' prize money so it doesn't affect the financial outcome for anyone. So, if Sam's horse is fourth, the fifth and sixth placed horses I will send the difference in the prize money for their horses that they would have won had Sam chosen a different approach to the game and scratched his horse. There's nothing I can do if Sam's horse steals a sentimental win from a hopeless warhorse, but at least I can minimize the financial side.

Oh and Pitt the Elder, this one's for you...we miss you buddy.

[Dylan Christensen]

Justin kindly scratched his horses - got my message but just forgot to do it but it's done now. Dennis scratched, Ross still hasn't opened my message. Samule, well...

I sent him this message (the exact same one I sent to everyone else):

Subject: Sams Sweet Dancer

Would you mind scratching your horse from the Hopeless Stakes? It’s intended for horses that are still maidens after 20 starts...

Thanks!

And this is what I got back:

Subject: Sams Sweet Dancer

If you hadn't used three dots at the end of your message (attitude)
I would have gladly done so.

Have a nice day.

Well I'm pretty sure Sam's not throwing attitude with 'have a nice day' either, but since he isn't prepared to enter into the spirit of the race since I dared to present him with an ellipsis, and since he's quite prepared to fleece his fellow players of a bit of purse money to take a shot at me in a race I paid real money to sponsor even though I have bat's ass chance of winning with my endless maiden duds (which I have also offered to lease out to anyone who wanted to run in the race - I think I still have a couple eligible horses available or I will lease the ones I entered), here's what I propose:

Any horse that is bumped down by Sam's (or Ross's if I can't reach him before the race runs), I will 'top up' prize money so it doesn't affect the financial outcome for anyone. So, if Sam's horse is fourth, the fifth and sixth placed horses I will send the difference in the prize money for their horses that they would have won had Sam chosen a different approach to the game and scratched his horse. There's nothing I can do if Sam's horse steals a sentimental win from a hopeless warhorse, but at least I can minimize the financial side.

Oh and Pitt the Elder, this one's for you...we miss you buddy.

It sucks that people are like this. You are doing a great thing for the community and people decide they'd like to mess with it for absolutely no reason. On top of sponsoring this you are now compensating people for others ruining your fun event. If you haven't already contacted Em maybe she can scratch the horses? It's just sad that people have to be like this...

[Gigi Gofaster]

Sadly, I don't think Em can really scratch his horses as there isn't any technical way to set specific conditions like the Hopeless, so entering int he spirit of the race is purely voluntary - although this is the first year there's been any pushback from an entrant with a non-maiden. I did ask Em if there might be a way to add these conditions in Sim 8 as I'd love to see more ways to reward those people that hang on to horses hoping for that random slide improvement, keep throwing the hats of their hard knocking claimers into whatever ring they can find, and hang on to these sentimental lovelies even when they can't ever get their nose in front. It would also be nice to be able to sponsor more 'claiming cup' type stakes races as those are always popular and reward those who have risked their middle of the road horses in claimers hoping the rest of us don't spot them! So much of the Sim focuses on big players with big horses, but this is about the grassroots players and horses of the game and throwing a few goodies their way. Next year I'm looking at lining up dirt, AW and turf sprint TB options as those horses typically get retired young (I'm terribly guilty of that myself) and I'd love to see more of them have an incentive to keep going and earn some money even if they can't win.

[Polk Buffalo]

I had no idea that three dots meant (attitude).
I apologize to all people that I have offended during the years...

[Polk Buffalo]

Apologize again.

[Darcy McBride]

Justin kindly scratched his horses - got my message but just forgot to do it but it's done now. Dennis scratched, Ross still hasn't opened my message. Samuel, well...

I sent him this message (the exact same one I sent to everyone else):

Subject: Sams Sweet Dancer

Would you mind scratching your horse from the Hopeless Stakes? It’s intended for horses that are still maidens after 20 starts...

Thanks!

And this is what I got back:

Subject: Sams Sweet Dancer

If you hadn't used three dots at the end of your message (attitude)
I would have gladly done so.

Have a nice day.

Well I'm pretty sure Sam's not throwing attitude with 'have a nice day' either, but since he isn't prepared to enter into the spirit of the race since I dared to present him with an ellipsis, and since he's quite prepared to fleece his fellow players of a bit of purse money to take a shot at me in a race I paid real money to sponsor even though I have bat's ass chance of winning with my endless maiden duds (which I have also offered to lease out to anyone who wanted to run in the race - I think I still have a couple eligible horses available or I will lease the ones I entered), here's what I propose:

Any horse that is bumped down by Sam's (or Ross's if I can't reach him before the race runs), I will 'top up' prize money so it doesn't affect the financial outcome for anyone. So, if Sam's horse is fourth, the fifth and sixth placed horses I will send the difference in the prize money for their horses that they would have won had Sam chosen a different approach to the game and scratched his horse. There's nothing I can do if Sam's horse steals a sentimental win from a hopeless warhorse, but at least I can minimize the financial side.

Oh and Pitt the Elder, this one's for you...we miss you buddy.

What a load of horse.... I never heard anything so ridiculous in my life. I use the "dots" all the time and have never once had anyone tell me I had an attitude and was offended.

It is so sad when people act like that. This is a game. It is supposed to be fun to play. I guess I'll never understand why some folk have such a chip on their shoulder and take everything as an insult to them personally.

I don't even have an old 20+ starts Maiden STB, but I get a kick out of watching these races and rooting for them. I hold on to older horses too sometimes, hoping for that upgrade, or just a maiden win.

Best of luck to all in the race. The ones that should be entered, anyway!

P.S. Polk.....please feel free to continue offending me as often as possible.......

[Erica Olson]

It’s so easy to read online messages the wrong way, because you can’t tell the person’s attitude, tone of voice, expression, etc. What BS to assume someone has an “attitude” based on a few punctuation marks and then get so worked up about it that you ruin the race for everyone else! I just hope that all legitimate entrants will get to race, since the race is over full at the moment.

[Gigi Gofaster]

I did contact Em and I think she added two spots so at least people didn’t get bumped by the two non maidens. I would love to keep Nite Fishing in just because she’s sentimental to me but I scratched Trot Jakeline to get Flizan’s horse in.

[Gary Mannion]

I also scratched one of my entries so Marc's horse would make it in. It's such a shame that people have this attitude toward a game. Thanks again Gigi for this awesome idea. Maybe in Sim 8.0 we will have the chance to prevent this childish behavior from happening.

[Polk Buffalo]

Actually it made stumble upon a very interesting article about the ellipsis ... or … or even . . . and the debate as to whether there should be a fourth dot if … ends a sentence. It turns out that books have been written on the matter. In russian (or spanish), if the ellipsis ends a question it should be written ?..
I suppose professors try to determine a correct way of when to write ... but usually it is just for "drifting off", leaving a loose end or just a written 'erm'.