I am new here...

Dave Shields · Post by **Dave Shields** » 18 years ago

... so how about some advice.

Eric Nalbone · Post by **Eric Nalbone** » 18 years ago

Advice, let's see. First off, take this with a grain of salt. My gameplay stratgy has always been focused on breeding stellar horses to make up for my refusal/inability to master the nuances of training horses in this game, so my helpful tips are pretty much geared to that. If you want more training-specific tips, wait for a better trainer to come along and answer your question; I just work on the philosophy that if the horse is fast enough I won't be able to * it up.

1) A really, really, really good filly is worth its weight in gold.

2) A really, really, really good colt is not worth its weight in gold, because when it retires, its retired and your not likely to recoup long-term benefits from it. That said, its a lot of fun to win the Kentucky Derby, Breeders' Cup Class, Dubai World Cup, etc., and that generally requires a few colts, once you have mares good enough to produce them.

3) Breed along established lines in an attempt to replicate previously successful crosses. This will make more sense when you have a few broodmares and are looking for stallions to cross them with.
3a) Pay some attention to horse pedigrees, especially with the horses that win important races. Generally, something is right with the pedigrees of those horses, and there are distinct patterns to pick up on, though they can take a while to notice.

4) Don't over-race horses. Years ago, when the SIM-year spanned 12 real weeks, a general rule of thumb was 4-5 races per horse per year. The year is apparently being expanded to 16 real weeks, so that translates to anywhere from 4-7 races, with 5 or 6 per year being the most likely. A tired horse won't perform well, and is more likely to break down.

5) Ask for help. The game is somewhat addictive, and there are plenty of people around that are willing to help answer questions, just ask. The breeding forum is my particular hangout of choice.

-Eric Nalbone

IsaP · Post by **IsaP** » 18 years ago

And sometimes, experimentation is nice, too. Else, I wouldn't have gotten Change the Stars. But, read your stallion stats, do your homework. Best crop I ever had involved over 100 hours of checking and back checking of all my breeding. And I STILL had plenty duds (I think that was Change's crop.. she was a shot in the dark).

#1 rule - No yelling at Em! But, I don't think I have to worry about that with you..

Other than that, ask ask ask ask ask ask ask. We'll all answer questions. We're good for that!

And I put my 2 yr olds on a 4 week training schedule. Race then give 3 weeks off. My older horses go on a 3 week schedule. The only time I break that routine is for the 'triple crown' races. After big races, IE: Dubai (MONSTER RACE), Triple Crown, Breeder's Cup, I'll give 2 weeks off, even if it disrupts my schedule. Just use common sense here. Your horse has just run his/her all. Racing him the next week might not be a good idea.

And listen to Em's subtle hints, cause they fall out sometimes when you're least expecting them.

Yeah.. that's about all I know.

Ara Davies · Post by **Ara Davies** » 18 years ago

At first I went "4 to 5 times a year? Why would I only be able to race 4 to 5 times a year?" Then I realized this is Eric talking, owner of horses made of glass. *g* I ran all of mine every other week and sometimes ran them in back-to-back weeks. I bred soundness into my stable on purpose and most of those horses are rock solid. As I told Em, you could jump up and down on Atlas's and Sports Jersey's legs and it wouldn't hurt them a bit. So my advice for new players is try to stick with the soundest horses you can. Leave the unsound horses for when you know what you're doing because it is easy to mess them up.

Also as Eric said, a good broodmare is worth her weight in gold. There's a reason all five of my racers I kept are mares. And a reason that all of them trace to Rain Dancer.

Steph Wilder · Post by **Steph Wilder** » 18 years ago

And a reason why Map should not be bred to Atlas. *halo*

Ronda Figal · Post by **Ronda Figal** » 18 years ago

Man are u in for the time of your life.. this game is simply aweosme..The big thing is to be patient..even though we are starting over the older players(also a lot of the top players) will be returning with top quality stock..They have spent years getting there most of the time, it dosen"t happin overnight...and BIG TIME DO NOT OVERRACE YOUR BABIES..most of mine i was looking at had like 2 or 3 races for their 2yr season.. as long as u stay away from of the fragiler lines(Silver Charm comes to mind)u can step up their program as they mature..and broodmares make or break your stable in my opinion...breed the best u have to the best u can get..ask for help on crossing lines.. just like in real life some cross better than others...
ronda

Daryl Dennis · Post by **Daryl Dennis** » 18 years ago

I dove into the game at an interesting time. Just as a few major owners were leaving, and right before a huge influx of new players. In addition to getting extremely lucky with my timing, I made sure to gather paychecks whenever I could. To that end, I looked for short fields in stakes and allowance races, and also focused on running claimers and races restricted to new owners.

A win is a win, especially when you are brand new. So, celebrate...even if it is in a newbie-restricted maiden claimer.

When getting horses, follow Eric's advice: focus on getting females with good bloodlines. When you have built up a decent band of broodmares, do your research and don't be afraid to ask questions. Most of us are big mouths. Then, find good sire deals and jump all over them. Don't even think about breeding to some 100k+ sire in your first season or two. Your mares probably won't be the quality to guarantee a monster baby, so you need to focus on quantity.

Also, make sure you buy horses at the occasional auctions and dispersals. Even the cheaper horses will be solid, so make sure you take advantage of that. This is the main area where earning money in short stakes and allowance fields will really help.

Daryl

Ronda Figal · Post by **Ronda Figal** » 18 years ago

very true.. every single paycheck is a dollar more to go twords imnproving your breedng stock..And the best horse i have(a Stakes winner) was a filly i bought at one of Em's Yealing sales for a mesely $10,000.

Dave Shields · Post by **Dave Shields** » 18 years ago

Wow, this is great! Thank you all for your input. I am sure I will be asking lots of questions along the way. I am what you would call a novice at horse racing and some things will be flying over my head, but I will do my best to understand.

Keep the advice coming! B)

Post by **The Steward** » 18 years ago

He may be a novice at horse racing... but he started following Giacomo out about 6 months before the horse ever worked... I'd watch out for this guy! He's shrewd!

IsaP · Post by **IsaP** » 18 years ago

Ronda Figal wrote: very true.. every single paycheck is a dollar more to go twords imnproving your breedng stock..And the best horse i have(a Stakes winner) was a filly i bought at one of Em's Yealing sales for a mesely $10,000.

And the best horse i have(a Stakes winner) was a filly i bought at one of Em's Yealing sales for a mesely $10,000.

Heh.. my first million-dollar horse (and my personal favorite) was a terrible dirt horse named Tropicaldepression for the tune of $7500.

Eric Nalbone · Post by **Eric Nalbone** » 18 years ago

Ara Davies wrote: So my advice for new players is try to stick with the soundest horses you can. Leave the unsound horses for when you know what you're doing because it is easy to mess them up.

That is certainly "sound" advice for a new player.

That said, there were some brilliantly fast, unbelievably fragile horses that I've dealt with; the rewards are there if you can deal with the fragility of the horse. But yeah, Ara's right, look for solid horses, you'll get a feel for that kind of stuff very quickly.

-Eric

Ronda Figal · Post by **Ronda Figal** » 18 years ago

"Heh.. my first million-dollar horse (and my personal favorite) was a terrible dirt horse named Tropicaldepression for the tune of $7500. "

i can always hope she keeps improving and i have her half sister in the wings as well....

Mandy Saunders · Post by **Mandy Saunders** » 18 years ago

The Steward wrote: He may be a novice at horse racing... but he started following Giacomo out about 6 months before the horse ever worked... I'd watch out for this guy! He's shrewd!

Only because I pointed him out

*pokes Ekawa*

Emily Loveridge · Post by **Emily Loveridge** » 18 years ago

I'm also new, and I have a breeding question: Is the mares pedigree or race record more important for success?