Entering my first races

Angela Dee Cochran · Post by **Angela Dee Cochran** » 18 years ago

In the races, when your new how do you know what races are best to enter your horses in and how to have your horses handled? Is it try and see untill you understand or is there a place I can become more educated?

Jolene Danner · Post by **Jolene Danner** » 18 years ago

You can look at the sire and dam and see what distance and surface they liked to run at and on. When deciding on Jockey instructions if you don't know or have an idea you can just let the horse decide. I like to try to guess and if i'm wrong oh well. LOL

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

Check out the "Explanation of Conditions" link on the main page. That will tell you what to enter. Good rule is to put all non-winners (maidens) in Maiden or Maiden Claimer races. If the horse has a win or two, see what type of race he/she won and race in the same condition. If the horse is bad, stick to Claimers and Maiden Claimers.

Also, be careful to race your horses sapringly (every other week AT THE MOST) and also run them at the same track, or at least nearby. Shipping a horse from Cali to Florida to Cali to New York over the course of 4 races is not a good idea.

Lots of variables...just try different things and keep track of what works and what doesn't.

Daryl

Angela Dee Cochran · Post by **Angela Dee Cochran** » 18 years ago

Whats a good number of horses to start out with? I saw someone saying something about having 30 horses? I have 12, but I just started. Is that ok for at first or should I get more? I dont want to get too many and get in over my head LOL!

Thanks
Angela

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

Stables run the gamut from large to small; Laura Ferguson (192 horses), Daryl (283 horses) and I (114 horses) probably have the largest at the moment, but most operations are significantly smaller.

Susie Rydell · Post by **Susie Rydell** » 18 years ago

Stable size is really about personal preference - how many horses you have the time for, etc. My original plan was to keep my stable small. Then I remembered that I have no life and this is the most addictive game on the face of the earth... so I have just under 50 at the moment

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

And for the record, I am a total idiot for having so many horses

That said, it will be great to earn lots of early money so I can try to compete long-term with the Sim's best trainers.

About 100-125 are mares or yearlings, and many of the 4 yr olds are just race fillers. The 125 actual runners will be tough for me to manage properly.

My strategy when I started was to focus on nabbing well-bred mares to build for the future. Focus your runners on Maiden Calimers and Claimers. You will be fine with 12 horses, though as you make money, and the Steward keeps adding cheap horses to the sale page, you will have no problem adding horses. Pick a number and stick to it better than I have

Daryl

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

I have 130 horses at the moment. I nabbed horses off the sale page if I thought they could soon earn back what they cost. However, I bought a bunch of 2 y/os with untried SIM sires for $500 each- and many earned that back or at least had running lines that showed they could with a few equipment changes. A few look like they will be highly competitive stakes horses. But few of them may not be worthwhile, so I'm pretty happy. I've never owned so many good horses before, haha. I also have a bunch of broodmares that I just couldn't resist, but most of my stable is composed of racers. I love my horses B)