Racing Calendar

[Entry Clerk]

Within the racing year there are around:

5400 QH races
5500 Paint races
5400 Appy races
2500 SB Pacer races
2900 SB Trotter races

Are you happy with the balance of things within each division?
What would players like to see more or less of?

[Diane Townsend]

The total number of mixers of racing age would help.

A couple of years ago Laura F did a very in depth study of mixer stakes races and had a number of suggestions to add extra races. I think most were implemented but maybe not all. So those threads (currently on page 3 of this topic) would be a decent place to start.

[Tammy Stawicki]

I only race paints so can't speak for all breeds, but I feel like allowance races are an area where I often wish there were more of.

[Angela Perry]

A consistent schedule of age restricted NW would be huge!

[Phil Furlong]

I know this is slightly off topic, but I continue to argue that the number of muddy/sloppy mixer races is wholly disproportionate to the higher number of “loves mud” horses that are foaled in the sim. Within mixers,I have mudders who go 4-5 weeks between races as I don’t want to destroy their confidence. This is very different than with TB’s, where finding an “off” track is rarely a problem.

Also, I concur with Angela Perry, the number of age restricted NW races is insufficient.

[Phil Furlong]

Bump…..keep the dialogue going!

[Phil Furlong]

Refreshing this post .....no more comments or suggestions for the Entry Clerk?

[Hope Bentley]

Muddy tracks are either everywhere all at once for some breeds or rare. Especially if it’s just listed stakes races that would be handy. One of my QH 3yo routers I’ve had to sponsor all but one if his races this year. Same thing with a stakes running Appy router I have. I have a heap of mud only loving horses. Always turn out to be my stakes horses of course

I’m also wondering why is there more paint races? When there is usually more QHs?

[Diane Townsend]

Emily said in a race call many years ago, that they spent many hours or days studying real life weather for each track location, so while they are randomized they do mirror the real life locations for each track at particular times of the year.

[Hope Bentley]

The wet tacks are often not a problem because I have always found a track with wet to sponsor the race usually a listed stakes or higher for the wt st the time. So in the case of my 3yo QH router there has been wet tracks most weeks for me to sponsor stakes every second week for him. But no stakes at all other wise I’d not sponsor them. But maybe that’s the plan more gps are obviously spent getting those wet stakes I want

[Angela Perry]

QH - 5,863 yearlings
Paint - 4,380 yearlings
Appy - 5,009 yearlings
SB Pacer - 2,416 yearlings
SB Trotter - 2,639 yearlings

QH - 5,714 2yo
Paint - 4,397 2yo
Appy - 5,083 2yo
SB Pacer - 2,479 2yo
SB Trotter - 2,508 2yo

Assuming 12 horses per race and 7 races per year, and an equal distribution of sprint/mid/route racers, a breed with a 1,000-foal crop would need roughly 500 2yo races (that takes into account the later start dates for mids and routers), 580 for 3yo, and at least that again for the 3 and up/4 and up crowd. So, if you estimate the races per 1000 horses at 1,660 per year, which I think is a pretty low estimate for the older horses, then it should be more like;
9,500 QH races
7,100 Paint races
8,300 Appy races
4,000 SB Pacer races
4,200 SB Trotter races

Granted not every horse deserves to race, and I only gathered 2 years of foal data, and a lot of players breed more foals than they ever intend to race, but my point is that I don't think anyone will have their feelings hurt if you give us more races in every division of mixers.

Edit*
Did we leave out Arabians on purpose? They have 2,546 yearlings and 2,393 2yo. So, they'd need 4,000 races.

[Entry Clerk]

Thank you all for the comments.
As Diane suggested I have also looked at page 3 to find the work of Laura Ferguson and other helpful comments and hyperlinks.
I will add some races for Year 66 and try to balance things out but I will not be reckless and The Steward will always have the final say on what I do.

[Tammy Fox]

I would love to see more maiden races for both arabian sprinters and routers for 3 year olds of both genders. I had a hard time this year finding very many maiden 3yo sprint or routing races for the arabians in the first half of the year.

[Jack Ryder]

QH - 5,863 yearlings
Paint - 4,380 yearlings
Appy - 5,009 yearlings
SB Pacer - 2,416 yearlings
SB Trotter - 2,639 yearlings

QH - 5,714 2yo
Paint - 4,397 2yo
Appy - 5,083 2yo
SB Pacer - 2,479 2yo
SB Trotter - 2,508 2yo

Assuming 12 horses per race and 7 races per year, and an equal distribution of sprint/mid/route racers, a breed with a 1,000-foal crop would need roughly 500 2yo races (that takes into account the later start dates for mids and routers), 580 for 3yo, and at least that again for the 3 and up/4 and up crowd. So, if you estimate the races per 1000 horses at 1,660 per year, which I think is a pretty low estimate for the older horses, then it should be more like;
9,500 QH races
7,100 Paint races
8,300 Appy races
4,000 SB Pacer races
4,200 SB Trotter races

Granted not every horse deserves to race, and I only gathered 2 years of foal data, and a lot of players breed more foals than they ever intend to race, but my point is that I don't think anyone will have their feelings hurt if you give us more races in every division of mixers.

Edit*
Did we leave out Arabians on purpose? They have 2,546 yearlings and 2,393 2yo. So, they'd need 4,000 races.

This^

maybe we can do the same for all weather too.

[Tom Lin]

I enter a fair amount of trotters and it seems after a horse wins it's maiden there aren't enough nw2 or nw3 races sometimes. Usually later in the year.
I also think it would be beneficial from entering point of view, that each race day(2) has at minimum at least one condition claimer for each of the low, mid and higher levels. With consideration given to racing age.
e.g. mdn clm @ $2,500clm, $16,000clm and $32,000clm, nw2 clm @ $2,500clm, $16,000clm and $32,000clm, nw3 clm @ $2,500clm, $16,000clm and $32,000clm, nw4 clm @ $2,500clm, $16,000clm and $32,000clm, nw5 clm @ $2,500clm, $16,000clm and $32,000clm.... open clm @ $2,500clm, $16,000clm and $32,000clm