Separate DS freak thread please

[Joseph Depaulo]

i serioulsy think all us DS players got it up the ..... this year and thats not right i understand that Freaks are a percentage thing but they cant all be in AW with Loyde and DR and a few other divisions something needs to be adjusted because no way some of the biggest DS breeders are coming up empty and dont give me the late bloomer stuff cause by then the DS career is over !!

this needs to be fixed its a total shame!

Gotta get better studs I guess

[Brandon Schultz]

i serioulsy think all us DS players got it up the ..... this year and thats not right i understand that Freaks are a percentage thing but they cant all be in AW with Loyde and DR and a few other divisions something needs to be adjusted because no way some of the biggest DS breeders are coming up empty and dont give me the late bloomer stuff cause by then the DS career is over !!

this needs to be fixed its a total shame!

I agree. I've been telling the steward for years she just needs to completely get rid of gallop comments. They are mostly meaningless anyways. An easy fix would definitely be to just get rid of all freaks so we don't have to worry about it.

[Nicole Marie]

i understand that Freaks are a percentage thing but they cant all be in AW with Loyde and DR and a few other divisions something needs to be adjusted

Wait. Is this a thing? (Genuinely asking.)

I always thought that it was all independent of each other (the stallions and the divisions) but is it a thing where the game will only generate a certain percentage of freaks from a crop and if there's a mega stud in one division that will draw the freak percentage toward that division/that stud at the expense of the others?

If so then yeah that needs to be fixed because there's no reason Lloyd and Still Fire and VoF and the other handful of horses with a higher freak percentage should be impacting other divisions, and I don't want to have to send all my AWS mares to Lloyd for any hope of a freak because the others studs have less likelihood of siring a freak due to Lloyd's existence (I hope Joseph doesn't take offense to this; I have sent Lloyd a couple mares every year so I don't want this to be interpreted as 'hating'). That would also make me less likely to send mares to Pink Lloyd since no daughters of that one could go to LKI.

(If I misunderstood you Xander then I apologize.)

[Laura Ferguson]

i understand that Freaks are a percentage thing but they cant all be in AW with Loyde and DR and a few other divisions something needs to be adjusted

Wait. Is this a thing? (Genuinely asking.)

I always thought that it was all independent of each other (the stallions and the divisions) but is it a thing where the game will only generate a certain percentage of freaks from a crop and if there's a mega stud in one division that will draw the freak percentage toward that division/that stud at the expense of the others?

If so then yeah that needs to be fixed because there's no reason Lloyd and Still Fire and VoF and the other handful of horses with a higher freak percentage should be impacting other divisions, and I don't want to have to send all my AWS mares to Lloyd for any hope of a freak because the others studs have less likelihood of siring a freak due to Lloyd's existence (I hope Joseph doesn't take offense to this; I have sent Lloyd a couple mares every year so I don't want this to be interpreted as 'hating'). That would also make me less likely to send mares to Pink Lloyd since no daughters of that one could go to LKI.

(If I misunderstood you Xander then I apologize.)

No, it is not a thing. That said, some divisions are more mature than others, so they are more likely to generate a foal with a number that would translate to "freak". Dirt routers and turf routers are the prime examples of that. I'm not even sure dirt sprint is having an off year, on a crop-wide basis, although it sounds like some trainers had an off year with their yearling gallops, and that happens to all of us. I can think of any number of top dirt sprint trainers that haven't posted in this thread. It could also be that the random slide didn't pop as much, so there are more stakes than freaks. If fewer people have freaks in a particular crop, then the stakes gallopers will be more competitive (at least until they either meet older horses, or more of those stakes eventually become freaks).

[Lily Wilkins]

I bred two DS horses, so not the biggest pool to pull data from haha. But for what it's worth, I got a Stakes Progressive and a Stakes Late Bloomer. Both foals were out of Grade 1 winning Blue Hen mares (Sirens & Alc Stars a Plenty).

Not gonna lie, I thought my Sirens baby was a slam-dunk Freak when I bred her.

[Nicole Marie]

i understand that Freaks are a percentage thing but they cant all be in AW with Loyde and DR and a few other divisions something needs to be adjusted

Wait. Is this a thing? (Genuinely asking.)

I always thought that it was all independent of each other (the stallions and the divisions) but is it a thing where the game will only generate a certain percentage of freaks from a crop and if there's a mega stud in one division that will draw the freak percentage toward that division/that stud at the expense of the others?

If so then yeah that needs to be fixed because there's no reason Lloyd and Still Fire and VoF and the other handful of horses with a higher freak percentage should be impacting other divisions, and I don't want to have to send all my AWS mares to Lloyd for any hope of a freak because the others studs have less likelihood of siring a freak due to Lloyd's existence (I hope Joseph doesn't take offense to this; I have sent Lloyd a couple mares every year so I don't want this to be interpreted as 'hating'). That would also make me less likely to send mares to Pink Lloyd since no daughters of that one could go to LKI.

(If I misunderstood you Xander then I apologize.)

No, it is not a thing. That said, some divisions are more mature than others, so they are more likely to generate a foal with a number that would translate to "freak". Dirt routers and turf routers are the prime examples of that. I'm not even sure dirt sprint is having an off year, on a crop-wide basis, although it sounds like some trainers had an off year with their yearling gallops, and that happens to all of us. I can think of any number of top dirt sprint trainers that haven't posted in this thread. It could also be that the random slide didn't pop as much, so there are more stakes than freaks. If fewer people have freaks in a particular crop, then the stakes gallopers will be more competitive (at least until they either meet older horses, or more of those stakes eventually become freaks).

Okay, thank you for that because I was going to be mind-blown if it was a thing.

I had wondered if maybe it's just a wild coincidence that several top DS trainers have had 0 freak crops in the same year (whereas if any one of them had a 0 freak year individually it'd be more likely to be chalked up to an off year, and multiple people having off years in the same year makes it look less coincidental than it is.)

[Gwen Morse]

It seems to me that the overall freak count is down in all divisions. 2 seasons ago, I had 5 freaks, last season I had 2 and this season, alas, none. But lots of late bloomers, so there’s always hope.

Best of luck to all!

Is this not what we as a community were kinda wanting? It's been a sim-long battle since I've joined of having lesser and lesser "fake" freaks, stakes, "wow" gallops, whatever you want to call them. I think its maybe an indicator that this shift of gallops more recently is hopefully evening out.

I'm not nearly as present as I should/want to be, so maybe thats just my narrow perspective.

It's not just your perspective. I've spent the past 2 years really digging in and trying to learn how to play the sim (learning breeding, learning to understand the tools like BSA and hypos and the stud book, learning about race placement). I need feedback on whether what I think I understand is good information or not. Especially since I'm also mentoring people. There's no sense in teaching people bad/wrong habits.

I don't want the slider to give me a stakes (or freak) that can't win a maiden. I'd rather have (harsher) gallop results that more accurately reflect the relative quality of my horses compared to their peers in the division than nicer numbers on Festivus.

[Nicole Marie]

I don't want the slider to give me a stakes (or freak) that can't win a maiden. I'd rather have (harsher) gallop results that more accurately reflect the relative quality of my horses compared to their peers in the division than nicer numbers on Festivus.

Yeah, same here.

[John Smith]

It seems to me that the overall freak count is down in all divisions. 2 seasons ago, I had 5 freaks, last season I had 2 and this season, alas, none. But lots of late bloomers, so there’s always hope.

Best of luck to all!

Is this not what we as a community were kinda wanting? It's been a sim-long battle since I've joined of having lesser and lesser "fake" freaks, stakes, "wow" gallops, whatever you want to call them. I think its maybe an indicator that this shift of gallops more recently is hopefully evening out.

I'm not nearly as present as I should/want to be, so maybe thats just my narrow perspective.

I agree here - I think I have seen a noticeable improvement on the horses that improve. which I don't think I was seeing when I first started. I have had a few jump from Alw levels to freak.

But, like I said, having never bred a freak - its undetectable. However the improvement of racers has been detected.

[Gigi Gofaster]

Out of curiosity, I took a look at my top DS studs.

Thrash had 3 freaks last year, none this year, but he does have a SB to go. He has 4 3yo freaks, but I don’t know if some of those were 2yo LBs that jumped.

Rock n roll has 7 3yo freaks, none so far from yearling or 2yo gallops but he has a LOT of yearlings still to gallop so it’s hard to tell.

[Xander Zone]

While Laura says some divisions are more mature then others that is fine but , Myself , Chris barber and Gigi would have to be 3 of the top 5 ds breeders in the sim and not a si gel freak come on !!

That’s like Laura ,Danny and Eric not getting a single dr freak ! This is total bs some of the best ds horses ever in the sim have been in last 5-10 seasons so it is not a going division so that is total bs .
Something was changed or something needs to be cause it bs

[Abby Brooks]

While Laura says some divisions are more mature then others that is fine but , Myself , Chris barber and Gigi would have to be 3 of the top 5 ds breeders in the sim and not a si gel freak come on !!

That’s like Laura ,Danny and Eric not getting a single dr freak ! This is total bs some of the best ds horses ever in the sim have been in last 5-10 seasons so it is not a going division so that is total bs .
Something was changed or something needs to be cause it bs

I'd be really interested in seeing if any of your current stakes progs/stake lbs develop over the span of this sim year into next. I'll set an reminder to ask.

[Joseph Depaulo]

i understand that Freaks are a percentage thing but they cant all be in AW with Loyde and DR and a few other divisions something needs to be adjusted

Wait. Is this a thing? (Genuinely asking.)

I always thought that it was all independent of each other (the stallions and the divisions) but is it a thing where the game will only generate a certain percentage of freaks from a crop and if there's a mega stud in one division that will draw the freak percentage toward that division/that stud at the expense of the others?

If so then yeah that needs to be fixed because there's no reason Lloyd and Still Fire and VoF and the other handful of horses with a higher freak percentage should be impacting other divisions, and I don't want to have to send all my AWS mares to Lloyd for any hope of a freak because the others studs have less likelihood of siring a freak due to Lloyd's existence (I hope Joseph doesn't take offense to this; I have sent Lloyd a couple mares every year so I don't want this to be interpreted as 'hating'). That would also make me less likely to send mares to Pink Lloyd since no daughters of that one could go to LKI.

(If I misunderstood you Xander then I apologize.)

Your good I don’t take anything here to serious. I find it very odd there are so few freak DS this year. That being said I wish there were significantly less freaks in all divisions I would like that when you breed a freak you know you have an elite horse who’s gonna win graded stakes and have a shot at the Sc.

[Brianna McKenzie]

2 stakes.. One from a mare who had thrown 5 allowances in a row and nothing better than that. First time I had bred her. The other came from a mare who's first two foals were freaks.

On the other hand a dirt route freak from a mare I bought for a dollar and is only formidable. Breeding is and always has been a roll of the dice. The cycle will roll over again.

[Art K Stables]

Certainly worse than last year , just 2 stakes neither late bloomer out of 49 and just 14 allow half are lb , 87 TS and 4 stakes and all are LB , all results worse than last year , but I will say LB is definitely a thing as I believe Zibanejad has never had a yearling freak but currently has 10 freaks every one bloomed and it’s certainly happened well before their career was over .. the only thing I would add is it would be great to know the game adjusted something because then every one is in the same boat and treat your stakes like freaks and your allowance like stakes and like magic !!! It’s all good to go ! I have enough freaks that are already FINOs I am just not going to worry about it.. I don’t understand that if other divisions got more freaks how that has a thing to do with how your horse will fare against those in the same division