THe News - July 2011 Issue
This months features:
Tips and Tricks, Which Offspring Will Be Your Next Champion, Stud Fee versus Rate of Return, Job Offers at The News!
By Tudor
To find the right distance for starting a yearling, start training them at the sires AWD and work up or down from there based on the best performance of the dam.
Always time a yearling sometime during the month on Turf to see if they have a chance of running on this surface in advance.
When first starting out in this game, save money! Buy cheap claimers and pocket what money they make for buying or breeding a great yearling.
Make friends. Friends in this game are more likely to help you get a nice horse to earn money with when you first arrive.
Internet Courtesy goes a long way to making this game fun for you. Always remember that.
According to how we are told the game is programmed, a broodmares second and third foal receive a “Progressive Foal Bonus.” The exact amount of this bonus is unknown to players. After a broodmares third foal, the "bonus" is supposed to disappear, and the likelihood of having a truly high quality offspring is supposed to gradually decline with each successive foal.
We decided to check out the real effect of this bonus by taking a look at some horses. Last week we checked the current top 20 Thoroughbreds and top 20 Quarter Horses to determine what offspring number they are.
What we found may change some of your thoughts about breeding. Here are the results:
Top 20 Thoroughbreds:
Number that were the 1st foal: 1
Number that were the 2nd foal: 2
Number that were the 3rd foal: 8
Number that were the 4th foal: 4
Number that were the 5th foal: 5
Top 20 Quarter Horses:
Number that were the 1st foal: 3
Number that were the 2nd foal: 5
Number that were the 3rd foal: 5
Number that were the 4th foal: 1
Number that were the 5th foal: 3
Number that were the 6th foal:2
Number that were the 7th foal: 1
So, what conclusions can be drawn from this analysis? Here are some thoughts, although you are free to disagree or draw your own conclusions:
1. The first foal of a broodmare is less likely to be a great runner than the 2nd or 3rd offspring. Therefore, you might want avoid using an expensive sire for the first foal.
2. The most likely offspring to be a “champion” overall appears to be the 3rd foal, which accounted for 32% of the horses in this survey.
3. The 5th foals had surprisingly good results, accounting for 20% of the horses surveyed. Some stables may want to rethink how long they keep their broodmares.
4. There is no crystal clear pattern. In other words, we are not able conclude from this small survey that a broodmares effectiveness goes up or down any certain specific percentage after each foal. This is not surprising, since there are so many other factors involved that influence studies like this such as sires used, quality of broodmares, stable breeding practices and sheer coincidence. Still, this study does help provide some insight and things for you to think about for the upcoming breeding season.
Good luck, and Happy Breeding!!!!
Stud Fee versus Rate of Return
By Tudor
Breeding season is once again upon us. Money is always tight for this at month end. Some game players save all month just so they can breed to the latest and greatest stud that comes on the market. Some are more cautious with their money and do some heavy duty research and not worry overmuch about the newest stud. They'd rather have a good rate of return on their investment.
Investment – isn't that an interesting word to use when it comes to breeding. But, its 100% fact! Every month we make breeding choices which are our investment for future income in the next 2-5 months when these yearlings hit the track. A great deal of effort and time should be put into this monthly selection for you to be a top game breeder.
Lets go into this a bit more with some actual numbers. I've taken the top 5 TH Studs and the Top 5 QH studs for this scenario. But, I've also taken the cheapest 5 TH and QH studs that have an AEI over 1.00 to use as well. Lets see how the numbers pan out!
Please visit this link to see the stud charts I created STUDS and this link to see individual details about each of the studs.
The best stud for anyone is one that they can afford and at the same time earn at least double what you put into the stud fee. Based on this information for the Top 5 in each breed is:
Jumpin Jack at 46% in TH
Coveted Power at 59% in QH
For those on a very strict budget check out these guys:
TH – Sticki Ike over 2000%, Friday Night Rose 93% and Wind Surfing at 331%
QH – Kindred Spirits and Sleep Express with both achieving over 100% return on your small investment.
This article is not to knock the big studs and big fees. But, show breeding to the best doesn't always equal a good rate of return if you do not have all the 'ducks in a row' so to speak. It takes a good mare to combo just right with a top quality stud to get an exceptional stakes runner. For those that need money in their stables, lesser studs that earn more than their stud fee and certainly more than the daily fees are a way to grow slowly and enjoy the game.
Good Breeding All!
The News Job Postings
The news needs your help! We are looking for 1-3 good game players (new or old) that can join our staff and write for us. We have tonnes of ideas and want to share them. This 'monthly newspaper' really makes for extra fun in the game. Even if you aren't a great writer, we are here to help and can get you started and even provide some ideas of what to write about. Please contact Tudor for more info.
Contributors: JoeJoe and Tudor - on leave Area 51 and El Amigo