THe NEWS - March 26, 2011 “Racing to be the best.”
Welcome to the second issue of the THe NEWS.
This months issue is packed with tips, information and fun including:
- An interview with Flyinlow - up close & personal.
- A detailed look at “Trophy Horse Triple” winners.
- What might happen in a TB vs QH match race.
- How to pick the right race.
- Searching and sorting sires from a special guest contributor.
That’s a lot of stuff. Our reporters have been busy.
Let's dive right in --------------
TRAINER TALK by El Amigo:
Stable Interviewed: Flyinlow
Member Since: 12/18/07
Current Rank: #1 QH / #6 Overall
Major Breed: Quarter Horse
The first time I really noticed Flyinlow, aka Fly, he was outbidding me on Sun of Sunday at the auction. Son of Sunday was an old Quarter Horse stud with some impressive offspring. It’s my guess he wanted Son of Sunday more than I did since he almost went in 'red' winning him .
I knew Fly would be a force to be reckoned with.
Q: Tell us Fly, what do you like the most about TH and why you decided on Quarter Horses?
A: I like the challenges. My first goal was to own a stakes winning horse. Next to breed a stakes winner, then own and breed a million dollar earner, then have a #1 horse, then be the #1 QH stable, and finally to be the #1 overall stable.
Q: What do you think is the most difficult thing about the game?
A: For me it’s breeding to improve the overall quality of QH’s as a whole. It is possible to breed a good horse that does not improve the overall quality of QH’s. I’m now trying to avoid that.
Q: Do you have any special routines that could help new players?
A: I try to space my horses out evenly so that I run nearly the same number each day. I also keep a spreadsheet with notes.
Q: What is the first good horse you bred and what do you remember about him?
A: I would guess it would be Chilling On Sunday. I purchased a stud named Son of Sunday with nearly every bit of my money, and a mare named Chilling for $1,150. Ended up with a pretty nice horse:
www.trophyhorse.com/users/horse_info.aspx?name=Chilling%20On%20Sunday
Q: How did you get to #1 QH stable and how does it feel?
A: I would like to think by breeding and purchasing the right horses, and knowing where to run them. It is a great feeling being the #1 stable. It’s nice to be able to afford to help newer stables and create races as well. It’s also a lot more work making sure you make the correct choices.
Q: You have owned or bred 12 former #1 QH. How do you do that?
A: By entering races your horse can win. You will never have a #1 horse by running second or third… eventually you need to win races.
Q: What’s the biggest mistake you made since you joined TH and what you learn?
A: The biggest mistake I have made is not breeding to the right studs. I think it’s important that you breed sprinters to sprinters, mids to mids, and distance to distance.
Q: What do you look for in a stud when breeding a mare?
A: First I look at the distance they ran best at, what distance they are producing, and then their overall performance (SI, earnings, etc…). I’m also now trying to avoid certain bloodlines that are becoming too common.
Q: If you had to pick one horse as your favorite, who would it be?
A: Advisor was my favorite stud without a doubt. It’s easy to find a nice mare that will improve the foals out of most studs, but not many studs will improve foals out of most any mare.
Advisor gave Fly several great horses including Autokrator and Convincing Victory:
www.trophyhorse.com/users/horse_info.aspx?name=Autokrator
www.trophyhorse.com/users/horse_info.aspx?name=Convincing%20Victory
Q: In the recent months we have lost some top players. Why do you think that happened and how has it changed the game for you?
A: I think some of them became bored with the game after reaching their goals. Also, some became tired of all of the bickering that happens from time to time. Although it is a game all of us play because we have some competitiveness in us.
Q: Talking about that, what would you add or improve to TH if you could?
A: I would like a match race feature (I’ll race my horse against yours for a set amount, winner takes all). I would also like to see additional conditions for Stakes Races.
Q: What are your plans for the future in racing and breeding?
A: I am trying to bring back some of the older bloodlines before they are gone forever. My stables production will decrease in the short term, but hopefully it helps in the long run.
Q: And for your great 4 year old filly Chime In?
A: It all depends on how she finishes out the month. If she keeps on running well, I’ll keep her running. If not, she’ll be headed to the breeding shed.
Q: Before we go, if you could give only one advice to new players what would it be?
A: Come in to chat. There is a wealth of knowledge (mixed in with some other things) that will help everyone.
Thanks Fly, it’s always nice talking to you.
If any of you would like to be featured in a future interview, just email
El Amigo.
TRIPLE WINNERS - ANALYSIS by Tudor
Imagine if you will the opening song of My Old Kentucky Home ( www.christianbook.com/carmen-dragon/my-old-kentucky-home/pd/DLF129056-3 as the horses are led onto the track for the next running of the Kentucky Derby. Women in big hats and sundresses, men in tailored suits, the flying flags above the clubhouse and the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs soaring into the blue sky above. Top 3 year olds face off in the first leg of the United States Triple Crown for Thoroughbreds, generally considered to be the toughest test in racing. There have been 11 winners of the Triple Crown beginning with Sir Barton in 1919 through Affirmed in 1978.
Trophyhorse.com has been building its own Triple tradition over the last 6 years. Since the inauguration of the game there have been 5 game bred thoroughbreds that have shown the guts and stamina to win the Trophy Horse Triple. Here are our own virtual champions:
1. Distance Is Wild, by Really Wild (Breeder - Loaded):
Our first champion was the amazing Distance Is Wild. Born October 2008 as the third offspring. The game officially started in 2005, so this horse was technically the result of 3 years of breeding progress. He was the highest earning offspring of his sire, Really Wild and earned $5M+ at distances from 1 ¼ miles to 1 ½ miles. Distance Is Wild’s dam was a direct daughter of El Corredor whose 9.94 AWD gave him additional distance influence. As a sire, Distance Is Wild did not prove so dominant. He did enjoy some success producing two millionaires. The AWD of his foals stands at a very strong 9.91.
Distance Is Wild has passed away, but will be fondly remembered as our first game bred champion.
2. Lynyrd, by Skynyrd (Breeder - Cherokee Stables):
Our second winner was the tough competitor Lynyrd ($6,732,410). He was born in March 2009 and was 5th born. He showed versatility winning 14 races from 7 furlongs to 1 ¼ miles. He is son of the popular sire Skynyrd whose bloodline can be traced back to the distance horse Reals Reality, who was the grand sire of our first Triple Winner. Lynyrd’s broodmare was a prolific producer being a 1M earner herself, and daughter of Golden Echo. As a sire, Lynyrd continued his winning ways producing 46 $1M+ earners Lynyrd has now left us, but his influence will continue through his many offspring which include the top rated sires Lynyrd N Squiggy and Lynyrds Echo among others.
3. Gypsy Kings by Overlooked (Breeder - Centrum):
The next Triple winner was the hard knocking Gypsy Kings ($6,104,250). Winner of 13 out of 18 races, he was 4th born from the great racer and broodmare Surveyed (by Stick And Move) who herself was a winner of $2.5M with SI’s as high as 115. Gypsy Kings is the son of former #1 ranked sire Overlooked. His pedigree gives us an example of multiple crosses back to the source lines that produced the previous two winners. We have the El Corredor line that is known for distance, combined again with the more accessible Mr. Prospector lines. Included in the mix are multiple Aljabr and Lenjoleur crosses, plus a dash of A.P. Indy, Caerleon, Foyer and Storm Cat. Gypsy Kings success as a sire is hard to match, ranking as a top 3 sire for the last 7 seasons. His many sons and daughters will continue to play a big role in the game for years to come.
4. Horatio Hornblower by Overlooked (Breeder - Duran Duran):
The Fourth Triple winner is Horatio Hornblower ($5,929,125). Horatio was born April 2010 and only had a 3 year racing career winning 6 of the 7 Graded Stakes he entered. He received an SI of 120 his last start to end his career on a high note. He was 3rd born of his Stakes winning dam who ran SI’s as high as 115. His sire is Overlooked, who was also the sire of our #3 Triple winner. Horatio Hornblower’s pedigree has four lines that are known for producing 7f+ runners and great consistency in the offspring.
As a sire, Horatio has hit the game by storm. At this time he has over 200 offspring including four $3M+ winners to his credit already, and he’s only 11 years old. He should play a major role in future generations of Triple winners. His story is far from finished.
5. Tourist Trap by Trapstar (Breeder - Hebron Hills):
Our latest Triple Winner is Tourist Trap ($5,580,025) who won the Triple in February, 2011. Tourist Trap was born November 2010 and the fifth born of his dam. His dam was also a great runner, winning $3.5M and 13 Stakes races with SI’s as high as 117. Tourist Trap is the son of Trapstar who sports a 3.20 AEI and 8.72 AWD and is the current #12 ranked sire. Analysis of Tourist Traps pedigree brings up our first Triple Winner – Distance Is Wild 3 generations back. Included in his pedigree are the venerable Sinistar, Stick and Move and the great Wake Up Nooby. Golden Echo is also repeated from another of our Triple winners above. Details of the pedigree indicate a 5-9 generation pedigree deep with this colt. He has behind him many of the great distance source lines such as: El Corredor, A.P. Indy, Mr. Prospector, Foyer, etc. Also many of the regulars are found such as Aljabr and Lenjoleur, Caerleon, Prosper Fager and Storm Cat. Tourist Trap is only 4 years old and has a very bright future ahead.
So, what does it take to make a Triple Winner in my books?:
a) Use of proven mid-distance stud that has an AWD over 7.00 and a AEI over 3.00.
b) Use of a broodmare of exceptional ability herself with performance and SIs above the norm.
c) A “distance line” pedigree with ancestors influence of mid-distance or longer.
d) A good trainer that isn't afraid to push the horse to get him to peak for the Trophy Horse Triple races at age 3.
In conclusion, we are seeing more Triple Winners recently than in past years. This is due to our breeding of better mares with great studs. Chances are likely most future Triple winners dams will have earnings of $1M+ with an SI at 1 1/4 miles of 116+. Their sires will be of high quality with stamina and consistency in the blood. We will see more and more consistency in our breedings and have tighter finishes in our Triple races as we breed more competitive horses. Are you up to the challenge?
Full pedigrees with more data can be found here:
trophyhorse.fortunecity.com/nlarticles.html
THE STEWARDS TOWER by Area 51:
The 990:
The “990 is a fantasy race I’ve thought about between a Thoroughbred and a Quarter Horse.
At 990 yards, otherwise known as 4 1/2 furlongs, a middle ground would be found to test the brawn and grit of these two breeds.
Thoroughbreds are known to run great as short as 5 furlongs. Quarter Horses commonly run as long as 880yards (or about 4f). The question is, what would happen if you took a TB sprinter, and a QH marathoner, and had them meet in the middle. Who would win? How would the race look? Well, I think something like this...
Out of the gate the QH would sprint to an early lead, powered by their iconic fast burst of speed. The TB would slowly build up more and more speed from the rear. Coming onto the stretch the TB would just be hitting it's stride while at the the QH would most certainly be feeling the early effects of fatigue.
The question becomes whether the QH can hold out long enough, and if the TB has enough track left to chase it down.
Here’s a video of an actual match race ran at 880 yards. Who do you think will win?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMqS9ad-1xM
TIPS AND TRICKS by Hebron Hills:
A key part of getting your horse to run their best is choosing the right race.
Finding a race where your horse can shine is more complicated than just finding the right distance, track or surface. That's just part of the job. You also need to find a race that gives your horse the best shot at winning. You can do that by paying attention to the “Race Conditions.”
Did you know that within the world of Allowance Races there are actually several tiers of competition?
You may have noticed a series of letters and numbers in the description of the various Allowance Races. These are called Race Conditions. The numbers shown on each race limits the maximum number of wins a horse can have, and still be able to enter that race. Here's a summary of what all those letters and numbers mean:
NW2L = Non Winner of 2 Lifetime (Horses may have won 0-1)
NW3L = Non Winner of 3 Lifetime (Horses may have won 0-2)
NW4L = Non winner of 4 Lifetime (Horses may have won 0-3)
NW5L = Non winner of 5 Lifetime (Horses may have won 0-4)
Knowing how to read and understand Allowance Race Conditions makes it easier to find the best fit for your particular horse, and can make the difference between a win or not earning a check.
One of the biggest mistakes new stables make is entering their horses against more accomplished runners than they need to.
For example, if you enter a 1 time winner in a NW5L Allowance race it could be a lost cause before the gate even opens. The other horses in such a field will likely be more accomplished than yours, since a NW5L race allows horses with up to 4 wins to enter. A better choice for your horse may be a NW2L race.
You will also see some race conditions that are slightly different, such as:
NW2 / 2W = Non Winner of 2 in the previous 2 weeks
NW2 / 1M = Non Winner of 2 in the previous 1 Month
Be careful about entering the NW2 / 2W and NW2 / 1M races unless you have to. While those races do place limits on a horses recent success, they allow for some highly talented veteran horses that are going through a little slump to enter.
It's worth your time to get in the habit of first looking for the lowest Allowance Race Conditions your horse qualifies for, combined with an appropriate distance, track etc. Use your head, get more wins and make more money by using Race Conditions to your advantage
THE GUEST RANCH this month’s contributor: Peppys Ouija Board Stable:
It was back in the spring of 2008 when I took my first stab at thoroughbred breeding. My best mare at the time was Raised for the Grass, an average runner I had recently claimed. I decided to take a big chance and spent $50,000 to bred her to The Joss Have It, a hot sire at the time. The result? A filly named Frontier Gibberish who won a Stakes at first asking and went on to win $700,000. I thought this was going to be an easy game.
Three years later, I realize it takes a lot of research, money and luck to have a successful breeding program. A tip of my cap to the top stables who make it look easy every month. Smaller and mid-level stables that don’t have a big bankroll have to look for bargain sires - the ones that aren't at the top of the stud list but have potential.
We all know current hot sires are listed under the “Top Sires” and the “Stallion Registry” links, but there are other ways to search for sires. Here are a few tips to help you more quickly sort through all that information and seek out the perfect sire:
* Go to “Stud Tables” found under “Horse Search” in the Main Menu. You can toggle the headers to sort any column and to narrow your search just by clicking on the header. For example, I wanted to to look at thoroughbred sires with high AEI’s, so I clicked twice on the AEI header. Then searched down until I spotted a stud for $20,000 whose AEI was 3.25 and AWD 7.40. Not a bad start for a fairly new sire, and the price is right Put him on my list.
* Let's say your bankroll is really hurting and your budget only allows $5,000 for a sire. This time I toggled the Stud Price to descending order and scrolled down to the $5,000 sires. Quickly found a couple of good prospects: One with an 8.07 AWD, 1.21 AEI and 12.95 CPI, and another with 8.29/1.39/14.68. Not exactly Horatio Hornblower type numbers, but for $5,000 you can't complain. You can toggle (click) any of the headers depending on which category is important to you. Then, you can page through all the sires. Also, don’t forget that sometimes new sires are worth taking a chance on, especially while their price is still low.
* Some other helpful stud listings with data can be found in the “Daily Racing News.” There you can find lists of Top First Crop Sires, Top Turf Sires and Top Broodmare Sires to help in your sire selection process..
Good luck and happy searching Hope your breeding turns out as good as my first one did.
BITS AND PIECES by Joejoe Stables:
We hope you’ve enjoyed this issue of THe NEWS, and will look forward to our next issue on April 30th.