THe NEWS - May 28, 2011 “Racing to be the best.”
This months features include:
- Stakes calendar. Plan on it.
- Matches made in heaven.
- Slots, Slots and more Slots.
- A good stud is hard to find.
- The “Turf to Dirt” angle.
- Swimming. Can horses wear bikinis?
THE STEWARDS TOWER by Tudor:
To maximize a Stakes horse’s earnings, it helps to have a long range plan. Decide what key races you want your horse to run in and determine when those races take place. Will your horse be ready for the races you have chosen, and be on schedule?
When planning a horse’s racing campaign, sometimes your horse is not on the right racing schedule to enter a big upcoming Stakes you have targeted. This is one situation where planning ahead is necessary. The best time to change a horse’s racing schedule is about 3 or more races before the “big race.” Most horses take some time to adjust to a new schedule.
When starting a promising new 2 year old, it also helps to plan ahead. If possible, begin their racing career on a date so they will hit the future Stakes race(s) you have targeted without switching schedule if possible.
TrophyHorse.com has a variety of game made Stakes Races which reoccur on the same date every month. Most of these are Graded Stakes.
To help everyone with their long range planning and race scheduling, I have created a calendar and listings which show all the game made Stakes races. Here’s the link:
trophyhorse.fortunecity.com/trophyhorse.html
If there are race(s) you create on the same date every month and would like included, just let me know and I will add it to the listing.
Future developments of this calendar will include color coding for TH and QH races, plus notation for Stake Grades and links to the past winners of each event. Other additions are also planned. If you have any suggestions for improvement, feel free to email me.
Happy Racing
THE BREEDING SHED by Area 51:
Breeders want to know: “What’s your Number 1 breeding tip?”
I think it’s finding the right match to emphasize the positive.
The first step is to carefully determine your broodmare’s positive traits and talents based on their racing record. Then select a sire that will compliment your mare. I believe you should try and match her up to a sire that has similar positive traits and talents.
For example, if you have a long distance-winning mare send her to a long distance-winning stud. Hopefully the offspring will inherit the stamina from both parents, and follow in their “hoofsteps.”
If your mare has good sprint speed, match her to a sire that showed a lot of talent at short distances. Hopefully, the offspring will inherit the blazing speed.
When determining the strong points of mares or studs, remember that just because a horse was frequently raced a certain distance doesn’t necessarily mean that was their best distance. In your analysis, don't just look at the distances they ran the “most.” Identify the races and distances where they ran “great” to determine where their talent really lies.
Match talents and strong points in your matings to get heavenly results.
TIPS AND TRICKS by Hebron Hills:
The ability to “Add Slots” (stalls) is an exciting feature recently added to TrophyHorse.
While there is an additional one time charge to add slots, there are several benefits. The instant benefits are obvious: More room for racers / broodmares and studs; Fewer tough decisions on cuts; Less need to closely regulate how many horses you breed and race etc...
If you’re interested in improving your stable ranking, adding slots can provide a major benefit. Stables are ranked based on race earnings over the latest 30 day rolling period of the top 40 racers in each stable. Every month most of us have some new juveniles that don’t amount to much. Those underperforming horses that used to fill up valuable space won’t count in the ranking calculation if they aren’t in your top 40. Adding slots allows you to keep some of those “sleepers,” and give them more time to develop.
The link to “Add Slots” is found on the right side of your Main Stable page - just under “Horse Counts.” You can purchase credits to add slots in increments of 5, 10 or 25. The maximum number of slots allowed per stable is 100 Active slots and an unlimited number of Total slots.
For stables that find themselves tapped out on space or needing a boost, expanding the stable by adding some additional slots may be the answer.
THE GUEST RANCH this month’s contributor: D-Stables:
A good stud is hard to find. When selecting studs from the hundreds available, there are certain things I look for to help narrow down the choices. Some of these include:
1. Pedigree: Proven, but I also look for diversity with bloodlines.
2. Racing Distance: Depends on the mare I’m mating to.
3. SI’s – I look for studs with 117 SI or higher at 8 furlongs and up.
4. AEI – How the studs prior foals are performing.
If you concentrate on these four areas you can find a stud that will give you a greater chance at breeding a Stakes winning offspring. That being said, this is no exact science. Picking a great stud is no guarantee you’ll get a great foal. It just gives you a better chance.
Take a look at the top sires in the game and compare them to my criteria above. You’ll find most of the Top 25 studs listed in the Stallion Register meet these criteria:
www.trophyhorse.com/breeding/stud_index.aspx
Another tip: Don’t wait until the last minute to start picking your studs. I start looking at studs about 25 days in advance. That gives time to make good decisions. Also, consider bouncing your ideas off of a stable you trust for their insights and opinion. Two heads are better than one.
Breeding is one of the hardest, but most rewarding things about game. Take your time, use your head and do your homework. Maybe you’ll get lucky
BITS AND PIECES by Joejoe Stables:
“Turf to Dirt Angle”
In thoroughbred racing, you have a choice of race surfaces - Dirt or Turf (grass).
In real life horse racing, an “angle” trainers sometimes use to try and improve a horses performance is the “Turf to Dirt Angle.”
If you have a horse in your stable that had been running good on Dirt, but seems to have gone “stale,” try switching to Turf for one race and then go back to Dirt for the next race. You may notice an improvement and see a return to winning form.
Give the Turf to Dirt Angle a try. Hey - it can’t hurt
VIDEO OF THE MONTH
Some real world horse trainers use swimming as a part of a horses training to help them gain stamina or recover from injuries. It’s good exercise, and is less stressful on the joints. Here’s a video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuP6frX0OzI
THe NEWS STAFF CHANGES
Here at THe NEWS, after every 4th issue we have promotions, staff changes and shuffling of assignments. This is designed so the staff doesn’t get bored, and to keep things “fresh.”
Beginning with the next issue, your new Editor will be Tudor. Congratulations to Tudor