New Season Evaluation

[Isabelle]

Hello everyone I would like to have some comments and suggestions regarding my stable for next season.

z13.invisionfree.com/Ivory_Storms_Stables/index.php?act=idx

Lucky: I'm really proud of him so far, he has just made it to Grade Four with his final race. I want to be sure I continue well with him, should I give him a bit of a break or try racing him every two/three weeks right away for the beginning of the new year?

Ivory: He has been slipping in results recently, he started out really strong in the beginning of his two year old season but now he seems to be placing fourth or lower in all of his races. Are his workouts not up to par, too many/not enough breaks?

Maliah: I think she has been pretty consistent recently, I'm hoping that now she is Grade Five she will find some more competition and races to enter and gain further stride. Are there any specific races coming up in Jan/Feb that she would do well in?

Amber: She hasn't really had many opportunities to race, as her maiden turf races are always cancelled. Recently members have been kind enough to collapse her race with Maliah or Lucky so she can race, however now that Lucky is G4 and Maliah is a dirt racer, I doubt this will continue to be an option. Should I try to put her in some dirt races or keep trying for the turf maidens? I was hoping some fresh two year olds would enter early in the new season and give her someone to race besides her barn buddies.

Overall cons or pros regarding my stable as a whole? My future plans are to select maybe four to six pairs of broods/studs around the game that are for breeding offer in a few months to bring in some new young-stock for ISS. If you have any suggestions for specific horses you think might fit well with my racing style please let me know.

Thank you ^_^

[*Ripley*]

I'll do some evaluating for you. I'm a little bored and need a distraction from school and BC workouts xD.

I will say that you are doing an excellent job at managing your horses overall. All of them have good records for horses who were created in the middle of the season. If you get them up higher in grade and competition, I'm sure people will be coming your way for new bloodlines. It is not often that we great create horses as we have plenty of lined horses for sale at both GHF and TW.

I think you have an interesting and unique writing style so I'm eager to see your progress through the ranks here. Because you have so few horses that are relatively unknown, I think you are a little bit forgotten, but that also makes you dangerous.


Workout Dating
First just for organization purposes and racing purposes I would date your workouts, at least on the horse's page, in the SIM dating. So instead of October 19, 2013, when you completed the workout, it should read (not sure when you actually wrote it) say December Week Two, Year Thirteen. Judges compare dates on the workouts to see who has the most recent workout in SIM time. You don't have to change the dates now because Y13 is over, but in Y14 I'd make it a future reference.

Race Record
The records that you have on display are fine because they display the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th place finishes. However, most people do it Total #of starts-1st-2nd-3rd. If you still wanted to keep the number of 4th place finishes that would be fine, it's been done before. But total amount of starts will help others to keep track of how many races your horses have been in total. Plus when it comes to final awards, you don't have to keep track of total starts as you'd already compiled it through the season:

Ivory Storms' record should read, under the standard way: 7-1-2-3
Lookin' Back Lucky's record: 8-4-0-3
Desert Amber's record: 3-0-3-0
Maliah's record: 5-1-3-0

Now, what this shows you is how lightly raced your horses actually are. This is to your benefit and your disadvantage going into their three year old season. People judge based on experience so you will have to race your horses plenty before the TC series (all of them) begin. However, this gives you a chance to come out swinging in the new year. Most in coming three year olds will rest up until January Week 4 [y14] before making their debuts, unless they are like yours in terms of record and experience.

You don't have to worry so much about breaks here. Most people only give their horses 1-2 weeks in between race weeks unless they've been running a lot.

The typical schedule would be, depending on what races you are aiming for:
Feb Week 1
Rest
Feb Week 3
Feb Week 4

or

Rest
Feb Week 2
Feb Week 3
Rest

or
Feb Week 1
Rest
Rest
Feb Week 4

There are variations and it depends on your training plan and overall scheme for your ponies.
You could probably start your group up right away in January week 1/2 and keep them going on a schedule like that until probably May/June. As long as they have short 1-2 Week breaks thrown in from time to time.

Don't worry about Desert Amber not having broken her maiden yet. She came in at a time when horses had already broken their maidens and had moved up. She'll have age and experience on the two year olds who are most often found in the maiden races. She should break her maiden quickly and move up relatively fast.

As for Maliah, there are tons of races she could start in. She's a dirt runner so she could run in:
The Wire's Jan Week 1: Utanali Derby - 9F - G5 Race
The Wire's Jan Week 2: Don't Blink Stakes - 11F - G5
or
GHF's open G5+ races Jan Week 1/Week 2.

However, for her level and for a certainty of a field on her level, I would stick with TW's races at least to start because top level horses could make runs in the G5+ races at GHF. Which, unfortunately, because of being a grade five she would not fair so well in those races versus that competition.

Ivory Storms is actually doing well for where you have been entering him. The Seasonal Cups (Autumn, Winter...) tend to draw "higher level" grade five runners and typically older horses. Ivory Storms was only a two year old so I suspect he ended up running versus 3yo+ horses. That will take him down if they are good, well-raced older runners. Those are horses with more experience than this two year old horse who only has 7 starts to his name. If you'd entered him in Juvenile races, I bet he would have been placing higher. He could run in the same races as Maliah, or you could split the two races between them. Since he will be 3 in Y14, you won't have to worry so much about older horses until you start rising to G3+ rankings.

I would say yes to starting Lookin' Back Lucky immediately at the beginning of the new year, just like the rest of your current runners. He could make the Turf Triple Crown if he improves, which he should having only run 8 times. Not everyone is a high level horse going into the three year old year, so he could be pretty competitive on the upper ranks as long as you keep working him and making his presence felt on the track by entering him into races.

I really have no negative comments about your stable. It looks great and organized. The horses are nice and interesting with created bloodlines. However, if I were you I would look into getting some horses. Plenty of horses are going to be going up for sale and they could fill in some gaps in your 4yo+ or 2 year old ranks. Unless you are looking to only race the horses that you have.
Some horses:

You might PM Megs as she has several horses that she does not really have room/time for:

Question Mark
Mizadori - a very good broodmare prospect if you want one
Royal Blue
Flash of Reality

Also check these links for horses that are currently for sale, only if you are in for the long haul (which I hope you are :


Reclaim Sale Consisting Of Excellently Lined Horses (cav/frosty)
^You'd have to talk to Cavvy/Frosty.
Spotlight Pride - Yearling in Y14
Baciami - 2 years old in Y14
Optimus Unstoppable - could be kept as a two year old in Y14, very, very light record
First Class - Yearling in Y14
Starlite - 2 years old in Y14
^Remaining horses left in the sale

Sale of Horses Reclaimed From Alexia
^
I have a racing mare in the last link by the name of Wish Upon A Star, who I think might do fairly well with you. She's a grade three dual over 9-12F. She'll be four.

I think you'd have to post and ask officially which ones are for sure up for sale, in second link. I don't know if Frosty/Cavallo have made any decisions, but that's a good place to start if you want to expand so that you have some racers in the yearling/two year old/four year old ranks.

Sammy's Nature Blue Sale
^ Good place to go for fresh blood. Also a broodmare prospect available in that sale as well.

For studs/broodmares, you should read up on bloodlines or available stallions:
The Stud Book
You can find top stallions or stallions itching to prove themselves in there. It is every known stud currently running on this SIM system (GHF/TW).
You can always PM Snowflake/Frosty/Cavvy or myself about stud advice. It just depends on what you are looking for.

Are you looking for:
a dirt router
a dirt sprinter
a turf router
a turf sprinter
a dual horse for distances
a dual horse sprints
a turf/dirt/dual miler

There are all sorts of options available and that is the beauty of GHF/TW.


I hope all of this helped and feel free to continue to post in this section if you have ideas in mind for future broodmare/stud combination. I'll PM this link to Frosty and Cavvy if they want to advise as well. My best friends on this SIM will be more than happy to help I'm sure .

[S u N f r O s t ~]

Hey Isabelle! Ripley essentially covered everything that I would have said in great detail. I agree with her comments - if you follow them, you'll get yourself up in the ranks quickly.

Breeding wise, I would be ridiculously happy to advice if you need help with pairing horses up, investing in some stallions/broods or anything else. If you want a general overview of some of the strongest bloodlines around here in regards to distance/surface and stuff...ask!

[Cavallo]

Ditto. What she said...HA

I love the competition you bring to the racing tracks and given time and your consistency, your horses will rise farther than you might predict now. Ripley covered a lot of the basics and I advise that you take everything she says into consideration. Like Frosty and Ripley said, I'm very open to helping members with breeding plans...etc. Just ask.

[Isabelle]

Thank you girls. I am definitely carefully going over comments and will start some changes/plans soon. I really appreciate your time Ripley