QuikSand Ranch Rides Again

[QuikSand]

After a substantial absence, I’ve revived the QuikSand Ranch—my detailed exploits in the game “Hooves of Thunder,” a fine horseracing career simulation game from the mid-1990s. I spent some time detailing such a career a while ago, and set it aside after things got rolling quite well. My best horse, INFORMED SOURCE, was a champion-caliber horse when he was sent out for a long distance race. He won over $2 million, which is a pretty sizable accomplishment in this game, especially considering that I didn’t pick him up until he was already a 4 year old (and he thereby missed out on a potentially lucrative campaign as a three year old).

I’ve decided that rather than re-start that career, I will instead start over from scratch. For me, the most interesting part of the game is scouring the claiming races, looking for hidden talent, and making money incrementally. That’s what I’ll be doing in this career—buy the following (you knew this was coming) the “house rules” below:

-I will only acquire my horses through claims or auction purchases (the game also allow purchases via an “open market” but it’s too easy for me to make a killing that way)

-I will only release my horses by having them claimed away, or (in the event of young, unproven horses) selling them off at rock-bottom prices just for convenience. I will not take advantage of recent success and “cash out” by selling for a top price. (another way the game can easily be “fleeced”)

-I won’t be making any bets in this game (another area where an experienced gamer like me can get rich quick)

-I’ll schedule races for my horses in realistic timing—lower-class horses might race every two weeks or so, and higher-class horses generally no more than once a month (the game does not properly punish owners for over-racing their mounts)

-I’ll start out with only $10,000 and an empty barn. If I go broke before I can get rolling (which pretty nearly happened last time I played) then I’ll either quit, or start over.

- - -

Bottom line—I’m starting with rather little money, and I’ll have to watch the very lowest-level races for a while. If I succeed, I’ll be able to grow my cash amounts to afford better horses and bigger races, and eventually I’ll be up to competing in stakes races and trying to win the premiere events in the sport.

Incidentally, if you are reading this and have questions about racing terminology or anything like that, please feel free to drop in with a question. I’ll probably explain some things as I mention them, but since this is my second “Hooves” career, I may not do as mush introductory stuff as I did first time around. However, I am willing to answer your questions about “Hooves of Thunder,” real thoroughbred racing, or related issues.

As far as the first item in the FAQ- here is a multi-part starter. “Hooves of Thunder” was a game released in about 1995 by a now-defunct company called MicroLeague, who did several sports games. It wasn’t a huge seller, and despite being a very good game, it never got the “patch” it needed to fix a few pretty obvious game play issues. (Hmmm, sounds familiar…) However, it is still pretty playable, and I do recommend it. If you’re interested in buying it, I know that it remains available at many racetrack gift shops for around $15-20, or also from the web site http://www.wizardgames.com for $25. In my judgment, it still far outdistances any other racing simulation available, though PSX users claim that the game “Gallop Racer” is very good (I have neither that platform nor that game to compare). In short, if you enjoy racing and/or career-style computer sports sims, then I give my personal recommendation to “Hooves of Thunder” as the one PC game in the genre you ought to own.

Okay, off with the career thread.

[QuikSand]

March 1996

We start out, as mentioned with $10,000 cash. I’ll be looking through the claiming races—the lowest level of competition where each horse is available for an advance price. I’ll basically be looking for horses who I believe are capable of winning at that class level or better. In this game, purses tend to be pretty cloe to the claiming price (often 80% thereof). So, if I can claim a horse for, say, $5,000 and he can fairly often win $5k claimers, then he’ll be bringing in the winner’s 60% share of the that purse each time he wins—which would amount to $2,400. I can make money that way, by making wise claims. If they really turn out to be diamonds in the rough I can move them “up the ladder” to higher level races and try to win even bigger purses.

On March 1, day one, I find a horse to go after. REEF TAN is in the last race of the day, and I claim him for $6,000. This means he will be mine after today. I think he looks like the probable winner in this 6 furlong sprint, and he looks like he is well-suited to that level of races. Since most races for low-class horses are at sprint distances I should have no trouble finding races for this guy.

The 4yo colt is listed at 6-1 in the odds line, behind a 4yo gelding PROLIFIC who also looks to be pretty high quality for this level of race, but I think PROLIFIC will prefer a longer distance, and that my sprinter can beat him here. As they start, REEF TAN (who has a great spot on the rail) get out early, stretches to a nice lead into the turn, and never lets up—he wins it easily by about 5 lengths in a time of 1:12.8, which is quite solid for a low-level claimer like him. I’m pleased—he should make me some money. He had better—my bankroll is down to $4,000.

Now that I actually own a horse, I can pick a trainer and a preferred jockey. I like to go after Jockeys who I can rely on—the very top guys are in such demand that I’ll only get them a fraction of the time. I find a guy in Anthony Lombardi who looks like he’ll be on call for me, and has been pretty solid this year. I bring on Andrew Garvey as my trainer.

I decide that REEF TAN’s next entry will be in a 5f sprint. He’s all early speed, and his safest play is probably to keep the races as short as possible. I find an $8,000 claiming race at 5f on March 11, and I enter my guy into it. Since this is a claiming race, any other owner may “claim” any entry here for the $8,000 tag—meaning that I am risking losing my horse. However, since I’m putting him up at a higher level than I bought him ($8l compared to $6k) at least I’d make out on the transaction.

REEF TAN draws the #6 slot among 10 horses in this race, meaning he’ll have to fight to get forward to the rail. There is a good deal of early speed here, but I think the real danger comes from a pretty classy horse in the #7 spot, BREENAMORE. I don’t like my guy’s chances here—too much competition for the early lead, I’m guessing.

My guy gets up for a very short lead (less than half a length) on the turn, but can’t clear ahead and get onto the rail to save ground. He gets ahead by amount a full length coming into the homestretch, but then is run down by the rail horse GRUMPY FELLA and has to settle for third. My winnings from the race, less the expenses of owning the horse over the 11 days, have brought my cash balance to $4,335.

On March 22, I find another 5f affair, a $6k claimer, and I put my guy in. I do not expect him to be claimed here, but it is certainly a possibility—a break-even for me. It’s a full field of 13 horses, and my guy gets spot #4—pretty good. He’s listed at 7-1. He will face GENTLE NUDGE, the horse who passed him for second place in his last outing.

There is a little bit of rain, and my guy handles it well. There is no speed inside him, and he quickly jumps out and grabs the rail—the place to be for an early pace-setter like REEF TAN. Only one other horse, THREE BARS, even tries to stay with him, and those two separate from the pack into the stretch. REEF TAN gets some distance, but THREE BARS makes a late rally—but my guy hod him off by about a length to take the win.

The win gives me a nice payment, but I also get news—REEF TAN has been claimed away for the $6,000 price tag. Oh, well—it was too good to be true, I suppose. I’ll try to follow him, and see if I can re-claim him in his next race (possibly March 31), but for now, I have $12,588—not a bad boost in less than one month.

I advance to March 31, and sure enough, there is REEF TAN, being mishandled by some computer owner and entered into a 1 ¼ mile race. He has virtually no chance of winning that race—he just doesn’t have the endurance. However, he is available for an $8,000 claim, and I go after him. I realize that I lost $2,000 on the transactions—but remember, I won more than that by winning the $6k race originally.

REEF TAN actually handles the distance much better than I could have predicted, and he holds on for second place over a muddy track. My best guess is that I have a solid front-running sprinter who gets even better if the track conditions are off. He’s mine again, and my bankroll is at $4,588 as we end the busy month of march. At this point, the career record of REEF TAN is (34-4-8-10 $28,420). (The standard way to show horse records is in parentheses, and in this order: total races – wins – places – shows . . . earnings)

[QuikSand]

April 1996

Since I feel that I have got something interesting here, I’m deciding to push my luck a bit. I enter REEF TAN into a $20,000 claiming race at 5f, which should be a good distance for him, but might well be “out of his league” in terms of talent. Regrettably, the race doesn’t fill, and I have to keep looking.

On tax day, I find a $12k claimer for him, also at 5f. Probably ideal for this guy—might be a good paycheck in it—the winner will take home almost $6,000. He’ll start from position #7 out of 10 horses, which doesn’t help him. However, there isn’t much speed in the race—the #3, and maybe the #6 and #8 will be toward the front. My guy might have a shot to steal it on the lead, or at least duel with the #3 horse.

As it turns out, I had this one pegged nicely. The #3 got the lead and held it through the turn, with my #7 and the #8 in pursuit on the outside. Into the stretch, the leaders still looked strong, but REEF TAN gained ground and got out front. He brought it home, with the #3 fighting to hold on to second place.

My bankroll swells to $8,765—I can now probably buy another cheap horse. I think that REEF TAN is a money maker, as long as I don’t drop him too low in classs.

On April 19, I find another horse to claim—JUST READY is a 4yo colt who looks to me like he has some possibilities. He’s in a $5k claiming race here, and he has won one race this year—it was the last time he tried a race over a mile. It looks like the 6f-1m races he’s been getting haven’t been long enough for him—I expect he’ll run fairly well in this race, and might improve with even more distance.

Over a sloppy track, JUST READY tracks the leaders, and then barrels past them in the early stretch for an easy 5 length victory. I may have another money maker on my hands—this guy might be solid at low-class but longer races.

I make it to May with $2,785 in hand and two fairly promising colts in my stable. I shouldn’t be in any danger of busting here.

[QuikSand]

May 1996

I decide that REEF TAN is ready for a real test—we’ll find out what he’s worth on the big-picture scale here. I enter him into an allowance race, the next level above claiming races. This should be much higher quality opposition—and candidly, this is really a stretch for him.

My guy draws the #4 slot out of 10, just about perfect. The #1 horse might try to hold the rail, but my guy ought to make a run for the lead, even against this competition. I don’t know how he matches up here, but he’ll get his chance to run here.

In the race, REEF TAN jumps on them just as if they were the same old group of low-rent horses he’s been facing. He gets a three-length lead into the turn, and holds it until they start to straighten out. However, at that point, it becomes clear that these horses are simply classier than his usual rivals—and a group of three rumble up to pass him in the final furlong. He drops to fifth at the wire—a nice effort, but he’s just outclassed here.

I next try JUST READY in an $8k claiming race, at 1 ¼ miles. I think he’ll like the distance, and the competition should be about right. He’ll face another decent low-level racer in BREENAMORE, who I also like. My guy stays far back through the early stages of the race, but then tries to make a late move. He doesn’t get an outside alley, and so he tries to move inside—he finds all kinds of traffic and trouble, gets his running lane blocked two or three times, and still makes it up for fifth place. He gets no money, but I’m sufficiently impressed—his luck will improve, and so will the results.

On May 22, I find another spot for JUST READY—a major step up for him, but it also gets him some more distance, which I think he will like. It’s a $30k claiming race, with a purse of $20,000. That means $12k for the winner—we could do a lot worse. I don’t have any feel whether he is ready for this level of competition, but since he shows long-distance ability, I might as well find its bounds sooner rather than later.

Predictably, he falls way back early. On the backstretch, he gains ground on the second-last horse, and moves in on the pack. He has trouble getting past one tiring rival on the turn, and only manages a sixth place. I don’t feel he is totally outclassed, though this group probably stretches his ability to a point.

On May 26, I find a $20k claimer for REEF TAN, at 6f – a little bit longer than he might prefer. The track is muddy, which should help his chances here, with a $14k purse. He has a lot of company for the early lead, a bad sign. Into the turn, he takes the lead and gets the rail. He has the lead with a furlong left, but it’s a bunched-up finish, and REEF TAN settles for fifth—just out of the money. At 5f, I think he had them all.

As we head into June, we have $415 on hand—we need a win and fast, or else we’ll have one of our horses sold on the open market, and will probably get a lot less than value. Ugh.

[QuikSand]

June, 1996

With two colts and almost no cash, the Ranch needs a win, and we need it quickly. I get my two guys entered into races early in the month, and if I don't get a money finish in at least one, then one of them will be automatically sold off (for lousy value) to raise funds for oats.

On June 2, I'll send REEF TAN into an $8k claiming race at 6f. He should be tough here, but there is also a chance that he gets claimed, which would be a shame. He has company early, ad three other horses challenge for the early lead. My guy has it by a nose, but as they go into the turn he starts to power ahead of the group. In the stretch, one challenger puts up a fight, but my guy holds him off, and take it by a length. The cash is good, but regrettably, he is claimed away for the $8,000 price tag. He departs with a career record of (38-6-8-10 $38,440), but he's schedule to race again on June 13th, and I'll see if I think he merits my pursuits then.

JUST READY goes the next day in another $8k claimer. It's a 1m race, which is a bit short for him, but I'll hope that he can get his move going a little earlier than usual. He rallies from last place, but only gets up for 4th place to get a sliver of the money.

On May 10, I put in a claim for ALBARIC, a 4yo colt who is racing at the bottom levels-I claim him for $5,000. He has been closing well in sprint races, and I hope to "stretch him out" a bit to perhaps a mile or so, and see what he can do if given the room to run a little more.

On June 13, I bring back JUST READY for another shot at an $8k race-- this time at a longer distance of 1 ¼ miles. He rallies nicely, but cannot catch the front-runner who crushes the field, and takes a solid second place.

ALBARIC is ready to run for me-I'll try him in a $5k claimer, but we'll let him run a full 1 ¼ miles. These races are not easy to locate, but I think he may be okay in here. His career record before my first race with him is (28-1-1-4 $8,976) - not exactly overwhelming. However, I'm convinced that he has been poorly spotted in sprints, and that he'll at least be competitive in longer races. Here, he has the rail spot, which is lousy for a late-running type like him. After running last early on (no surprise) he makes a good rally in the third lane out, and moves ahead on the second turn, closing in on the pack. He is one of three different horses rallying late, and he hits the wire right along with two others, in a true three-way photo finish. ALBARIC is declared the winner by the shortest of margins, and we get a win our first time out with this guy, who showed a lot of heart in the late going.

At month's end, we're out of our immediate money woes, with $8,773 in our account. I'd like to relocate REEF TAN, but it's tough to do in this game-regardless, we have two modest money makers on hand, and I think they can win a race or two each before they eventually get lost in claims.

[QuikSand]

July 1996

We have 1 ¼ mile races on back-to-back days for our two runners. JUST READY is first, running for an $8k price tag. I'd like to get a win out of him soon-I think he can beat this company if he gets a good trip. From the rail post (unlucky) he has little choice but to take an unusual inside path in his late rally, and he gets very lucky with a largely unobstructed lane. He gets near the front, passes the second-place horse, and the turns on the jets in the stretch, easily outclassing every other entry here for a 4 length win.

ALBARIC also draws the rail for his race, again a bad spot. My jockey (same guy as the last race) chooses an inside path yet again, but he doesn't have as much luck. He's behind two horses, but fortunately there are no front-running escapees to go track down. When ALBARIC finally gets free, he is within a short distance of the race leaders, and he makes a nice late move to go and get them for the win. My jockey is causing me to worry, but he's just cashed two in a row, so I can hardly complain.

Our cash is up to $14,003-but I'm thinking about a bigger prize. I don't believe that ALBARCIC can handle horses of a much higher stature, so I think I may send him again in a winnable race, knowing he may well be claimed. If so, I might boost my cash to about $20,000 or so, and have enough to make an investment in a higher caliber entry.

As it turns out, I find an interesting race for my two guys, and I decide to run them against one another. AT the end of July, it's a 1 ¾ mile race (absurdly long by real-world standards) which might suit their likes rather nicely. I don't know if either guy is capable of handling this class of competition, but if they are, this is the ideal setup. If either one hits the board here, great-if not, I'll drop them back into money-maker races.

The purse is $12,800, meaning that the winner's check would be over $7k-a nice payout for a stable in my standing. JUST READY draws the #4 slot, and gets my ordinary jockey Garvey. ALBARIC, however, did not draw into this field, and he'll have to sit this one out-to my chagrin.

JUST READY makes a move on the backstretch which is a head-turner. he blows by the two or three horses who were trailing the pack, and sets his sights on the big group ahead. He gets through some traffic, and by the turn he has all but one beaten. The leader, DUST ME OFF, proves very tough, but my guy runs him down and they hit the wire within a few inches of one another-and JUST READY is awarded the victory in a bob of heads. It's a big win, real money for us, and a boost toward the bigger time.

We wrap up July with $18,837 in hand-JUST READY was looking sluggish for a couple of races, but now I feel as through he is ready to look at some fairly significant purses, as long as we give him plenty of distance.

[RPI-Fan]

Has this died, or will it make a glorious return soon?

------------------
Secant, Tangent, Cosin, Sin, 3.14159!

[QuikSand]

Closer to (b) than (a) -- though I cannot guarantee glory. I wasn't convinced that it was worththe effort, but you're the second person who has asked, which sugests tome that it probably is (worth it).

I'll fire up "Hooves" soon, and we'll ride on... I promise.

[BishopMVP]

I have also been reading this thread. It is a nice contrast to all the FOF dynastys, which all seem to run together eventually.

Also, do you know where Shipwright Street is in Annapolis, because I used to live on it and noticed you were from Annapolis.

[QuikSand]

Sure, Shipwright street is about 1/16 of a mile from where I sit right now, down by Spa Creek. I know the neighborhod fairly well.

[daedalus]

Y'know . . . too bad the developers aren't around anymore. Or they'd owe you some serious money. I got someone else (from SimulatedSports) to buy HoT by having them read your old recap from the old board. Heh heh.

[Honolulu Blue]

I enjoyed your reports so much that I bought the game. Please keep them coming.

I also have a report on my career in Hooves of Thunder that I will be posting shortly. I'm 3 1/2 years in, and doing very, very well.

[Ctown-Fan]

Yes, Quiksand please keep posting. I don't know a darn thing about horse races, but I find this "dynasty" fascinating

[Kevin]

A big fan here as well. Although I admit that I miss Informed Source.

[QuikSand]

August 1996

I find a race for ALBARIC, who has won his last two races (both for $5k claiming tags). This time, I’ll send him out for twice that, in a $10k claimer at 1 ¼ mile. We’ll see if he’s capable of handling this caliber of horse—I honestly don’t know.

My guy does his usual—sitting way back until the end of the backstretch. He makes his move, bets up to the back of the pack, and gets in a little traffic trouble. As they come out of the turn, I’m thinking “yup, he does seem to belong here—he’s passing them all right.” He moves slightly outside, gets a lane, and then passes the pack, getting clear and honing in on the three leaders. With about a sixteenth to go, he passes the third place horse, hits the jets, and splits the two leaders for a one-length win. Looks like he can handle this level after all.

I decide to try out the auctions. I really don’t have the cash on hand to get seriously involved, and honestly shouldn’t be messing with them at this point, but my curiosity gets the best of me. I have $22K+in cash going in, and coming out I’m down to $7,287 and a nice new 2yo colt named MOTORIN’ AROUND. 2yos are just exciting—they are full of unknown. This guy doesn’t have the best breeding, but he came fairly highly recommended from his “trainer” and I give him a whirl. It’s not the highest-probability route to make money, but I cross my fingers. I’ll get him into a race next month.

JUST READY will take on higher level company than ever before, as he will go in a $35k claiming race—the highest level of claiming race in this game. It’s at 1 ¾ miles, which should be good for him—and probably too long for many others. Even if he’s outclassed, the extreme distance may help his chances a great deal.

In this one, my guy is simply outclassed. He makes his “move” but the horses he faces here are simply too good for him, and he only gets far enough up to split the field. Not that big a letdown, but we had hopes that he might be able to run with the true “big boys.” Now, we’ll probably drop him back down into the $15-20k level, where he is a proven winner.

We end the month with $5,242 in cash on hand, and three heads in our stable. We’ll give MOTORIN’ AROUND his first call early in September.

[QuikSand]

September 1996

My first race of the month will be to send out my rookie, MOTORIN’ AROUND for his first time out. In this game, you learn a lot from the first race. He’ll go 5f against a field up for a $20k claiming price—they should be pretty poor, giving him a shot to step in and get a pretty nice winning check if he’s got any talent.

He draws the far outside of a full field of 13, which isn’t too great in a short race like this. He show little early speed, and cannot get any good early position. The news gets worse as he doesn’t show a boost into the turn, and sits among the last group to go by. He manages to get past a couple of tired front runners, but he ends up 11th of 13 in a poor showing. He will not be around long, and neither will my $15,000 I laid out for him. I find a private buyer to take him off my hands for $3,822, and I don’t expect to run into him again. Oh, well—nothing ventured, nothing gained.

On Sept 13, JUST READY will take on a field at 1 ¼ miles over the turf for $20,000. He’s in post position number 8—which is just fine for him. I don’t know if he’ll take to the turf, but we’ll see if his late-running style is enough here. I get a double surprise—not only does JUST READY look awful and finish dead last, but he is claimed away for $20,000—which I would not have guessed. Anyway, it looks as though we had established his upper limits, and I get the cash to explore elsewhere.

On Sept 15, ALBARIC (my only horse left) will try a $10k claiming race at 10f—the same level he won last out. There is some chance that he’ll get claimed away, and I’ll be left with an empty barn. Onehorse, DAY’S DELIGHT, was a runaway winner from the front but my guy galloped past everyone else in the field for second place. A solid showing, and no claim.

I head into the next auction, showing no short-term memory, and I come out $16 grand lighter—and the owner of SLO DOWN, a colt with apparently excellent breeding and a good temperament. I’ll place most of my hopes in him, and I’ll cling to the chance that he can actually win a race or two at some point.

At the end of a tumultuous month of September, I have $12,359 and two horses—my decent low-class distance runner ALBARIC, and an untested colt named SLO DOWN.

[QuikSand]

October 1996

On Oct 3, I send out SLO DOWN in his first effort, a 6f allowance race for $20k claiming price and a $12,600 purse. He has some early speed, at least relative to this field, and is among the four who go to the front. He starts to tire as they hit the stretch, but finds a little rally to get up for third place. Over the muddy track, it was a decent effort—we’ll hold on to him for now.

On Oct 13, ALBARIC will try another $10k claiming race—a level he has handled pretty well. It’s another 1 ¼ mile affair, and he’s the 5-2 favorite. He makes his late rally, gets right alongside the two co-leaders, and the three hit the wire almost together. The final tally places him in third place, but it was a solid effort. Not surprisingly, he is claimed away for the $10,000 price, and I am left without any money-winners in my stable. Ugh.

On Oct 18, I decide to bring back SLO DOWN in another short race. It’s a $15k maiden claiming race, and he is getting backing at the windows—made the 2-1 favorite. As it turns out, the public had it right—SLO DOWN tracks just behind the early leaders, and into the turn he moves ahead of all but one. In the stretch he tracks just behind the leader, and then takes the lead in the final sixteenth, to hold on and win by a little less than a full length. A nice effort. His time of 1:14.2 isn’t going to change the world, but it did bring in some cash.

I decide to put in a claim, in another effort to earn some money. I put up $18,000 for a 4yo gelding named RAIN DANCE TED. I think he can win at this level, or maybe a little bit higher, and looks like he can handle moderate distances okay. I’d like to get him drop him into a couple well-spotted races, and then see him get claimed away at a profit. He wins the claiming race, incidentally.

I decide to wheel RAIN DANCE TED right back, into a 10f race for $20,000. We’ll see what this guy is made of here, I suspect. I’d like to see him run well, and be in contention at least. With the word “rain” in his name, he has to handle the muddy track, and he looks like a narrow winner until a bold late move by SILVER PLATED bumps him to second. A good effort, nonetheless- but I think his best distance will be slightly shorter, maybe 8-9 furlongs.

I wrap up October with $11,801 in hand, and two rides.

[BishopMVP]

Nice to see you picked up some horses that look good, as opposed to the one bad move you made with Motorin' Around.

I used to live in a big victorian across from the Francis Scott Key house, on the corner of Shipwright and Revere, but I moved when I was in elementary school, about 10 years ago, so about all I can remember is climbing over the obstacle course at the Naval Academy, playing baseball in the church parking lot down the street until it was paved over and watching all the ships.

[Blade6119]

I want more...i almost ready to buy but need more...come on quik...for me...

[QuikSand]

Hmmmm... I think that the only Hooves that I'll be playing in the near future will be the multiplayer experiment that a few of us are trying. We've posted one thread over in the main forum, and while things will move more slowly, I suspect that it might prove more interesting with multiple stables active.

Check that out as it gets rolling... we'll see whather that proves to be bait enough.

[Blade6119]

Hey Quick...i was wondering if you could post the link for the topic with the famous "Informed Source"...thnx