07-18-2005, 01:19 PM | #51 | ||
College Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Thunderdome
|
Quik,
Excellent dynasty. That was unfortunate that you had to throw Charming Brown into the claimer to get the win. My guess is that you'll see CB down the road as an opponent. Tall Measure looks to have found his stride on the turf which is good news, because he just seemed like he'd be playing 2nd fiddle to Mighty Emperor for the rest of his career. Looks like the stable is in good shape. Hopefully Oaken Bucket can come together to work the 3 y/o circuit for you. When do you plan to start looking at the new crop of 2 year olds? |
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07-19-2005, 08:19 AM | #52 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
|
Glad you are enjoying.
As for the 2yo crop -- since I am limiting myself to purchasing horses in claming races, I basically end up sitting out the early 2yo races in July and August, when pretty much everything is a Maiden Special Weight race (with no claiing possibilities). Then, for the most part, it's just proven losers who are put up for a claiming price until at least October or so, I think. I will start fishing around in the top level of claiming races around then, generaly looking for a horse who has not yet run in a race and is being given a debut in a MCl race -- that's where I have had my best luck thus far. Spin the wheel with a few $35K or $50k maiden claimers, and I might hit on one who is worth carrying into the next year as my main 3yo entry. |
07-19-2005, 08:19 AM | #53 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
|
May 2008
It’s Derby time, and we are again not in the picture. I had sort of hoped that CHARMING BROWN might get in there, but no luck. The Derby goes to a closer named FRINGE BENEFITS (forgive the fact that this name is shared by a solid 4yo stakes horse as well, grrrr…), with PEACE TRIBUTE and MIME WHACKER rounding out the ticket. LAUGHING EYES is in the big fillies and mares sprint race, the May Flowers Handicap. She is in against some tough foes – MISSOURIFREIGHT and BELL COLLINS are both proven winners. This is, essentially, one of her biggest races of the year. Code:
LAUGHING EYES uses her inside position to gain a good early rail spot, and she holds it all the way to the turn. But she is no match for the best here, as MISSOURIFREIGHT holds on from the front to get the nod, once again. I want to keep TALL MEASURE in shape, so I decide to run him in a turf allowance race this month, for lack of better options. Code:
He has most definitely found his niche, as he seems very, very tough on the grass. Last three speed figures all well over 100 – a full level or two better than we previously expected from him. |
07-19-2005, 08:20 AM | #54 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
|
June 2008
We’ll have a busy month ahead, with stakes races for everyone, I think. First is the High Grade Handicap for three year olds – a great spot for OAKEN BUCKET, where he has the rail and is the favorite. Code:
He never gets more than a length or two clear, but he does hold on for the win here, going wire to wire in under 58 and a half. Good showing. TALL MEASURE gets another turf stakes, this time the $70,000 Jack Rabbit Handicap. How can we not like his chances – he has been unbeatable on the grass thus far. MISSOURIFREIGHT is in here, as is 4yo FRINGE BENEFITS and SCOTSWOMAN – this is a very, very tough field. Code:
I’m used to seeing MISSOURIFREIGHT get in front by three or four lengths, but my guy put her well behind here, as TALL MEASURE once again rolls on the grass and dominates from the front end. Another great performance from him, a 109 speed figure – the highest I’ve seen from any of my horses to date. On June 21, we have MIGHTY EMPEROR running in the King Cole Stakes – a $60,000 sprint race at 6 furlongs. He’s been a little overshadowed by the breakthrough from TALL MEASURE – but has still been running well this year. Code:
He cannot catch the top two, but holds on for a money spot once again. Not bad. I decide to give OAKEN BUCKET a shot in the Big City Jim Stakes, against older company. He may be outclassed, but he’s the freshest horse we have right now and this beats sitting it out completely. He almost certainly cannot beat HEAD OF STATE, but gets a shot for some money here. Code:
About what I figured – he (and most of the field) was way outclassed by the winner, while HEAD OF STATWE dropped back to the pack. My guy was in the mix, but faded a bit – I think 6f might be his limit, really. I probably should have run EMPEROR in this race – he might have had a shot to grind out a money finish. LAUGHING EYES has a real shot in the Misty Isle Stakes, for $80,000 against distaff company only. Pretty tough field, even without MISSOURIFREIGHT. Code:
I’m a bit surprised as she makes her move along the rail, and takes the front in the final furlong. Good effort, and one of her biggest wins to date. A sizzling 108 speed figure speaks well for her, also – perfect spot, I guess. A very good month of June – we took down a few stakes races, earned some nice cash, and kept on rolling. Our run at Blue Rock Downs (April-June) has been sensational – we’ll have to see if our guys like the surface as well at Ashbourne, where we will be all summer long. It’s a notorious speed-favoring track, so that might work well for our short races. |
07-20-2005, 10:32 AM | #55 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
|
July 2008
In the 7f Zenith Handicap, I try a double entry again… but only MIGHTY EMPEROR gets in, and my filly will have to find another spot. Several tough customers in here – we will try to rally from off the pace a bit for this one. Code:
At Ashbourne, speed is defnitely king – and my guy does fine to be the “best of the rest” behind the dominant early speedster, MISSOURIFREIGHT. TALL MEASURE will get his last turf stakes race chance here, in the Scherzo Handicap for $80,000. This s at 7f – maybe not the perfect fit of the 5f supersprint last time out, but he still looks like the one to beat. Code:
He is hung three wide on the first turn, which compromises his early move a bit – he doesn’t claim the clear lead until the late backstretch, which is unusual for him. And in the stretch he gets bassed easily by MISSOURI FREIGHT who goes on for another impressive win. His first loss on the turf this year, as he perhaps doesn’t take as well to this turf course as the one back at Blue Rock. Regardless, he is already sitting on nearly $280,000 in earnings for this year – putting him already atop our list for the richest season thus far. And it’s only August! I want to get in a race for OAKEN BUCKET, but there’ nothing for just 3yos – so I send him off in an allowance race for older horses. I expect the worst. Code:
As I feared – not his best effort, but not a sign that he’s a prime time player, either, really. I’ll try to angle him in against 3yo company, but past that, he may be sent off. |
07-20-2005, 10:32 AM | #56 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
|
August 2008
This can be a busy month for LAUGHING EYES, as we expect to get her into two stakes races for fillies and mares. We’ll see if she can remain a top playerin that class. First up is the Ashbourne F&M Sprint – a $100,000 race, probably the biggest race of the calendar for this class. Of course, MISSOURIFREIGHT is the heavy hitter here, and is unfortunately on the rail. We run (of course) from the #2 slot, just to her outside, but can’t expect to keep up early. Code:
A little different race than I had imagined – MISSOURIFREIGHT got pushed early, and seemed to tire here, as PETE’S ORCHID rallied nicely to get up just in time. My gal trailed behind, made a move, but missed by about a length. We get our two lads double entered into the A Phenomenon Stakes, a 7f race with a purse of $100,000. Good spot, and we have both TALL MEASURE and MIGHTY EMPEROR ready to run here. I realize TALL MEASURE is a turfer now, but this is a good enough race to send him off in regardless. (And it is starting to look like it’s graded races where I can double enter my horses, good to know) Code:
A good showing from EMPEROR, who makes his usual tracking run and gets into the money again. FREEWAY HALO rallied strong to nab second and almost get the top spot. TALL MEASURE pushed for the early lead, but then seemed to tire a bit. I’m thinking that I might now keep TALL MEASURE in only turf races, perhaps other than the year-end Wynnefield Cup race, which is too big to miss. Just seems to be his best spot, and I sort of like the segmentation I get from having him and MIGHTY EMPEROR on separate tracks. The Tuscany Handicap has a purse of $60,000, and is one o the last spots for 3yo only competition. OAKEN BUCKET is my guy here, of course, and he will face a mixed field that (finally) includes CHARMING BROWN. Actually, I make those two the top contenders in the race, interestingly enough. Code:
My read isn’t too good – the sprinters get ahead early, but the pack catches up and passes my guy, while BROWN hangs in there a bit closer, but still out of the top spot. A bit disappointing – I though the BUCKET had a shot here, and thi smight be his last really good spot for us. The December Sheepshead Bay is probably his last race where he will face 3 year old company. Late in August, we have LAUGHING EYES out again, this time for the My Jewel Handicap, a 7f race with a 60,000 purse. Once again, MISSOURIFREIGHT is on the rail. Code:
This time, my girl goes forward, and actually takes the lead in the early backstretch – unexpected. But MISSOURIFREIGHT pushes out, and seems to take command in the late backstretch, and is ahead by five lengths into the turn. LAUGHING EYES is completely spent, and is no factor. Seems like trying to gun for the front was a strategic error – this was a poor result for her. |
07-20-2005, 10:32 AM | #57 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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September 2008
September is a quiet month for our older horses, as they will be preparing for the Wynnefield season up ahead (no sprint stakes races on the calendar). I do spend some time looking for a new 2yo charge or two to try out. I find a colt for $35,000 who looks like he might fit our pattern – he has suffered two hard luck losses in his first two races, but seems to have speed figures that suggest he can do pretty well. I put in my claim, and grab chestnut colt SAWBUCKS from the claiming field. Here is his record as he joins our stable: Code:
SAWBUCK is much the best in the claiming race I watched, and we might have picked him up at just the right time. So, now we have someone to keen an eye on, and to target for the 2yo season ahead – with the win (and a couple seconds) he has a few bucks earned, and we’ll keep him running in his debut season. There are two 2yo sprint staks in October – and I suspect we’ll be pointing toward the Macbeth Stakes on October 18th for him. Later in the month, I find another claim – a debuting filly in a $30,000 claimer. I put in my claim for TULIP TOPS and bring aboard another promising youngster. Here is her record after the claiming race: Code:
Looks like we might do okay with her as well – a solid win here, and a front-running style, I’m thinking, is a good fit. So – with that, we now have two additions to the barn, and we will keep them on the work schedule with allowance races in late September. Need to accumulate some earnings if we’re going to qualify for the stakes races in the coming months, and to find out if the horses are actually worth sending out in those fields. SAWBUCK is up first, and we have him slotted in his first allowance race, against better horses than he has faced before. This is also his first ride under Eddie Coyle, my regular jock, so that is an unknown also. At 7 furlongs, I might also find out how he can handle the longer sprint distances. Code:
Good effort – he romps to the front, and leads the whole way – losing ground late but holding on for the top spot. Not a superior speed figure, but a good result for certain. I’m guessing he will be stronger at 6f (or even 5f) but he looks like a contender to me. TULIP TOPS will face a pretty tough field, maybe tougher than that seen by SAWBUCK. Code:
She makes the lead, but gets run down by one tough presser, and then two others in the final paces. She posts a better speed fig than did SAWBUCK, though – so there’ still hope that she might be strong in the distaff side for younger races. (And the emergence of duplicate horse names is getting VERY irritating – just in this race there was a MISSOURIFREIGHT, a FRINGE BENEFITS, a SCOTSWOMAN, and a CRASH ALOFT – all names still in ude by prominent older horses in this career. In fact, I think there may now be four or five of some of those names. It’s absurd, really, that a game can have such a short-sighted design flaw like this even after being “patched.”) |
07-21-2005, 08:10 AM | #58 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
|
October 2008
In October, we move to Wynnefield Park, and will try to get our older horses back on the track, and prepared for the November Wynnefield Cup races. We also have two intriguing two year olds to keep active, and they will get chances to run this month as well. October 4th is the Sterling Silver Handicap – the only sprint stakes this month. I triple entr my top three, and hope for the best. I expect to get only one in, leaving the others to probably run in allowance races this month as a tune up. MIGHTY EMPEROR gts our slot in the Sterling Silver, so we will slot TALL MEASURE in a turf allowance race, and will look for a suitable slot for LAUGHING EYES. I give MIGHTY EMPEROR a solid shot in this race, against a decent but not overpowering field. Code:
A little disappointing – he got pinned on the rail behind the trailing line, and didn’t get room until late – but wasn’t really a factor. LAUGHING EYES gets her tune up in a 6f allowance race: Code:
Good effort, she picks up a paycheck, and runs a pretty good figure for her. TALL MEASURE will get one more run on the turf for his tune-up: Code:
A wonderful effort, right back to the great form he showed this spring. Regrettably, we will have to run him on the main track in the Wynnefield Cup, as the turf race is too long for my stable. But regardless – it’s good to see him back in form. The Macbeth Stakes is for two year olds, with a $60,000 purse. SAWBUCK has enough earnings to qualify, and we will send him off here, from the rail. I check out the field, and think that we have a solid shot here, along with the #2 horse, PROVIDENT. We ought to be dueling on the front early. Code:
It’s basically a two horse race, as my colt gets the lead, holds off PROVIDENT, and stays on top the whole way, though BANK ON BILL did make a bit of a move in the late stages to get pretty close. A great effort – we might have another winner in the barn after all! SAWBUCK is easily having the best 2yo campaign of any horse in our stable. TULIP TOPS lacked the earnings to get into the big race, and so she settles for another allowance effort: Code:
Another nice run for her – but this time a rather disappointing speed figure. She earned a 92 and 94 in her first two races – here just an 80. Might be a fluke, but that is worrisome. OAKEN BUCKET will not be running in the Wynnefield Cup, so I enter him in the late October Hybernion handicap – a nice sprint that happens to be too close to the Cup races for my tastes. Against older horses, he might be in trouble here. Code:
For a horse that I have all but given up on, OAKEN BUCKET did great here – they hit the wire three across, and he loses by basically a bob of heads. The weight advantage might have made a difference, but still – it’s a nice effort for him. He has won $135,000 this year – not really too bad all things considered. I don’t know what sort of future he has with us, but it is nice to see a god effort here. He will get one last crack at big money in December against three year olds – then we will have to make the call. We are warmed up and ready for the Wynnefield Cup to open November. |
07-21-2005, 08:10 AM | #59 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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November 2008
We will be represented in both sprint races on Wynnefield Cup day, as expected. First, we have the Wynnefield Sprint, the $100K race at 6f for horses and colts. This is, as a practical matter, the “championship” race of the sprint division. We have our 6yo gelding MIGHTY EMPEROR and our 4yo colt TALL MEASURE entered – the latter has proven to be more effective over the turf surface, but this is the spot for him on Cup day. TALL MEASURE has taken down over $300,000 in purse money this year already, so he’s on top of his game – a win here would just ice things completely. Code:
Wow. TALL MEASURE was able to grind his way to the lead, then got passed by LIVELY MESSENGE, only to reclaim the top spot in the final paces. MIGHTY EMPEROR was not on his game today (under a different rider, too) but we got the top spot for the first time in this race, with the guy who didn’t even want to run here. What a season for TALL MEASURE! We will try for a double, as LAUGHING EYES is in the distaff sprint. She’s a factor if she runs her best, but LOVELY HEART is a very tough rival here. Code:
My filly is not really a front-runner, but Eddie felt the only way we could win was to run up front with LOVELY HEAR – he was right. We stayed in front a long time, but she ground us down and put it away by a short margin. Good effort for LAUGHING EYES, and one of her best races. So, we come away from the big day with a gold and a silver – a very nice showing for our stable. Later in November, we have allowance races for our two year olds (as the stakes races for 2yos are all at 8f or longer). First we send out SAWBUCK in his allowance race, after cleaning up a stakes field last time: Code:
Tough loss here, just getting caught at the end. He is definitely sharpest at the shorter distances, even though h did hold on in the 7f Macbeth. TULIP TOPS is next, in a comparable field, but running a full 8 furlongs (by my mistake). Code:
All my fault – she has no business running a full mile, and was completely out of gas at the end. We will get her properly pointed to a sprint distance, where she ought to rebound just fine. |
07-21-2005, 09:48 AM | #60 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
|
December 2008
A pretty quiet month – we have the last stakes race for three year olds, and that’s it. Our top charges will take the month off, while our two year olds will both get allowance race experience. OAKEN BUCKET is in the 7f Sheepshead Bay Handicap – the last stakes race for three year olds only. He is made the favorite, to my surprise, but he does fit well here at this distance. Code:
It ends up being a big mess at the end, with the finishers running basically five across, but my guy is at the back of thet tight group, in a non-menacing fifth. I have SAWBUCK running in an allwance race here – and he gets surprisingly clobbered: Code:
He basically ran his race, but got swallowed up and passed easily in the final stages. He’s a bit of a mystery now to me – I don’t know quite what to expect. Finally, our filly TULIP TOPS is ready, and she gets an allwance race as well: Code:
Wow, another big disappointment for us here. I thought maybe the 7f would be a bit too long for her – but didn’t expect her to be our of contention from the very start. Surprising. That wraps up our races for the year – we will once again run through the career records of each of our charges: Code:
And with that – we have the annual summary of “best seasons” from the stable – a list which has changed dramatically after this year: Code:
Ahead, probably our biggest decision is what to do with MIGHTY EMPEROR. If he is, in fact, slowing down – should we continue to run him? Or should we try out OAKEN BUCKET as our prime entry for the main track, with TALL MEASURE staying on the turf when he can do so? |
06-01-2007, 06:10 AM | #61 |
College Prospect
Join Date: May 2005
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The horse racing bug bit me today, as I was looking for a game to take some of the time that had been devoted to Pokemon: Diamond on my play list. And, so I have just finished reading this dynasty and QuikSand's previous archived dynasty using Quarterpole Plus. And, then I placed an order for Quarterpole Plus.
I never gave Quarterpole Plus a try before, but after looking at all the new horse racing games that have come out recently, plus playing several of the older ones like Starters Orders Pro, none of them seem to have what I want in a PC horse racing game. So, I think I will finally make an attempt at Quarterpole Plus. |
06-04-2007, 08:38 AM | #62 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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It's the closest thing out there to the game that I actually want to play... but its odd shortcomings make it *really* frustrating in a lot of ways. Using some significant house rules (especially on the purchase/sale of horses) makes it better, but it's really difficult to get the "background" to make any sense at all. I'm able to get past that in most sport sims, but in racing where the "level of competition" really matters, having that be so poorly implemented is a major, major frustration.
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06-17-2007, 02:21 PM | #63 |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Colorado
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It's funny but I still give Hooves of Thunder a slight edge over QPP for one reason. To me, the essense of a thoroughbred sim - and sports sims in general - is the ability to find bargains. I believe QPP is weaker in this respect for there are horses that race at low levels that have no business being there. HoT seems to have segregated this better.
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06-18-2007, 04:45 AM | #64 |
lolzcat
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Annapolis, Md
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I agree with that, Bucc, and it's enough for me to make the split between the two a pretty close call. It's a real shame, since there are a number of things that are a good deal better about QPP. But the complete nonsense that happens in the background (horses running races every couple of days, varying in class massively from race to race, and having no idea what distance suits them at all) really kills any meaningful sense of immersion for me, unless I really work to manufacture it myself (like taking a lot of my own time to run shadow stables, to take control of the major "other" horses that ought to be competing against mine, to make sure they get entered into the suitable races).
Weird thing is, this game actually got patched... and they still thought this stuff worked well enough after being "fixed," apparently. *sigh* |
06-18-2007, 11:09 PM | #65 | |
College Prospect
Join Date: May 2005
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Quote:
When I got my copy of QPP recently, an additional single sheet of paper dated with the year 2007 was included. On one side was additional notes and on the other side was advanced handicapping tips. On the side with the advanced handicapping tips under a bullet point about Speed figures (SF) was the following... "SF are often a more reliable factor than class of race because QPP moves better horses into lower class claiming races at times to allow astute owners to claim some better horses." So, I guess this "bug" is now a feature of the current QPP program. I found QPP fun to play. However, as with all horse racing programs I found things that bugged me about it. Specifically, I did not like the monthly auctions, since it was exactly the same every month in terms of the quality of horses and the order in which they appeared. I did not like the fact that basically the monthly auction is only for your stable. If you do not purchase one of the horses, then it disappears from the database. So even if another owner is shown as the highest bidder, he never gets that horse. If you search for a horse that you did not buy at the auction that horse is not in the database. If anything QPP seems to be more of a betting simulator, then a horse racing sim. I have since moved on to Horse Racing Manager, also called Final Stretch, (not HRM2, but the original 2003 version), since it is available for $10 on GamersGate. And, so far, it is more of a managerial simulator with a horse racing setting than a horse racing sim. As you have to figure out the correct feed for each of your horses (seems to be very important), and determine it's training regiment. At the same time you are buying buildings (that give you bonuses to various things) to expand your stable, and you have to hire employees to run various things. There is betting and horse racing, and it is also in 3D if you want to watch the races and you can also be a jockey, but the program seems to be lacking in some major areas. But it wasn't that bad of a purchase for $10, at least I think so at the moment. |
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06-20-2007, 08:53 PM | #66 |
Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Colorado
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That's a good post, 23. That quote from the sheet saddens me because one of the commandments in text sims is not to give the player any additional advantages over the AI. This is one of the most egregious examples of such. As far as HRM, that sounds like too much cotton-candy simming to me. What I liked about HoT was that the primary (and perhaps only) focus was on placing your horses in the right race, given the variables of class, length, track type and purse. It was too bad that it wasn't more than that but that was enough for a couple of seasons worth of gameplay.
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03-16-2010, 04:37 PM | #67 |
High School JV
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: parts unknown, weight unknown...
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update?
you still playing the ponies in real life?
__________________
"Holy mother cow, 86 weeks." |
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