Thoroughbred Racing Starter Guide

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Neco
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Thoroughbred Racing Starter Guide Jan 1, 2016 13:25:55 GMT -5 Ljslibby likes this

Post by Neco on Jan 1, 2016 13:25:55 GMT -5

Seeing Stars Racing Information for Thoroughbred Flat Racing

by Neco

Are you interested in starting up a racing string here at Seeing Stars? That’s great! Thoroughbred racing here is a great way to get involved with the community and pit your horses against some of the best runners we have racing at the moment. It’s also a fun and different way to interact with your horse and the other members of the community!

If you’re new the system, don’t worry, this post will tell you everything you need to know in order to get started. Just read through and if you have any questions, please PM me or Jewellz and we’ll be more than happy to help you!

Quick Links
Racing Abilities
Racing Stats - Explained
Racing Form

Breeding Your Racers
Thoroughbred Coat Colors

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Getting Started

In order to compete in Thoroughbred racing, you obviously need a Thoroughbred. We don’t discriminate against any versions or mods - if you have a V1 that you decide is a Thoroughbred, feel free to enter! If you have a mod of a V2 Thoroughbred or created your own, again, feel free to enter!

Once you’ve adopted your horse and named him or her, you’ll have to assign its stats, abilities, track preference and distance preference. It’s these things that will allow your horse to potentially dominate its rivals with the perfect combination.

Stats and Abilities

All horses have the same stat categories, and all start out with 50 in each stat. To up your horse’s stats, you may enter your horse in training camps where you can choose a training exercise and the horse will accumulate more points in certain stats relating to that training program. However, once your horse reaches 60 in four stats, it is no longer eligible for training.

After your horse is done training, if you’ve chosen to do so, your horse can accumulate the rest of its points through racing. Just like our halter program here, placing in the Top 5 will earn your horse 1 to 5 points, while racers that place 6th and below will often be awarded 1 or 2 consolation points, depending on the race host’s preference. Any points you earn in races are yours to place depending on your own preference – you may place the full points in only ONE stat of your choice and thus bump up your horse’s chances of winning its next race.

PLEASE NOTE: You CANNOT earn your horses' points other than through racing on the forum. Running your own "personal" races is not allowed and any horse that has been found doing this will have its stats reset to its previous level. You can ONLY EARN STAT POINTS FROM RACING ON THE FORUM.

Now that you’ve got your stats in order, you can choose your horse’s abilities, my personal favorite! A horse may have two good abilities and one bad ability, usually portrayed in green and red colors to help differentiate them. The abilities are listed in a separate post below. Remember, these abilities are PERMANENT and you cannot change them once you pick them and enter a race! Please keep that in mind when choosing abilities – you’ll want the perfect combination of good and bad to sweep your competition under the rug.

Distance Preferences

Distance plays a big role in horse racing – is your horse a sprinter, a router, or that highly coveted Classic horse that can cover classic distances?

Unlike the old system, we are allowing a handler to choose their horse’s distance in a 3 – 5 furlong range. As long as the distance the horse can handle as its preferred racing distance is between 3 – 5 furlongs, you’re free to pick your own customized furlongs for your horse!

However, if you’re uncertain as to what to do, or you want your horse to be considered a “specific” type of racer, here are our general guidelines for what we consider horses that race within these confines:

5 – 7.5 – Sprinter
7.5 – 9.5 – Middle/Common Distance
10 – 12 – Classic Distance
12 – 16 – Router/Marathoner

Obviously these are NOT strict guidelines, as your horse could be anything from 5 – 9 furlongs, 7 – 10 furlongs, or only 7 – 8.5 furlongs. It really depends on you!

For horses that were registered during the old system, you may either change their distances or keep them the same. They still must stay within a 3 – 5 furlong range but are no longer confined to the old set brackets.

Track Preferences

In TB racing here, we have only two types of track - dirt and turf. What your horse prefers is entirely up to you.

If your horse loves the dirt and the mud, put “Great” as his preference and “Okay“ for turf; if she’s more of a grass runner, put “Great” in the turf category and “Okay“ in the dirt. Or if you have one of those versatile horses that loves both surfaces, put “Good” for both.

We do not allow horses to be “Great” in both turf and dirt, at least as of the moment. We are currently discussing a breeding strategy that may allow this to happen through careful breeding bloodlines, but at the moment, your horse can ONLY be “Great” in one track or “Good” in both.

Leg Type

Is your horse a leader or a follower? Does he like to make his move at the top of the homestretch or within the sixteenth pole for a thrilling finish?

That’s what you need to decide with leg type. For our system, there are four types of running styles: Front Runner, Stalker, Follower and Closer. Each is explained in more depth below.

Front Runner: This type of horse loves the lead and loves to run uncontested at the front of the pack. Often these horses hate the idea of other horses bumping or pushing them in the middle of the pack and will run away at the start to lead the rest of the field on a merry chase. These horses may or may not be able to hold off closers – more often they can fold under pressure.

Stalker: This type of horse is usually only a few lengths off the pace and tracking the leaders through each turn. These horses will bide their time then throw in a big move near the top or middle of a stretch, wearing down the leader to take over the top spot and hold on for the wire. Much like front runners, they may or may not be able to fend off the challengers of deep closers.

Follower: This type of horse is often found in the middle of the pack, happily running along and bumping into its fellows without a care in the world. They’re content to run five or more lengths off the leaders and make their moves near the middle of the stretch and can sometimes simply overwhelm a tiring leader or kick back a challenging closer. They are similar to closers, but run closer to the stalkers and leaders.

Closer: This type of horse often drops to the back of the field and trails the field throughout the race, until it lets loose an explosive turn of foot. These horses will often look to be hopelessly beaten, then suddenly turn it on in the middle or deep stretch and charge down the track hellbent for the finish line. They can often overwhelm horses that ran near the pace and repel challenges from other closers.

Graded Racing

Once your horse has reached a certain stat number in three of its stats, then that horse is considered a “Grade III” racer. Graded stakes and races are more much coveted than the open stakes we run for the lower stat’d horses and will definitely up a horse’s stud fee and desirability when people are looking for a stud or dam for their horse. For our system, we follow the American system of “Grade III,” “Grade II,” and “Grade I” for how they grade their races. Grade III is the lowest tier, Grade II is the middle, and Grade I is the best of the best - everyone wants a Grade I winner and a multiple Grade I winner is the holy grail of TB racing anywhere!

Here’s the grading system we use in regards with stat numbers:

Grade III: 65 in any three or more stats of your choice.
Grade II: 75 in any two or more stats of your choice.
Grade I: 85 in any one or more stats of your choice.

Once your horse has reached Grade III status, it may NOT compete in Open Level anymore – it may only compete in Graded competitions. A horse from Open Level may decide to jump into Graded races without the required stats, but if it places in the Top 3, it may not return to Open Level races and will have to compete against top horses with better stats. Please consider this when entering in top tier races!

For Grade II and I horses, they MAY compete in lower races if the host allows it, but they will be handed a higher weight impost and will be heavily penalized for it! This is to keep the playing field even so that a Grade I racer can’t continuously dominate Grade II and III races. We encourage people to compete in their appropriate Graded level, because after all, a race won against your peers is better than one against lesser competition!

Important Information! Once a horse has reached Grade I status and was WON a GI race, it is automatically retired. This has been decided upon in order to open up competitions to more horses as we are limited in our gate positions and to give others a fair chance at winning. There will, however, be special competitions for GI winners to compete exclusively against each other in order to accumulate more points, more purse money and more prestige in stud fees and desirability for the breeding shed.

As time goes by, I’ll be refining and adding more information to this page, but until them, please PM me any questions if you have some regarding racing. I’ll be more than happy to help you out and point you in the right direction.

Happy Racing!

Last Edit: May 22, 2020 9:30:06 GMT -5 by Neco

Neco
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Thoroughbred Racing Starter Guide Jan 1, 2016 13:26:21 GMT -5

Post by Neco on Jan 1, 2016 13:26:21 GMT -5

Breeding Your Racers

by Neco

So, you have this awesome pair of racehorses and want to breed them to create more awesome racehorses. But what do you do? Unlike Halter or Jumping champions, racehorses not only earn points but those points are put toward their racing stats, those

Here's how you'd go about breeding your 2nd/3rd/etc generation of racehorses to expand your stable!

How to Calculate Racehorse Foal Stats

When breeding two racehorses together, you'll have to go about combining their stats for their foal(s) - any 2nd generation Thoroughbred will inherit certain stats from its parents as both a reward and a bonus. What stats are completely up to you!

To figure out the stats of your new foal, pick the 3 highest stats from EACH parent - three from the sire and three from the dam. Subtract 50 from each stat - so say if the stat was 65, it would be 65 - 50 = 15. Then take the difference and divide it by two - so if we continue to use our 15 example, it would be 15 / 2 = 7.5 or round up to 8. If any stat comes up with a decimal, simply round up to the nearest whole number. Your final number will be the integer you received after dividing by two. Add that many points to that stat to your foal.

Here's an example of how it should look like:

Sire
Speed -- 65 - 50 = 15 / 2 = 7.5 = 8
Staying -- 60 - 50 = 10 / 2 = 5
Breaking -- 55 - 50 = 5 / 2 = 2.5 = 3

Dam
Fierce -- 63 - 50 = 13 / 2 = 6.5 = 7
Courage -- 72 - 50 = 12 / 2 = 6
Response -- 58 - 50 = 8 / 2 = 4

So then your foal would look like...

Speed: 58
Staying: 55
Stamina: 50
Breaking: 53
Power: 50
Feel: 50
Fierce: 57
Tenacity: 50
Courage: 56
Response: 54

What happens if two of the highest stats of your parents are the same? You can either choose a different stat if you want a more well rounded or you can add the final numbers together after dividing the difference by two. So say your horses both have high Power stats, so you'd do...

Sire
65 - 50 = 15 / 2 = 7.5 = 8

Dam
62 - 50 = 12 / 2 = 6

Foal
50 (base) + 8 + 6 = 64 (final stat)

You may only do this ONCE per foal, and that's only if two of the highest stats on the parents coincide. Our goal is to have well rounded foals that aren't too heavily skewed one way or the other and that can compete against the top older horses we have in competition at the moment.

Breeding Bonus!

So now you have your foal with some nice stats... but look at all the those ugly 50s! 50 is the base stat on any racehorse, the lowest you can get, and since foals start out basically from scratch, they begin at 50 until you give them their points from their parents' stats. Most of the time, it may not be a be a problem, since you can train your foal up and get those 50s into some more well-rounded numbers. But what if your foal already has 60+ in four stats, and is therefore unable to train? He's at a decided disadvantage against other horses that have had the benefit of training, despite the fact he got a bonus from his parents.

After figuring out the foal's stats from its parents, to make your foal on par with the other trained runners, any stat leftover that has "50" will get an extra 5 points. So if your foal up there previously looked like this after your calculations...

Speed: 65
Staying: 64
Stamina: 62
Breaking: 50
Power: 60
Feel: 57
Fierce: 50
Tenacity: 50
Courage: 57
Response: 50

He has 60 in four stats, so he can't be trained up. However, with the foal bonus he gets, adding "5" to each 50 stat will transform him into:

Speed: 65
Staying: 64
Stamina: 62
Breaking: 55
Power: 60
Feel: 57
Fierce: 55
Tenacity: 55
Courage: 57
Response: 55

And now he's on par with the rest of the trained racers on there! You now have yourself a competitive 2nd generation horse to continue your Thoroughbred line on the flats.

Important Info!!

We are implementing a stat limit - the highest stat your foal can have is a 70. Anything higher and we feel that the foal has an unfair advantage against other Open Level horses. Competition on all levels is important, and I'd personally rather horses work their way from the lower ranks to the highest rather than have a foal born with GI stats. After all, that doesn't happen on the track - just because your daddy is a GI winner doesn't mean you will be too!

For any other questions, or just general help calculating stats, please PM me! I'm always up to help anyone with a problem :]

Neco
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Thoroughbred Racing Starter Guide Jan 1, 2016 13:28:04 GMT -5

Post by Neco on Jan 1, 2016 13:28:04 GMT -5

Thoroughbred Horse Colors

These are the current colors and markings that are preferred in the races here on SS. We have used the Jockey Club and various other horse racing and genetics websites to come up with a comprehensive list of horse colors and markings that happen in the real life Thoroughbred breed if anyone needs ideas for hexes or are curious about the breed itself.

THESE ARE NOT AN END ALL, BE ALL COLOR GUIDES. This is what is allowed in real life, and what we generally prefer on SS, but I will not bar your horse if it happens to be an Appaloosa or another color that isn't mentioned here. This really just serves as a hexing guide for people that want to hex horses that mimic the real life genetic diversity of the Thoroughbred breed!

Base Colors

Black – Though rare, there are true black Thoroughbreds out there in the racing world. True black is different from “dark bay” or “seal brown” – those horses may look black, but they will often have brown hairs near their muzzle, belly and inside of their legs. A true black horse will have none of these, and though they made fade in the sun, they will never bleach brown.

Chestnut – Chestnut is a common color in Thoroughbreds, and can vary widely in shade. Some horses can look almost cream they’re so pale, while others take on the burnished look of old copper. Although black is dominant to chestnut, chestnut often takes the prize of top genes.

Modifiers

Bay/Dark Bay– This is probably the most common marking class in Thoroughbreds. The horse will have a brown coat, with black points on its legs, muzzle, mane and tail. The brown in its coat can vary from a deep rich chocolate to an almost reddish color (blood bay), while the black points can reach up to the knees and hocks and beyond them in some cases. Dark bays are simply a darker variation of bay. Mislabeled as “brown” because of the lighter brown hairs around their muzzles and bellies, they are still registered as bay or “seal brown” (see below).

Brown/Seal Brown – Often registered as “dark bay,” these horses are simply brown in color. They will not have the dark markings of a “dark bay,” or the lighter hairs of a “seal brown” horse. A seal brown appears almost black in color, but the horse will have brown or reddish hairs near the muzzle, eyes, the elbow and the stifle. These horses will also have black points, thus the “dark bay” label for many of them, but if they have reddish or brown points near any of the above mentioned spots, they are seal.

Grey – This color can vary from a very almost silvery white to a very dark gunmetal grey that appears almost black in color. These horses will often have dapples throughout their coat and sometimes have darker points on their legs, muzzle, mane and tail. Greys will almost always lighten with age to white, though they will retain some dapples and may often resemble a “fleabitten” type of appearance.

White – Though rare, they are some true white Thoroughbreds out there. These horses are completely white, with pink around their muzzles and eyes; they will be born white and stay the same color at any age.

Other Colors

Palomino – A variation of chestnut, these horses will have a very pale, golden chestnut body with white or flaxen points on their legs, mane and tail.

Cremello – A very, very pale cream horse that looks almost white.

Perlino – Similar to cremello, this horse is a cream modifier off the bay gene, and though their bodies are a pale cream in color, they will often have a reddish hue to their points in a faint mimicry of bay.

Buckskin – This often happens when a bay and a cream-gened horse are crossed. The black points are unaffected, but the base coat will lighten up in shade, often ranging from an almost cremello to a very sooty looking chestnut.

Smoky Black and Cream – These horses are hard to distinguish from their other counterparts, but are often identified by how their coats fade in the sun. A smoky black looks similar to a regular black horse, but its coat will be several shades lighter and often bleaches in the sun to an almost brown appearance. Smoky creams look very similar to cremellos and perlinos, but when combined with white markings, the cream appears a darker almost sooty color. Either smoky black or cream happens when one parent carries the cream gene.

Markings

Bloody Shoulder – This appears almost exclusively on grey horses. These are usually patches of color, ranging from red to brown to black, that appear on the shoulder, neck or body of the animal. They resemble claw marks, as if the horse had been scratched, but are really just very odd markings.

Brindle – This is a relatively new marking that pertains directly to roan. The horse will be a darker color, mainly black or seal brown, with smaller white stripes running across its coat in a uniform pattern. Brindle is very common in several breeds of dog, but still rare in the Thoroughbred. Brindles most often produce true roan foals.

Sabino – These are white markings on a Thoroughbred that most often appear as a blaze and stockings. Sabino can range from the minimal socks and stripe, to a horse that has four white stockings, an enormous blaze that runs past its chin and in many instances, white splashes on its body. Sabinos are more commonly extreme on chestnut-based horses.

Overo – Though a paint pattern, this has been seen in Thoroughbreds! Sabino horses most commonly pass this on for whatever reason, but the horses will often have large white body patches. This can be minimally expressed in stockings, blazes and small belly marks, to full blown pintos running around the paddock. These appear commonly on bay or black horses.

Splash – Similar to overo, these horses will often have completely white faces or heads, and sometimes blue eyes. They will have four large white stockings on their legs and the tips of their tail will be white. This pattern is much rarer than either sabino or overo.

Rabicano – This manifests as white speckles along the horse’s flanks and belly and many rabicanos will often have white streaks at the base of their tail running through it. These can occur on either base coat color or modifier.

Birdcatcher Spots – Small white spots that can vary from very small to somewhat large will dot an otherwise plain coat in no real pattern. This can happen on any color Thoroughbred.

Tetrarch Spots – Similar to Birdcatcher spots, only much larger.

Bend Or Spots – These almost exclusively appear on chestnut horses. They are small, darker colored chestnut spots on the horse’s coat, most often appear on the flanks, belly and shoulder of the animal.

Neco
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Thoroughbred Racing Starter Guide Jan 1, 2016 13:28:24 GMT -5

Post by Neco on Jan 1, 2016 13:28:24 GMT -5

Racing Stats Explanation

Here is a quick run down of each stat that is required in racing, and how it affects your runners. I'm not going to say that one stat is better than others, because it isn't! Each of these stats work in conjunction with each other, and can also affect the abilities your horse has, so please make sure you keep all of that in mind as you read over this guide!

Speed: How fast the horse runs with its closing kick. Usually speed doesn't really come into play until the last quarter mile of a race. This is when most of the horses, even the front runners, will display their "closing kick," which means their acceleration to top speed when asked by their jockey. It denotes basically how fast a horse will close into any sort of pace, or how fast a front runner will cruise to the wire.

Staying: How long a horse keep that closing kick going! A horse with a high staying factor will be able to carry his speed longer (time wise) and has the ability to be in contention for that much longer. A horse with high staying has a better chance to fend off closing rivals or a better chance to keep closing over those long final furlongs even if he's flagging a bit in the final stages. Staying works in conjunction with stamina most of the time, and it's best to try and use them together when updating your stats.

Stamina: This is similar to staying, except it applies a bit more to distance than time. A horse with high stamina will be able to run longer distances in a longer time, and this will effect his closing kick; a horse with a high stamina can keep up a sustained bid for a furlong or more, sometimes even a quarter mile or more, once he's given the signal to go. Stamina is often a great stat to have high if your horse is aiming for longer races, as even if his speed is low, he can just grind away at rivals that may have higher speed but lower stamina.

Breaking: This denotes how well and quickly a horse breaks from the gate. I've seen horses just STAND in the gate for a full second after the gate opens before breaking; I've seen others that have reared just before the break and lose that crucial few seconds. A horse with a high breaking stat will be less likely to act up in the gate (pawing the ground, prancing, etc) and will be that much sharper to shoot out when the gates pop.

Power: How strong the horse is. A horse with a high power isn't going to tire as easily or be as intimidated by his rivals; he'll have the staying power to keep on going even if he's lagging in the final 100 yards. This can also affect your horse's closing kick, as a horse with high power will often have a stronger closing kick, even if his speed isn't tremendously high.

Feel: How well a horse will settle in a race. Many times, I've seen a horse keen to go and throw his head up to pull against his rider when the jockey tries to tell him to calm down. This usually happens in the first stages of the race when horses are finding their position, and it can often happen to stalking types and front runners that just want to go go go but need to hold that speed in for the later stages of the race. A high feel can get that horse to settle a lot faster and keep those temper tantrums to a minimum.

Fierce: This is similar to courage, in how aggressive the horse is when fighting to the finish. A horse with a high fierce will often take the fight to his opponent, eyeballing them and intimidating them into submission. A horse with a higher fierce factor doesn't back down as easily from a fight and he will keep fighting on regardless of his flagging stamina.

Tenacity: How much fight and grit the horse has depends on this stat. Horse racing is all about beating your opponents to the turf, and that can often manifest into stretch long battles to the finish between two or more horses. A horse with a high tenacity stat will keep on going and fighting that other horse, while a horse with a lower stat is that much quicker to give up. This can be better translated as "how much grit" a horse has, and how tough he'll be when it comes to another horse looking him in the eye.

Courage: How brave your horse is depends on this stat! Courage can directly affect your horse's ability to go between rivals, come up into a narrow spot or even go head to head with a horse. Horses with low courage will be more timid and less likely to take the route between horses if they have an opening; they'll go around and lose that much more ground. A horse with high courage will bull his way through rivals, drive up the rail inside horses without hesitation and won't be rattled by much at all.

Response: This stat is for how fast the horse will respond to its jockey. This can be anything from a tap of the whip or steering the horse around traffic; I've seen races where a horse can get a few encouraging whacks and he doesn't start to move until a good three seconds later, while other horses will get asked once and take off like a freight train. Response is a good trait to keep high because you want your horse to respond quickly to its rider and react just as fast to the field around it, so it can easily slip between rivals or steer around a tiring horse.

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Examples of Stat Combos

It's all well and good to have this explanation in front of you, but how does it work on an actual racehorse? Here's a few examples.

Note: These are all from MY personal experience. This is not the end all be all of how you should build your racing stats - these are just examples to get you started, so if you disagree, that's fine! This is something to help new members get started on building good horses that can be competitive.

Front Runners: Say you have a front running speedball. You'll obviously want to work on his speed, and his breaking; that way he'll be able to get into that front running position he loves that much faster and can clear the opening rush quicker. Feel is another important stat for pacesetters - they can get SO upset if they don't get their way on the front end. Ever watched an SS racing video and seen a front runner throw his head up and pull? That's him not settling. Up that feel to make him happier if he can't get that lead immediately. Stamina may also come into play with him, if you want that runner to keep up over long distances - a front runner can be at a disadvantage over 10 furlongs or more. Give that horse some high tenacity and response and you have yourself a great recipe for a front runner that won't quit and will rise to the challenge when confronted by a rival.
Important Stats: Speed, Breaking, Feel, Tenacity, Response

Stalkers: Stalkers are horses that enjoy being just a smidge off the pace, but can sometimes find themselves leading the pack if there aren't any front runners in the race. Like front runners, speed and breaking are stats to keep in mind - you need your filly to break clean from the gate to get into position and speed to clear the scrum of the break so she doesn't get caught further back than she likes. Keep on eye on your tenacity - stalkers tend to get the brunt of it toward the finish, dealing with both fading front runners and closing followers, so they tend to have more fights on their hands than any other type. A high response and fierce would also be beneficial - a high response lets your horse react instantly to the changing cavalry charge to the wire, and fierce will give your filly that fighting spirit to keep on going to the wire.
Important Stats: Speed, Breaking, Tenacity, Fierce, Response

Followers: A follower or midpack horse is similar to a closer but with a few differences. A follower isn't dead last all the time, but he'll still need a high power stat to push him past a wall of horses on the final turn, in conjunction with high tenacity and courage to get him battling to the wire against his rivals. Fierce is also a great stat for these horses too - horses that come from off the pace often have to fight their way to the wire and a high fierce stat will keep your horse engaged and running eyeball to eyeball with another horse. Slap some points in that staying stat to keep him running even over a distance, and you'll find yourself with a nice horse that loves a fight to the finish with a strong closing kick.
Important Stats: Staying, Power, Fierce, Tenacity, Courage

Closers: A closer has a different set of stats that can affect her. You'll want speed, sure, but also stamina and staying to give her that grinding ability to wear her rivals down to the finish - speed won't do you much good if you don't have the stamina to back it up over longer, marathon-like distances. Response needs to be high to keep that horse in tune with her rider, and a high tenacity and high courage will give her the ability to go between horses for a dramatic come from behind victory or gut it out with a stubborn front runner. Also keep an eye on that filly's power - if you've been neglecting speed but a higher power, those few extra points in power could be enough to send her home past her rivals with a strong closing kick.
Important Stats: Speed, Staying, Stamina, Tenacity, Response

Okay, well that's great, I'm sure you're saying, but what about different distance types, like sprinters or marathoners? Here's the beautiful thing - IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. The distance your horse prefers is really inconsequential compared to their racing type - front runner, stalker, follower and closer. I've had dead closers win sprints and marathons, and I've had front runners take them 2 miles in a marathon on turf or a 1 1/4 miles in the Kentucky Derby on dirt. What you need to keep in mind is playing to your horse's strengths in their leg type and their abilities - distance does not matter if you don't build yourself a well-round horse with higher stats in the places he needs it!

To build that kind of horse, I would recommend trying to keep your stats within a 3 - 5 point window of each other - when training, I try to keep everything relatively even, with Breaking the one that I train up only once. When the horse is gaining points through racing, breaking is probably the last I update unless it's a frontrunner or a stalker; I'm more focused on the other stats.

When I'm adding my stats, I'll usually focus on Speed, and Staying or Stamina first (I'll usually get speed up at least 5 pts higher than the others, this goes for ANY level) and what other stats I upgrade next depends on the horse's leg type and abilities. Some abilities play so well into your stats - Grit will directly affect "tenacity" and Closer will have a say in your "stamina" stat. Instant Response is pretty self explanatory, while Spurt and Stretch Burst affect the speed stat. Just also be aware that your negative ability can affect your stats too! Slow Start means you'll need to pump more into Breaking to counteract it, while Delicate horses need a higher tenacity or courage to give them heart when bumped in the race.

Other than that - experiment! Experimentation is one of the best parts of racing. You can have two horses with the same running type and same abilities, but they will show vastly different talent levels even with their stats pumped to the max.

Last Edit: May 22, 2020 9:30:48 GMT -5 by Neco

Neco
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Thoroughbred Racing Starter Guide Jan 1, 2016 13:29:20 GMT -5

Post by Neco on Jan 1, 2016 13:29:20 GMT -5

Racing Abilities

All Thoroughbred racehorses should have 2 positive abilities and 1 negative ability.

Positive
Front Runner: Races well when leading the pack by a large margin. Only for front running horses.
Closer: Races well when overtaking horses around the final corner.
Free: Races well even when out of position.
Spurt: Excels when spurting from the back of the pack to the front in the stretch.
Last Corner Leader: Performs well after taking lead around the last corner.
Stretch Burst: Shows a tremendous burst of speed to the finish line when happy throughout the race.
Likes Pack: Comfortable running in a pack.
Tough: Unfazed by bumping.
Grit: Excels going head-to-head with another horse to the finish line.
Slow OK: Races better in slower races.
Fast Pace OK: Races better in faster paced races.
Start Dash: Starts well at the beginning of the race.
Close Race OK: Excels in close races.
From Outside: Gives an impressive burst on the outside after staying towards the back during the race.
Best Course: Horse runs better up the rail/on the inside.
Whip: Accelerates faster than usual when whipped at the start of the race.
Solo Runner: Performs well when more than two lengths in the lead.
Second Wind: When leading the pack all race long, further separates the pack in the final stretch.
Last to First: Explodes in the stretch when trialing through the race.
Strong Heart: Whip gauge falls slower than other horses in the stretch if the horse still has stamina.
Pack Split: Horse does well spurting between horses.
Pace Down: Pace slower is okay.
Persistency: Keeps going.
Instant Response: Reacts quickly to the jockey.
Rough Track OK: Performs well even in rough track conditions.

Negative
Inflexible: Cannot race out of position.
Loses Will: Easily distracted after taking lead around the last corner.
Hates Pack: Upset when caught in a crowd.
Delicate: Easily upset by bumping.
Slow Pace Not OK: Races poorly in slower races.
Fast Pace Not OK: Races worse the faster the pace.
Close Race Not OK: Performs poorly in close races.
Bears: Bears right and left when stamina runs out.
Dust Not OK: Doesn't do well with dust.
Slow Start: Slow at the beginning of the race.
Rough Track Not OK: Races poorly in rough track conditions.
Stubborn: Sprints uncontrollably when spooked.

Last Edit: May 22, 2020 9:31:19 GMT -5 by Neco

Neco
Administrator

Kaiju at Large

Posts: 23,539

Thoroughbred Racing Starter Guide Jan 1, 2016 13:29:56 GMT -5

Post by Neco on Jan 1, 2016 13:29:56 GMT -5

Entry Form for Racing

This is your basic form for getting your racehorse together and entered in a race!

Speed: 50
Staying: 50
Stamina: 50
Breaking: 50
Power: 50
Feel: 50
Fierce: 50
Tenacity: 50
Courage: 50
Response: 50

Distance: 
Leg Type: 
Abilities: 

Dirt: 
Turf: 

Name: 
Color: 
Gender: 
Bandages: (none, front, back, or both)
Neck Height: (normal or high)
Run Style:  (normal or leg lift)
Hood: (yes or no)
Shadow Roll: (yes or no)

Stable name: 
Racing Colors: (silks colors and pattern - may be image or description)
[picture of horse]

Last Edit: May 22, 2020 9:31:36 GMT -5 by Neco

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angora: I'm cleaning up the forum a bit! Any shows from members who I know aren't active anymore I've moved to judged, but those opened by members that are still kinda around I've left! Feel free to still enter those! Jul 22, 2024 9:00:35 GMT -5

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Anomaly: Races have been run, also put up some G3 racehorses for adoption Apr 25, 2024 16:25:20 GMT -5

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