Road to the Roses - Fantasy Challenge

[QuikSand]

In the past couple of years, we've had some interesting conversation here about this fantasy contest. Maybe in the coming days, we can talk fairly openly about how to set up a viable entry... share wisdon, and hopefully get a nice contest going!

I promise to make posts here as I get my thinking together... hopefully one of us can be a prize winner! (I got a nice sweatchirt out of these guys a few years ago... and had a shot at the grand prize if one of my longshots had won the race)

Here's the link, and the opening "hook" for you:

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Welcome

Can't stop thinking about Kentucky Derby Day? Want to see the best 3-year-old Thoroughbreds in the world charge down the homestretch at Churchill Downs under the famed Twin Spires on the first Saturday in May? Then don't miss this opportunity to get your hands around one of the toughest tickets to find in sports - not to mention a chance to win other premium prizes. Play the 2003 Kentucky Derby "Road to the Roses" Fantasy Challenge!
In this free game of skill, fans use their Thoroughbred racing knowledge and handicapping skills or rely on recommendations from our list of handicapping pros to draft a mythical "stable" consisting of:


12 horses from the official list of Visa Triple Crown nominees - 10 from an initial draft and two (2) from a supplemental draft.
Two (2) trainers
Two (2) jockeys

Your stable will score points based on the results of Kentucky Derby prep races contested throughout the country, starting with the Grade I Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on February 15. The final scoring race in the competition - with the largest number of available points - is the Kentucky Derby on May 3rd, 2003.

New features to this year's game include the ability to get creative and name your stable, choose your own user name and the opportunity to choose any jockey and trainer that you desire from an expanded listing that includes more than 50 riders and 80 trainers. Also, we've improved the navigation, look and feel to make the game more user friendly.

There's no better way to keep track of all the contenders (and pretenders) along the twisting, turning road that paves the way to Louisville on May 3 than to play the Kentucky Derby "Road to the Roses" Fantasy Challenge. Even if you're not in the hunt for the grand prize, you'll have a leg up on your friends and fellow horseplayers on Derby Day, and could turn your keen equine insight into wagering profits or bragging rights for an entire year!

Think you're a better trainer than Bobby Frankel or Todd Pletcher? A better racing manager than Demi O'Byrne or Richard Mullhall? Then prove it! Get on the "Road To The Roses" and saddle up for the ride of a lifetime!

[FishFan]

Anyone entering? I am putting together my stable as we speak. The injuries to VINDICATION and TOCCET really change up the landscape.

[FishFan]

Lots of options here. I want to make a splash in the Fountain of Youth and Risen Star stakes races, so I took the following horses:

TEN CENTS A SHINE
WHYWHYWHY
TRUSTNLUCK
OFFLEE WILD
SCRIMSHAW
INDY DANCER
DOMESTIC DISPUTE


I know I can only have five horses active, but I think the field of the Fountain of Youth is better than that of the Risen Star. I like OFFLEE WILD's and DOMESTIC DISPUTE's chances down the road after learning a little against better company. Those two horses will probably stay inactive this weekend while I take SCRIMSHAW in the Hutchenson Stakes and INDY DANCER in the Risen Star. I'll keep TEN CENTS A SHINE, WHYWHYWHY, and TRUST N LUCK active for the Fountain of Youth.

I'll probably fill out my stable with horses that are not in action this weekend, but have promise down the road. KAFWAIN, AFFABLE, EMPIRE MAKER, SKY MESA, TOCCET, MINISTER'S WILD CAT, and SAINTLY LOOK could all make my stable.

My biggest concerns with SKY MESA and TOCCET are when their next start's may be. It could be the Florifa Derby for SKY MESA, but I might wait for the supplemental picks to add one or both of these horses.

I'm getting close, I think.

[QuikSand]

I have finished my stable - here it is, for public consumption:

Active Horses

1) Composure
2) Offlee Wild
3) Saintly Look
4) Ten Cents A Shine
5) Whywhywhy

Non-Active Horses

1) Atswhatimtalknbout
2) Empire Maker
3) Indy Dancer
4) Kafwain
5) Peace Rules

My Jockeys

1) Edgar Prado
2) Jerry Bailey

My Trainers

1) Bob Baffert
2) Bobby Frankel

- - -

My current "February swoon" horse is EMPIRE MAKER. he comes off a somewhat disappointing effort, but he has the right breeding and a red-hot trainer, plus even in his loss he was working his was through traffic - something I like to see in a 3yo colt heading for the first Saturday in May.

[QuikSand]

FishFan, SCRIMSHAW was the last horse off my list - the proverbial #11 out of 10. I like including him - he's the best of the Hutcheson lot, I think.

[rkmsuf]

Empire Maker gets blinkers in the next and Frankel seems to think there's a lot of upside. I'd also consider the horse that beat Empire Maker in the Sham -- Man Among Men from Tricky Dick Mandella.

Keep an eye on Robleto and Ozzie Cat...for some reason I am looking for a big improvement out of the Lucas trainee Saturday...just a hunch; there's not much early foot in the Fountain of Youth so maybe he can stick with Trust N Luck and run him down. If Trust N Luck runs back to the Calder race he'll win tommorrow by at least 5 lengths wire to wire.

[Anrhydeddu]

FishFan, good to see your name pop up again here. Hope all is well.

Good luck to the both of you, this sounds like a fascinating contest.

[FishFan]

Well, I'm in the top 2000 after the first weekend and cashed a hefty win ticket with TRUST N LUCK's run in the Fountain of Youth. Although, I thought he was in some trouble when MIDWAY CAT pressed the pace a little early on. I doubt he's a real Derby threat, but he may score some points for me troughout the season.

[rkmsuf]

He's a good bet to run well again in the Florida Derby. Ziadie said after that race Trust N Luck goes right to the Derby.

TNL received a 106 Beyer for the effort which was very good in contrast to Lion Tamer who won the Hutchinson in visually impreesive fashion but was credited with a 98 Beyer.

The Risen Star was the fastest race of the day, won by Badge of Silver on the front end and a 108 Beyer.

[Marmel]

Fish, you bastard! Where have you been? How have you been?

[QuikSand]

Stinkin' early speed...

(Of course, I had the speed of the speed in the Risen Star, where SAINTLY LOOK got collared after setting the early pace)

I'm all but out of the contest, after one weekend, again this year. Drat.

[QuikSand]

Well... even though missing the winner of the Fountain of Youth is close to suicide in this game (and I did), I have battled back into the top 10% after this weekend, due principally to the very nice win by PEACE RULES in the Louisiana Derby. I had all the connections there - horse in my active stable, plue the trainer and jockey. So that turns out to be a nice hit for me, and one that not too many people are likely to have used (especially Prado as a jockey).

I still think I'm toast... but now at least I have something to watch.

[albionmoonlight]

Not to threadjack with a tangent, but I am about 1/3 of the way through Seabiscuit right now. I have a much better appreciation for the sport already, and I have not even gotten to the "good" parts, yet.

[FishFan]

Looks like Frankel is pointing PEACE RULES to the Lexington and then to the Preakness, skipping the Derby. He thinks his horse has peaked too early.

With the wide open field, anyone can still win this contest. One interesting scenario is the TRUST N LUCK, Ralph Ziadie, Cornelius Velazquez trio. If that horse can win the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby (a longshot, imo), I doubt more than a handful have that connection in their stable.

This weekend, I have a slew of horses running, looking for wins in three races: Florida Derby, San Felipe, and the Swale. I have DOMESTIC DISPUTE, EMPIRE MAKER, TEN CENTS A SHINE, TRUST N LUCK, INDY DANCER, and WHYWHYWHY all going. I'lll probably keep DOMESTIC DISPUTE idle this week in favor of TEN CENTS A SHINE in the San Felipe, WHYWHYWHY in the Swale, and all three Florida Derby contenders.

BTW, I am just started Seabiscuit the other day. Can't wait to get through it and see the movie.

[QuikSand]

FF, I'd check the points for those races... I'm not sure I'd bench DD for YYY, justbased on the relative values of the two races. (And I'm a booster of WHYWHYWHY, I just don't see enough payout from the Swale, if I'm remembering correctly)

Maybe the one to benh is INDY DANCER? I dunno.

[FishFan]

You're probably right. Since the Swale is only a grade 3 race, the winner nets just eight points while the third place in the grade 1 Florida Derby gets just three points. I guess I wanted to run INDY DANCER in case he pulls of an upset win. I'm still not sold on TRUST N LUCK's speed and EMPIRE MAKER hasn't done anything. If I run those three, I would rather have only one runner in each of the other two races. I guess it comes down to TEN CENTS A SHINE or DOMESTIC DISPUTE sitting in the San Felipe. I'll look over their past performances and make a decision on this one.

BTW, does anyone know if it is possible to order Hooves of Thunder still? I've been waiting for a better product to come out, but have not seen one yet. Has anyone player Gallop Racer for the Playstation?

[Marmel]

HoT is available for free at The Underdogs, FF.

[FishFan]

link?

[Marmel]

http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=2923

It doesn't look like it is free anymore. You will have to poke around. I am 99% sure it was at one time because I have it and don't remember actually ordering it, and I know I didn't steal it.

Either way, they have a link to the order page where it costs 19.95.

[FishFan]

thanks, marm. i knew i could count on you.

[QuikSand]

FishFan, just don't leave EMPIRE MAKER off your active list this week.

[QuikSand]

Originally posted by QuikSand
My current "February swoon" horse is EMPIRE MAKER. he comes off a somewhat disappointing effort, but he has the right breeding and a red-hot trainer, plus even in his loss he was working his was through traffic - something I like to see in a 3yo colt heading for the first Saturday in May.

Originally posted by QuikSand
FishFan, just don't leave EMPIRE MAKER off your active list this week.

Well, EMPIRE MAKER made pretty easy work of the Florida Derby, posting an impressive win over a tiring TRUST N LUCK, and well ahead of a rallying INDY DANCER. Good effort for the colt, who now probably leaps to the front of the queue of contenders. You already heard it here... I still think this is the one.

[QuikSand]

With another triple win in the Florida Derby (EMPIRE MAKER was the foundation pick for my stable - I have the horse, the jockey, and the trainer), I have jumped into the top three percent of entries. And this, again, without having the top-scoring horse who has a first and second in two Grade I races (TRUST N LUCK).

Right now, I think having Bobby Frankel as one of your trainers is the key... that's why I'm doing well, and I suspect everyone ahead of me has him as well. My key is getting points from an unusual source... maybe a strike today from ATSWHATIMTALKNBOUT would get me into scoring territory? He looks like my only West Coast hope.

[FishFan]

I had the top three in the Florida Dby but I dropped the ball on my trainers/jockeys. I stand in the top 3000, but I doubt I can really get much further unless something really shakes up the landscape. Anxiously awaiting the supplemental draft...

I probably only have a handful of horses who will actually run in the Derby.

[QuikSand]

Well, just to refresh...

My QuikSand Ranch has vaulted to 129th place out of some 22,000 entries. As I have said all along (basically) I have no shot to win a top spot, but I have done fairly well since a weak start. PEACE RULES has been a major player for my stable, and is a horse that probably not too many people used (which is the way to gain ground). He won at Keeneland in the Blue Grass Stakes, and will be among the top three or four choices in the Derby.

However, this year it's all about EMPIRE MAKER, who was (fortunately for me) the centerpiece to my fantasy stable. If you don't have Frankel (trainer), Bailey (jockey) and EMPIRE MAKER himself in your stable, you're just not going to win this thing.

Anyway - I have some shot of rallying for a finish in the top 100 or so, I suppose. A big chance there would be a win by MINISTER'S WILD CAT in the Lexington Stakes this weekend. I added him as a late entry for my stables, and if he cashes in I probablygain some more ground.

Alas... I won't be winning the grand prize, but at least get my name on the leader board.

[QuikSand]

Hmmm... well, in the Lexington Stakes this weekend, my horse MINISTER'S WILD CAT finished otu of the money, and the winner was SCRIMSHAW. While I had the rider for the winner (Edgar Prado), I probably lost points to those who uses SCRIMSHAW in their stables, including FishFan from above. So, I dropped from 129th place to 166th place - not too bad a fall, but this late in the contest that may well eliminate me from any serious prize considerations.

My best shot is probably a win by EMPIRE MAKER in the Derby, and perhaps a strong showing from one of my lesser known horses. I added BUDDY GIL to my stable as a supplemental pick, but he will probably be the third betting choice, or thereabouts - not going to be a huge strik there (though he wasn't that well regarded when we initially took our stables - so perhaps there won't be too many with him aboard).


And a note to FishFan - keep SCRIMSHAW active for the Derby. The last two times D. Wayne Lukas won that race and wheeled back into the Kentucky Derby, he took first place (Charismatic) and second place (Private Citizen) with those horses. Don't throw him out by any means.


Anyway, a fairly interesting contest. If I only had used TRUST N LUCK, I would have had some serious points from him and would be right in the thick of this damned thing. Ugh.