FOFC Stables - A Starters Orders Pro Dynasty

[SirFozzie]

This is the adventures of FOFC Stables, in the game Starters Orders Pro.

I start the game with $100,000 (actually 100 thousand English Pounds, but since I'd need fourteen fingers to get the code for the pound sign, I'll just use the good ol dollar for now.

My mission is to grow the stable. I probably will only start with one or two horses and work my way up. Especially because they are not cheap.

We start with the first 2 year old auction. They will race in a limited fashion this year, but most races require 3 year olds and up for their races.)

The first horse I bid on is named ELIDORE. I looked over the colt, and he's not likely going to be great (his sire was a group 2 winner).. but he's cheap, and his preferred distance is 1 Mile 2 Furlongs (or 1 1/4 mile). The bidding starts at $30,500, and I put a couple bids in, and while I'm tempted to go further.. when the bidding hits 42K, I drop out. He eventually goes for 47,500.

The next horse I look at is the filly BOLLIN JEANIE. She's got a good parentage (a group one winner), but her "good" distance is 1 3/4 miles. While there's a lot of long races in the game, that would definitely be pushing it for a young horse. But I decide to bid any way, she starts at $30K.

Just like last time the bidding quickly goes up. It starts to slow down about 43 K.. where it only goes up 50-100 at a time. I take a chance, and bid 44K, and wait..

Gooing Once..

Going Twice..

SOLD!

FOFC Stables has their first horse! BOLLIN JEANIE!

[SirFozzie]

BOLLIN JEANIE joins the following three horses in our stable.

WITNESS- This two year old filly has a group 1 pedigree, and she prefers very soft ground (the looser stuff underneath). Her preferred distance is 7 Furlongs. She has pretty good acceleration, but average at best top speed. We'll try to work her in the shorter races.

DAILY SPORT- This 3 year old colt isn't big enough to bang with the big boys in the longer races, his small build helps him acheive top speed, and he can get to the top speed quickly, but he's only best in the shortest of races. If this was American racing, I'd say he was a great quarterhorse. His preferred distance is 5 furlongs.

RED HALO- A Four Year Old Colt, he's more of a distance horse. Doesn't have great speed, fairly good acceleration. While all the horses need to work out, he's the least fit of the ones we have, and will need a lot of training before racing, especially since his preferred distance is 9 furlongs.

[SirFozzie]

I need to improve their fitness fairly quickly, so all four horses are set to our main schedule, where twice a week, they work out with a 4 furlong (half a mile) gallop, where they will not go all out, just 3/4 speed.

I need a jockey to ride them, and I really want an apprentice for two reasons. One) Most races are so-called Handicap races (IE, the track sets a mininum weight for each horse to make the race fairer (and less predictable) you can hire a jockey HEAVIER then that weight, but if you put a lighter jockey on, you must add weights to make the weight assigned to you.

Apprentices are eligible to a weight allowance to offset their inexperience. This allowance decreases as the jockey wins more races. Although apprentices are inexpensive in comparison to more experienced jockeys their judgement may not always be as good. Also Apprentices may not be as strong as older jockeys in a finish. (this is from the manual)

The 2nd thing? As an apprentice, all you have to pay is room and board. Much more frugal . They still get a percentage of your winnings, but most jockeys get paid a standard fee (up to 300 pounds) to race, no matter how good they do (of course, they also get a percentage of what you make from them riding on your horse.

[SirFozzie]

My Apprentice Jockey comes from Cambridgeshire, Jeff Stevenson (J Stevenson in game). He's a mere 16 years old, and weighs 103 pounds. So I might let him ride all the horses early, as he can ride just about anything and not worry about making weight.

I will take it slow the first couple weeks, just getting them some training sessions. Here is their first races of the year, in March.

WITNESS - Her first race will be 3/17 at Southwell, she'll be racing in the 1:45 race, a 5 furlong race (called a maiden, for horses that have not won. A horse that wins for the first time is called "Breaking their maiden"), with a set weight of 120 for all horses in the race.. Since we'll use Stevenson, we'll get a seven pound break.

DAILY SPORT- He will race in the 0-80 Handicap (that is a handicap rating.. if you do well in races (and race fast as well), it will go up, if you do bad, it will go down) at 1:15 the day before Witness's race (3/16) on the Linfield course. Since he's only a 52.. he's probably out classed. He's the low weight there.. at 118.

[SirFozzie]

RED HALO also races that day. He'll be in the 3:45 race, a 0-90 Handicap. He's assigned second highest weight right now, at 126 pounds, but with Stevenson on there, he does get a seven pound race.

BOLLIN JEANIE will go out and race, well.. she'll probably lose, but since they don't stretch 2 year olds out (restricting em to 5 furlong races early in the year), she'll race on 3/26, at Wolverhampton, the 1:45 race. a 5 furlong maiden

[DaddyTorgo]

nice Foz...nice. inspired me to DL the demo at least and check it out.

[DaddyTorgo]

dola

anyone else think if this was in the main forum a horse (a female horse no less) with a name that sounds like "Balling Jenny" would inspire some dirty jokes?

maybe she'll loose her first race cuz she'll be too busy the night before

[SirFozzie]

MARCH 16TH- Lingfield

Unlike American courses, where the course is a nearly perfect oval, British tracks have weird contours. We'll be racing on the outer track today. Here's what the course looks like.



DAILY SPORT is in the first race of the day, the 1:15 PM race, a 5f maiden. The handicappers don't give him much of a chance, he's the high man on the tote board, a 40-1 Long shot, in a field of 14.

I tell Stevenson to try to keep him with the main group, since this is his first race of the year, we want him to get some good racing time in.

AND THEY'RE OFF.

He breaks ok, and is in fifth after the first furlong, and he's very consistent. he can't catch the leaders, but while a couple of folks pass him, he catches a couple faltering horses midway through the race. Doesn't have a super kick, but is a decent 5th of 14 racing.

He ends up 4 3/4 lengths back. Not a bad start to the year.

RED HALO is in the 6th race, at 3:45 PM. Only 5 horses in this race, and he's 2nd highest odds, 11/2.. but I think he has a good shot at this one. He breaks quickly, takes the lead early, but the other horses quickly pull him the length back to the main pack. While fifth place is way back, and fourth is drifting back from the three main horses, he's third, but a half length behind 2nd and another 3/4 lengths behind first.

Well down the stretch, he does kick it into another gear and is a clear 2nd, but the winner, DANDOONA has too much for him. He finishes 2nd (which earns $1521, not bad ) 3 1/4 back of DANDOONA, but 1 3/4 lengths clear of 3rd place HARNOUR

[SirFozzie]

RED HALO is quickly booked for another race, on 3/27 at Newbury, again at 1 mile, in a 0-120 handicap. Right now, he's the top rated horse in the 2:45 race, so therefore he's also at top weight, 130. Stevenson will ride him again.

DAILY SPORT will race 3/30 at Newmarket, and he probably will get blown out, as he gets assigned a 113 weight for the 3:15 race. I will try Jerry Tate (113 weight) on him. Stevenson gave him a decent ride.. but I don't want to depend on the kid.

Next races: WITNESS (3/17), BOLLIN JEANIE (3/26), RED HALO (3/27), DAILY SPORT (3/30)

[SirFozzie]

MARCH 17th, SEASON 1



A picture from a Southwell race from last year.

Next up is WITNESS, who will be racing for the first time in her maiden.. she's the 2nd highest odds on the board, 20-1, and 9th out of the 10 horses racing. She has good acceleration, and I tell Stevenson to challenge early, go forward if you can and make the other horses catch them. She's got the outside position, so getting out quickly is a must.

Well, she breaks poorly, is in 6th, and for a horse like her, a good break is essential, because she can get up to top speed quickly but doesn't have the top speed. She drops down to ninth, but does catch up with one and nearly another. 8th place out of 10, 6 lengths back. Stevenson agrees that she'll do better over a longer course.

[SirFozzie]

WITNESS will get another crack at it 3/28 in Ayr, in the 1:45 5 furlong Maiden.

Last of our debutants is BOLLIN JEANIE. She'll be racing at the Dunstall Racepark in Wolverhampton, where there have been races at the course for over 120 years.


(the horses come out for racing at Dunstall)

She's 7th of the 8, at 33-1. I don't really expect much from her at such a short distance, but at least she'll get some experience.

Well, she broke badly, and just does not like being told to hurry so early. A good 11 lengths back, and I shrug. I knew it was going to be bad. Hopefully JEANIE will bounce back.

[SirFozzie]

3/27 RED HALO is next, 2nd choice at 2/1 ouf of a field of 7. However, Newbury's race is on turf, and RED HALO apparently just does not race well on it. He did come on late, but a well beaten 6th and there's not really much we can say. The horses were better on the turf today.

[condors]

good luck!

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by condors

good luck!

Thanks Condors, I hadn't played SOPro in a while, and I forgot how much fun it was.

[SirFozzie]

Only two races to report this morning.

3/28 - WITNESS is the Joint 2nd choice at 9/2, but there's a big field, a field of 15. If she races like this on dirt, it may be time to think about putting her up in a claimer, as she gets way back in the field, and in a 5f race, well if you're back in the scrummage, you don't have time to catch up. The bettors liked her, and she did race well at the end, passing two horses in the final furlong, but that is only good enough for 11th

3/30 -Ugh, we're on the turf again at Newmarket in the 3:15. DAILY SPORT is the 7th choice out of 9 at 10-1, but Jerry Tate says that he thinks the horse likes the track. It's another sprint, so if he stinks, at least it will be over quick.

He breaks somewhat well, but is fourth to start, but a couple horses drop back slightly, and OTOTOTM are nose to nose for the last couple furlongs, and I'm screaming at the horse to go.. go.. GOOOOO!

The two horses break the line, and we still can't figure out who won. The stewards quickly illuminate the "PHOTO FINISH" light. We have 5-10 minutes to wait, and it's nerve wracking. I'm watching the tote board and hoping and hoping..

The tote board finally says..

The winner was...


DAILY SPORT BY A NOSE OVER OTOTOTM! Woot! FOFC Stables's first trip to victory lane!

The win earns us $3981, although Tate takes a cut of that. He tells me he likes the horse and wants to be kept in mind for future races for DAILY SPORT... tell you what.. next time he races in two weeks, you'll be the jockey again, Mr. Tate.

[condors]

congrats on the win.

I see we play very differently i send all my starter horses into claiming races and then try to buy a 2 miler for the big race at the end of the season. Then i try to breed 2 milers and dominate the 2 mile handicap races. (i usually go broke though)

[SirFozzie]

Well, I'm in this for the long haul. I'd rather have several horses, even at a lower level, because it keeps the interest level high, and work my way up. Here's my plan for the horses. None of them have races for two weeks in game time coming up.

WITNESS: I think it was just the fact that she was on turf. At least, that's what I'm hoping. She's going to get one or two more shots, then I might shut her down for the year, or put her up for auction (with a reserve price).

DAILY SPORT: Well, he was fourth in his first race and then had the photo finish win in his 2nd race. I think he's pretty good, but he had a good handicap. I definitely will put Tate on him next time he races and see how he does.

RED HALO: Will run in various races, just to see how he does. He got 2nd his first time out, but he was pretty bad on the turf in his 2nd race. Which is the real RED HALO? It might take most of the year to find out. I might see if I can breed him though, he does have good stats, and if I can get a good, sturdy mare via auction.. well.. who knows.

BOLLIN JEANIE: Well.. I dunno what to do. What exactly do you do with a 2yo filly who prefers the really really long races when all you can enter are the 5/8's of a mile races? She might get a race or two to build up her status and then see what she can do when she becomes eligible for longer races as a 3yo. I might put her back on the market otherwise.

[condors]

i can almost swear there are 1 mile races for 2 year olds at the end of the year but with my 2 milers they still never do well.

[SirFozzie]

I think they start at 5F early in the 2 yo's year.. and improve through the year till they are 1 mile or so.