RACING FUNDAMENTALS

RULES

▲ Races have a maximum of 14 in each field
▲ Minimum number of horses per race is two
▲ Each stable may only enter two horses per race
▲ You may not judge a race that a horse you own is entered in, even if you are leasing it out
▲ Prospects do not count towards a horse's career record. They are more like shows for yearlings.
▲ Prospect races are available for horses with a pedigree. Created horses will automatically place last as there is no pedigree to judge how the horse may or may not run as an adult.
▲ Please volunteer to judge races. It is a great help and will contribute to keeping us on time throughout the game year. Races without a judge will be randomized
▲ A horse can only be entered at one track at a time. So you can't have them in Jan Wk 1 at GHF and Jan Wk 1 at TW at the same time.
▲ No deadheats, or ties, allowed

MADE BY ★MEULK

RACING BASICS

Races are run by a judge - a member of our SIM community that volunteers to take the race and decide the placings.

RACE WEEKS

▲ Each month is broken into four race weeks.
▲ Your stable may have entries at each track each week, but one horse may not double up at two tracks in the same week.

GRADING SYSTEM

▲ Grades are based on the number of races a horse has won.
▲ Prospects (P) - yearlings only. Shows, not races.
▲ Maiden (M) - 0 wins
▲ Grade Five (G5) - 1-3 wins
▲ Grade Four (G4) - 4-6 wins
▲ Grade Three (G3) - 7-9 wins
▲ Grade Two (G2) - 10-12 wins
▲ Grade One (G1) - 13+ wins

ENTERING RACES
▲ If a week is not being judged, you may enter races
▲ Copy the post of the last person in the thread, add your horses to the entrants, and post it with 'code' tags.

PROSPECTS
▲ As stated, prospects do not count toward career race totals. They're not races at all, and should not be seen as any type of experience.
▲ Prospects are simply a fun way to have your horse's pedigree judged and are in no way mandatory. A horse that wins every prospect may lose its actual races, and vice versa. They are useful for getting your horses known and figuring out where they MIGHT run best when they turn two just based on judges' comments pertaining to where their pedigree suggests.
▲ Horses should have completed pages, including personalities, to do well in a prospect.

MADE BY ★MEULK

CHOOSING YOUR RACES

UNDERCARDS vs. HORSE OF THE YEAR RACES

▲ HOTY races are written in the schedule in all caps with an asterisk, LIKE SO*.
▲ These are the heaviest level of competition, and are therefore normally a lot harder to win if your horse isn't prepared!
▲ All other races are considered undercards.
▲ Races denounced with two asterisks are money races, such as the KENTUCKY DERBY**
▲ Please note that horses that win TC or TTC legs cannot enter the Canadian Triple Crown

DISTANCE & SURFACE PREFERENCES

▲ Horses should only be entered in their preferred distance and surface range. If they are not, they will be placed below other entrants that are. Judges often just disqualify a horse if they're in the wrong range, though the results may stand if there are only two horses in the race.

RUNNING STYLE

▲ All horses have a preferred running style, which (for game purposes) can be determined by you - the owner - or can originate from the horse's parents or their individual personality.
▲ The general styles are front runner, preceder, mid-pack, stalker, and closer. However, you can get creative to match a horse's personality as long as you keep it realistic! For example, a horse isn't going to bounce from the back to the front to the back to the front throughout a race - it's too physically and mentally draining if they want to win!

OVER-RACING

▲ Horses racing three weeks in a row will be placed low automatically if it's noticed
▲ It is possible to race three times in one month as long as they are not consecutive weeks. Doing this every month, however, will find your horse placed low as well.
▲ It is advised to give your horse three weeks off every now and again, but it is not required.
▲ 2yos almost always be penalized for racing back-to-back weeks in the beginning of the year because they are immature and that's a bit much for them! Come July Week 1 they will be allowed to race back-to-back weeks.

CLOSING RACES

▲ Races are closed when posted by staff as 'ready to run'.
▲ Owners may still scratch horses after races are closed but before they are actually judged. They may not be scratched after a judging unless there was an error (such as wrong surface for the winning horse).
▲ If you wish to enter or move a horse to a race with only one entry (as it cannot currently run without another entrant) that can be done without the permission of the current entrant.
▲ If you are attempting to move or late-enter a horse into a race that already has two entries (a race that's able to run) you must obtain the permission of all entrants in that race. This is true even if you are moving a horse from a race that cannot currently run. To prevent this, be sure to check the fields before closing time so that you can freely make adjustments as needed. If all permission is granted within a reasonable amount of time, the change may occur. If a member with a horse already entered says they would like to keep the field as it is, without an additional entrant, that is their right. This is largely out of simple fairness, and also to keep members from moving horses from 'harder' fields to 'softer' fields once they see the finalized fields, or simply entering a new horse into a 'softer' field that wasn't entered that week at all.

MADE BY ★MEULK

THE FRUITS OF WINNING

Want to know how much your horse is earning from each race? Check out the Purse Chart! Some people like to list these earnings on a horse's page but it is in no way required.

HOTY RACES AND AWARDS

▲ For every HOTY race your horse wins, the horse earns one point.
▲ End-of-year awards often require a certain number of HOTY points, so make sure your race records somehow label HOTY races.
▲ If your horse has done exceptionally well, you can also nominate them to the Hall of Fame.

MADE BY ★MEULK

LIFE AFTER THE RACETRACK

WHEN TO RETIRE A HORSE

▲ Most horses retire between 4 and 5, however, there have been many successful horses to run at six! Very occasionally an exceptional horse will be retired at 3.
▲ If a horse is retired too early, someone with reclaims may request they continue racing.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

▲ Ultimately it's up to you when to breed your horses - for realism's sake you may want to wait a year after retirement, but many have foals the year after retiring and that's perfectly acceptable.
▲ Except in very rare exceptions, a single stallion should not sire more than three foals in a single year. Ultimately it's up to you how much to breed your stallion, but generally the number is 5-8 foals in their career unless they are very popular.
▲ Broodmares generally have less foals than stallions, but as long as they get a year off here and there it's up to the owner.

WHAT ABOUT GELDINGS?

▲ If you decide to geld a race colt to try and give their career a boost in the eyes of the judges, know that it is not reversible. Many use these horses as track ponies in their workouts when they retire.

MADE BY ★MEULK