Each season occurs over a three month period, meaning there are 4 seasons per calendar year.

Horse Improvement- When are we supposed to see an improvement in their times?

Horse growth and maturity is a realistic experience that occurs over time. Horses can improve from experience on a surface or it can happen as they age and mature.

There is no age change, we find that whole concept distasteful. The horse's age in a natural manner and improvements can happen every single day.

Race Comments- The comments that are made about a race ,IE, in hand, Smoothly, are these hidden clues to the horse's ability?

The race comments do indeed offer insight into the performance of the horse. For example 'In hand' would indicate that the jockey was trying to conserve the horses energy down the stretch and might occur if the horse had a lead at the stretch pole.

Training - When the horse has a track work or a race, does the amount of stamina lose have any bearing on track distance and race type? IE some horses go to 7% and other return at 20%, is this another hidden clue?

This is explained under the training section of the FAQ

You receive 1 token which is redeemable for one horse from the sales ring. If there are additional bonuses available for your initial deposit, please see the deposit page for details.

An active subscription is required to participate in races. You can however train your horses and participate in other features of the game without paying.

A players cash balance is eligible for withdrawl, please see the withrdrawal page https://www.sportofkings.us/myaccount/withdrawal.aspx . Bonus credits are not eligible and can be used according the notes in the fees section.

The stamina bar is a reflection of the horse's readiness. 100% condition is optimal for racing. In order to raise the condition of a horse, you simply need to wait. Each night the horse will recover stamina automatically. The bar will climb up to 100% and stay there until a race or public work is run, at which point it will drop based on how tired the horse is at the end of the race/work.

There is no limit to the number of time a horse can race in a day, but each race will tire the horse out and therefore it will not run to the best of its ability. Please see the racing section below for more information.

We realize horses are black boxes and only so much information is known (just like real life) -- Unlike real life we realize that players will be quick to discard horses that they don't see potential in. We wanted to combat that with some information that tells the future in a rough way, similar to reading a horse conformation.

Premium membership is an option that gives members access to more tools and reports that make managing a stable quicker and more efficient. These tools do not directly influence a stable or horse's ability to win races, but provide more detailed information for the owners.

Items included in membership:

• Global Workout Stats - this gives you vital information on the workout times throughout the sim and can help you place your horses.
• Horse Potentials - provides a visual summary of the potential of the horses in your stable and also shows their growth in a quick overview.
• Top Training Times - includes a breakdown of all your horses and their best training times at each distance, sortable and filterable.
• Top Racing Times - includes a breakdown of all your horses and their best racing times at each distance, sortable and filterable.

Player Contributed Guide

How do I pay and find Premium Access?

Firstly click on my account(top right of main screen) and then the little icon to the right of your stable name(underneath Racing Data),you will then see your account details page. On the right is your Account Options and the Purchase Premium Access link is about half way down.
This page will appear:
Purchase Premium

So now you have it for a month what do you get for it?

I will go through the main benefits for you.On the main screen top left,click the Stables icon you will see a new choice,Premium Features has appeared. When you click on it you should see this: Premium Page

• Auto Trainer Settings--you can set your horses to train automatically every night instead of you training manually, they will train to the preferences you have set on each horse’s page.
• Horses Potential--you can see the growth and potential of your horses without going to each horse individually.
• Top Training Times--your top training times by all your horses together for your pleasure.
• Stable Race Time Report--your horses race times altogether.
• Global Workout Stats--all horses that have trained not just yours have records here, you do not know which horse but you will see if your horses training compares to other players by AGE and DISTANCE. The GOING is not included so Turf and Dirt cannot be judged separately.

Q. How to check out adds

A. Train over 1600m with no adds followed by 3 more farm trains with each add, blinkers tongue tie and ear muffs, one at a time. Using first train as a baseline any big improvements i.e. running more than 0.5s faster indicates that the horse probably wants that add and any big decrease indicates that it doesn’t like that add. Where there is no clear indication either way Tongue Tie can be checked by running two public works over the horse’s best trip. A horse generally will not require use of tongue tie unless stamina increases. Master Trainer can then be used once to check either blinkers or ear muffs. Click Equipment to visit Master Trainer.

Q. How to assess your horse within the general population

A. (Premium access needed) Click on TRAINING then VIEW RECORDS. You will see colour- coded stars 1 star-orange 2 star-blue 3 star-green which signify top 50, 25 and 5% times respectively over the entire site. No stars is outside top 50%. These refer to training times only and is no guarantee of how a horse will perform in a race. Another indicator of a horses overall standing is the public workout lists accessed via NEWS then LEADERBOARDS

Horses absolutely can and will improve with age, some more than others and there is no for sure way to know just how much they will improve. We have tried to create a very realistic model in this area. As a horse ages and improves you will get occasional notes from the trainers or jockeys who will give you some feedback on your horse. Please see the information regarding maturity below.

Maturity is the term used to indicate how fully physically developed a horse is. A fully mature horse has no more physical development left. It is important to note that this is independent of a horse's ability to handle specific surfaces and conditions.

At this time (and until further notice) both genders will have equal ability levels and therefore fillies will not receive a weight break when racing against their male counterparts.

Horse names are reserved on a first come first serve basis. No two active horses should share the same name and a horse that retires with at least 1 win will forever hold that name. A horse that retires with 0 wins loses rights to the name. Any vulgar or offensive names, as determined by the site administration, will not be tolerated and will be changed. Violations of this nature can result in a ban of the users account. Also note that horses cannot have their name changes once they have raced.

Gelding is available for male horses and is a term that refers to the castration of a male horse. This process generally offers a performance boost to the horse, but comes at the cost of prohibiting the horse from having offspring. This is a very common practice and a large majority of male thoroughbreds end up being geldings.

Sending a horse to pasture removes them from your stable and sends them to the stable manager farm. This is mostly a housekeeping (cleaning) function that allows owners to keep an organized and easily navigable stable. (Eligible) Horses that have been sent to pasture become part of a pool of horses available for purchase by players via the stable manager sales [Under Private Sales]. New players get first access to these horses, and then after 14 days they will be opened to the rest of the stables. [Retired horses that have been gelded are not eligible for purchase again]

All horses are eligible to begin racing on the first day of their two year old year. All horses age at the same time, which is day 1 of a new season.

A horse can continue its racing career through its eight year old season. The day a horse turns 9, the system will force them into retirement. There is no hard and fast rule, but a horse has a chance to pass away starting at age 10 and the chances increase with each year. Also note that unwanted horses which remain in the stable manager for a significant period of time will be removed from the game and marked as deceased.

Horses must be at least three years old before they are eligible to be bred. See the breeding section for more information.

There are 4 levels:
Full: (Red)
Mostly Full:
Half:
Empty: (Grey)

The scale is currently weighted in a way that 40% and below will show up as empty so that's going to cover the majority of your horses. An empty symbol doesn't mean the horse is hopeless, but simply that it is below average. Source of information.

Points are our horse ranking system that allows us to determine a horse's rank and award possiblities. The system is designed to be similar to Timeform's scoring system and works as follows.

The amount of points each race is worth is determined by combining the quality of the horses (speed ratings during the race) and the type of race that it is and then the standard payout schedule is used to distribute points beyond that.

The base points are assigned at the end of each race using the following formula:

Speed Rating	Points
60+	1
90+	2
120+	3

The bonus points are assigned using the following criteria:

Race Type	Bonus Points
Invitational	20
Championship	20
Derby	15
Graded - Gold	10
Graded - Silver	8
Graded - Bronze	6
Graded Stakes	6
Added	4
WFA	4
Sponsored	4
Allowance	2

The training times will help establish a guideline for the speed of the horse and should reveal what the distance(s) and surface(s) the horse likes to run at. Premium members will receive an additional report that will classify training results within the global percentages.

Training results will give you a general idea of a horse's ability. As with real life racing a horse can both improve and slow down under race conditions depending on numerous factors. It is best to judge a horses ability based on the performance in a race rather than exclusively through training.

Horses take time to recover from these timed workouts so most trainers will work them every 3-5 days. The maximum number of farm works per day is two. The maximum number of public trains per day is one.

You will be able to determine this based on the times he/she runs over various distances compared to the competition. Expert trainers will also be able to identify horses than are over exerting themselves in races, resulting in an extremely tired horse.

Horses generally have reactions to equipment and medication that can alter their performance on the track. You are currently able to use three different kinds of equipment on each horse.

Tongue Ties: Some horses benefit from having their tongues tied up, keeping them from swallowing it while racing. A horse that needs this piece of equipment will generally be able to relax and use less stamina when running.

Blinkers: A horse can often focus a bit better when equipped with blinkers, allowing them to run on the front a bit better. It seems that an equal number of horses have a distaste for blinkers are those that enjoy them.

Ear Muffs: Some horses are easily distracted by noises and rattled by big crowds. Ear Muffs can often help settle horses down and enable them to perform more consistently.

The track will pay out 100% of the purse. The jockey will take their % from the horse's winnings.

The payouts are as follows:


Races that are marked with (Bonus) in the description are races will be distributed in bonus money.

Championship level races use a mandatory payout schedule and will always pay out 4 places.

There are no hard limits to how frequently a horse can run, but a horse will see reduced performance on the track if they run too soon or frequently. The layoff will be calculated by looking at the most recent public work or race, and using whichever is most recent.

Criteria:

Over-racing is defined as running more than 7 races in the past 30 days. The penalty increases with each race in excess of this mark.

Recent Race	Penalty (-) / Bonus (+)
< 2 Days	Heavy Penalty (--)
2-14 Days	Boost (++)
14-30 Days	Boost (++)
30-60 Days	Small Boost (+)
60-90 Days	Neutral
90+ Days	Penalty (-)

There is a lot of information to be garnered from each race, from pace scenarios to distance concerns. The deciphering of the information will be up to the trainers but there are a few system mechanics that you should be aware of. The first is that a horse may not exit a race with more than 20% stamina but can exit with less. Another important thing to look at is the pace scenario that played out during a race which can dramatically impact the fractions and fatigue of a horse. There are many more items that can/should be looked at but we will leave that to the trainers to decipher.

If you are unsure or need a refresher on how to read a past performance chart please see this wonderful tutorial.

Race Comment Analysis

Sharpness Comments (PreRace)

Positive or Negative	Possible Comments
+	on toes, eagerly, ears pricked, ethusiastically, energetically, earnestly
-	washy, unsettled, stiff, apathetic
--	sluggish, lethargic, listless, languid

Stamina Comments

% Stamina Left	Possible Comments
+20%+	some left, might stretch out, willingly
9-20%	tried hard, big effort, determined
5-9%	tired late, all out, fully extended
<5%	exhausted

There are then many choices of races to enter your horses in, much like real life. It is recommended that you begin your horse in a 'Maiden' race, where only horses with 0 wins can compete. You will then have to hone your training skills to determine what competition level your horse belongs with. Some horses will race up to their competition, some will not, you will simply have to discover that on your own.

There are a number of win restricted racing categories that are available as well:

Tokens are used to unlock access to specific races. These races can be user created races or other types. All user created races require a token of a specific level to unlock access to the race. One token is required for each horse. If a race is canceled, horse not drawn, or horse is scratched the token will be returned to the owners balance.

Normal races close 30 minutes before post; Claiming races close 24 hours before post; and Championship races close 18 hours before post.

Races have a required minimum number of horses and stable in order to be a valid contest and run. These numbers will be displayed on the individual race pages. The final check is made when the race closes and if a race fails to meet this standard it will be cancelled and the entry refunded.

Races have a maximum of 20 horses. If the number of entrants exceeds that we follow the following procedure:

Horses are loaded into a list based on this criteria (in order):

• If run in the past 5 days (yes or no) [does not apply to graded stakes / quals]
• Earnings
• Wins
• Entry Order

If there are more horses than the field will support:
The system will look for duplicate entries from the same owner (working through the list bottom up).

If there are still more horses than allowed:
The system will eliminate horses from the bottom up of the list.

The race schedule is a complex animal, but we will give a brief breakdown that will help you plan your horse's races. The first thing to know is that the season will be broken down into 3 months. The final month will contain our very own version of the Champions' Cup.

The championships are comprised of a series of qualifiers, followed by a final invitational in the form of the Breeders' Cup. Championship Series Details

Weather is randomly generated. Upcoming weather at each active track is available here

The weights for allowance racing are calculated as follows:

• base weight of 126 lbs
• each win over the minimum for the level adds 4 lbs
• each race without a win subtracts 2 lbs

Approximated weights will be displayed on the race entry page.

Races which are marked as a handicap will be resitricted based on the horse's current rating.

There are currently three groupings (0-75), (76-96), and (97-117).

Weights will be assigned to the horses based on where they fall within this range with the higher rating indicating a better horse.

For qualifying races the ratings will then be adjusted following the races based on a number of criteria including the finish order, the quality of the race, field size, and the speed rating of the winner. The maximum number of points a horse can move up or down in a single race will be 4.

A qualifying race is defined as a race that is either a handicap race or requires a token for participation.

Weight is calculated based on the current rating of the horse at 1lb per point above the minimum rating for the group (55 being the absolute lowest rating allowed).

As a special perk these races will not count towards the weight in championship / qualifier races.

*Note that the estimated weight will be displayed on the race entry page. We would suggest not using quick enter for handicap races so that you can see this.

The weights for divisional racing are calculated as follows:

• base weight of 126 lbs
• each win over the minimum for the level adds 2 lbs

Approximated weights will be displayed on the race entry page.

WFA weight chart is available here

There are a couple reasons why a horse might be ineligible to enter a race. Horses are required to have a public work before entering their first race or another reason a horse might not be eligible are if the horse is currently listed for sale or in the auction.

In order to participate in our free races you must maintain an active monthly subscription. There are multiple levels available depending on how many horses you have in your stable. If you are to exceed the maximum number of horses allowed by your subscription your stable will not be able to enter any further races. Please note that yearlings and inactive horses do not count against your horse count for the subscription.

Horses are $10 each at the sales ring and $8.50 each when being bred (plus any applicable stud or mare fees). Please note the sire / mare fee is not charged when breeding a horse you currently own.

Bonus credits can be spent on just about anything where you would pay a fee to the site such as: sales ring / breeding fee; premium access; changing your silks or stable logo; or horse evaluation (for equipment only); or breeding evaluations. It cannot be used to pay for items that can/must go to other players. It would be things like purchasing a horse from a private sale or auction nor can it be used to pay race entry fees or nomination costs.

When purchasing or breeding a horse bonus credits can not be used for more than 30% of the fee.

Horses must be individually nominated in order to be eligible to participate in the Championship Series. Please visit the nominations page for more information.

Our players are able to sell the breeding rights to their horses. In order to facilitate this transaction there is a 5% administrative fee.

There is a $1.00 fee to create an auction listings and auctions that are successful (sold) incur a 2% fee.

There is a $0.50 fee to list a horse on the private sales page and there is a flat $4 fee for all successful private sales.

A horse may not be entered into, or have a race pending and still be eligible for a private sales listing.

Auctions occur on weekends and generally the 2nd and final weekend of the month. Please see the auction page for exact details on when the next auction will begin and end.

For information regarding the fees associated with sales, please see the fees section.

In order to breed a horse you must select an eligible sire and a mare. In order to be eligible a horse (sire or mare) must be retired, be of appropriate age, have breeds remaining (Per season sires get 20 while mares are allowed 2), and the males must not be gelded. It is important to note that you will be required to pay the Stud/Mare fee if you breed a horse that is not owner by your stable. Breeds remaining are pro-rated through the season so as to not advantage players retiring early or late in the season.

Genetic ability is a rough formulation of the horses racing ability from a genetics stand point. Genetic strength is a rough formulation of how likely this horse is to pass on its genetics to offspring.

Each horse has a specific set of genetics that are determined at birth which are NOT necessarily linked to its on track abilities. Do not assume that the fastest horses always have the best genetics. You may use the breeding evaluator to assist in decision making.

Absolutely! You can allow horses to be bred by other owners (for a fee that you control) through the 'My Breeding' section of the game. Your horse will then show up as an eligible horse to match for breeding and the owners will pay you the fee directly.

Breeding allows for greater control of the horse you receive based on the pair of parents that are selected. We will not reveal the specifics, but better genetics will almost always lead to better horses. It is important to note that horses from the sales ring have randomly generated genetics and that neither the sales ring nor genetics have an advantage over the other in terms of finding the once in a life time type horse.

Jockey's each have special characteristics, that they try to match with a horse during selection but at this time they have no impact on the results.

Jockey's will make up their own minds in determining which horse they want to ride, but will almost always pick the horse they expect has a better chance to win based on past performances.

Jockeys are currently automatically assigned, this feature will be revisited as the game grows.