Arm yourself. You'll know her name...

She is a big gray beauty by Union Jack out of stable favorite Shattered Record. Just a yearling at this point, but she'll eventually grow to a staggering 17.2 hands.

She's showing stamina. We expect her to easily top 10 furlongs as a racer.

Her sire and dam were both primarily turfers, but she has a distinct preference for dirt.

And even though she's coming up with a bunch of Otsego colts and fillies who may be more highly regarded, (Deep Magic, Quasar, and Xtra Run to name a few) we expect her to be very successful.

I don't even have to mention her name. Her skill on the track will shout out "You Know My Name". Coming Spring 2014.

9yo Broodmare Flawless available

Otsego Farms has need for stall space, so the broodmare Flawless will become available when the Photo-Finish sales page is reactivated for the 2013 season.

Flawless has had two colts as a Otsego Farms broodmare. Captain Britain, a turf stayer sired by Union Jack, and Darkhawk, a turf miler sired by Nightwing.

Otsego owner Jim Webber stated the following with a sigh and a shrug of the shoulders, "Frankly, I like the look of both of her colts, but something has come up and we need to eliminate one mare. It came down to Flawless."

Her AR is displayed below:

Flawless, 17 hand chestnut fillyBy War Chant out of Azeri by Jade Hunter

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early, ready for the Derby.

This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.

This horse will be near peak potential for the Derby.

This horse dislikes hard dirt.

This horse prefers soft dirt.

This horse dislikes mud.

This horse is good on hard turf.

This horse is good on soft turf.

This horse will fight tooth and nail if challenged at the wire.

This horse has physical problems that may lead to alot of injury downtime.

This horse has average ratability.

This horse has average curve handling abilities.

This horse cruises once it has the lead.

This horse handles traffic ok.

This horse has consistency problems. Doesn't always meet expectations.

This horse has an average recovery rate between races.

This horse may have problems carrying weight unless the handicapper takes it easy on him/her.

This horse is flexible; can run on lead, stalk, or come from behind.

This horse has good acceleration.

This horse has average speed out of the gate.

This horse has average speed.Handles 5f to 1 1/4mi, best distance 1mi.

Flawless had a decent racing career and looks like she could produce some nice turfers down the road. She'll be listed as a BUY NOW option and will be very reasonably priced. If anyone has any interest, you can contact me anytime and we can work out a private deal.

Can you handle the Truth? Revisited.

There are some wonderful people involved in Photo-Finish. I am fortunate to call many of them friends, even though we've never actually met face-to-face.. You know who you are.

There are also some people that I can't actually call friends, but who's opinions and PF acumen I respect.

Then there are the chosen few that annoy me. Believe me, you gotta try hard to find your way into this category because I am really just about as nice a guy as you can find.

The guy/girl from Pacific Belles fits into the last category. Against all logic he/she continues to jab at me concerning breeding. His/her logic is flawed, his/her humor is tedious, and he/she just won't leave it alone. I called him/her out in the forum yesterday after he/she brought this tired old subject up yet again, and my post was promptly edited out by Laurie. I think it was my use of the terms "moron" and "idiot" that got my post erased.

Anyway, that fool keeps spewing his/her misinformation about breeding so I thought I would re-publish a post from October 2008. It may be of some interest to newer PF members or others who never saw it.

REPUBLISHED FROM OTSEGO INSIDER OCTOBER 2008

These fantasy horses are very complex critters.

When a new foal is born, we are presented with a short AR which gives us rudimentary information about the new arrival. That information, plus what we can glean from studying the history of the sire and dam, is all we have to plan the new horses future. Later, we gain more information by watching the horse race. Eventually, we develop a clear picture of the horses abilities and shortcomings. Sometimes this revelation comes quickly, sometimes it doesn't.

As I said, these fantasy horses are very complex critters. The small amount of information on the AR camouflage's the fact that there are many, many facets to the abilities and disabilities of each horse. Here is a list of the attributes of each horse in the Photo-Finish game.

Break Speed
Early Speed
Top Speed
Long Stamina
Ratability
Running on Lead
Handles Traffic
Courage
Soundness
Curve Ability
Durability
Consistency
Weight Stress Point
Begin Peak Age
End Peak Age
Peak % at Age 3.3
Running Style
Acceleration
Hard Dirt Ability
Soft Dirt Ability
Mud Ability
Firm Turf Ability
Soft Turf Ability

I imagine that many of these rating are intertwined when it comes to the horse performance on the track. For instance, a Poor Break Speed and the Far Back Running Style, may spell doom for a 5-furlong sprinter even if he has the most illustrious parents. Conversely, if all of the proper attributes fall correctly into place, you can have a superstar from relatively humble origins.

The attributes for each foal are determined by a mathematical breeding program devised by Photo-Finish Founder Laurie Brown. Each attribute for the new foal is determined in the following manner:

25% probability of using the sire rating
25% probability of using the dam rating
25% probability of using the average of the sire and dam rating
25% random probability

Some Photo-Finish participants adhere to the belief that breeding is pure luck. As anyone can plainly see, the random probability is limited to 25%. Therefore 75% of the foal attributes are determined solely by the sire and dam. Unequivocally, this means that it is better to use the best quality sire and dam you can and to trust in statistical probability to produce a high quality foal.

However as shown above, there are many attributes to be determined for each horse and it is possible that poor ratings in key areas can torpedo a foal's future on the track. These poor ratings can be a result of a random anomaly or because both parents had a common weakness that manifests itself in the foal. Those who trust in "pure luck" and pick poor studs or severely mismatched breeding pairs are statistically more apt to fail.

That is a fact that cannot be disputed.

Are Sprinters a dying breed?

In the forum today, Mike Noble mentioned that there appeared to be fewer sprinters than normal produced in the 2013 foal crop.

He's probably right.

The fact is, most PF trainers are disappointed when they see the infamous "This horse appears to be a sprinter" at the end of their new AR.

The reason is pretty simple. Money.

The amount of career earnings that a sprinter can hope to earn is a fraction of what a comparably talented stayer can earn. Just take a look at the top 25 Photo-Finish money earners. Not a sprinter to be seen. As close as you come is the super-miler Scenic Sheba and she checks in at the bottom of the current list in spot 25.

I've geared my own breeding operation primarily to 10-16 furlongs, even adopting the motto of "Otsego Stud - We think 16". War Machine and Nightwing both have AR's that stipulate their best distance as 16 furlongs and Union Jack set a world record at 14 furlongs and ran successfully at 16 furlongs many times.

In the past three breeding seasons, Otsego Farms has produced just one sprinter in 24 foals. We've had 5 milers, 7 classics, and 11 long distance foals.

Bottom line? The only way that sprinters will cease being the virtual pariah's that they have become will be if the racing schedule is modified to include some big money sprinting races.

Boudica, Charlemagne, Tomyris, Trebuchet

Here are the foals produced by War Machine.

Boudica (2013), 17 hand white filly
By War Machine out of Bold Alanna by Alannan

This horse will mature at the average rate (3-4).
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse prefers hard dirt.
This horse prefers soft dirt.
This horse is good in mud.
This horse is good on hard turf.
This horse is ok on soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse likes a lot of distance.

The white filly is the spitting image of her mom. Big, strong, loves dirt, and has the stamina for the route. Couldn't ask for more from this pair. The picture above if of the legendary Iceni Queen Boudica, who fought the Romans in Britain in the 1st century AD.


Charlemagne (2013), 16.3 hand chestnut colt
By War Machine out of Second Strike by Spanish Midnight

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse is good on hard dirt.
This horse is good on soft dirt.
This horse is poor in mud.
This horse is ok on hard turf.
This horse is ok on soft turf.
This horse is of average soundness.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse likes a lot of distance.

The "King" is a chip off the old block. We're thinking big in 2015 with this colt.


Tomyris (2013), 15.3 hand chestnut filly
By War Machine out of Immortal by Bellbuster

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse is good on hard dirt.
This horse is good on soft dirt.
This horse is poor in mud.
This horse is ok on hard turf.
This horse is ok on soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse appears to be a sprinter.

We were hoping for a bit more endurance, but Tomyris is a spunky girl out of a couple winners so we're sure she'll produce.


Trebuchet (2013), 17.1 hand chestnut colt
By War Machine out of False Demon by Fusaichi Pegasus

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have an average performance peak, at least two racing seasons.
This horse is poor on hard dirt.
This horse prefers soft dirt.
This horse dislikes mud.
This horse dislikes hard turf.
This horse is poor on soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse likes a lot of distance.

We love Treb, but he is, without doubt, the pickiest horse we've ever seen with regard to surface. Flat out hates turf, mud, and even hard dirt. We'll try to de-sensitize him but he may run very sparingly due to scratches.

Crackerjack, Darkhawk, Jack the Ripper, Samurai Jack

These are the foals sired by Union Jack and Nightwing.

Crackerjack (2013), 15.2 hand bay colt
By Union Jack out of In Spirit by Bellbuster

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have an average performance peak, at least two racing seasons.
This horse is ok on hard dirt.
This horse is good on soft dirt.
This horse is good in mud.
This horse prefers hard turf.
This horse prefers soft turf.
This horse has physical problems that may lead to alot of injury downtime.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse looks like it can run at classic distances

A classic distance turfer is exactly what we wanted with this pairing.


Darkhawk (2013), 17 hand bay colt
By Nightwing out of Flawless by War Chant

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse is ok on hard dirt.
This horse is good on soft dirt.
This horse dislikes mud.
This horse prefers hard turf.
This horse is good on soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse has a mind of its own and likes to run at its own pace.
This horse appears to be primarily a miler.

This big fella looks alot like his daddy, but doesn't have the steam to get the distance. Flawless put out a stayer last year with Union Jack and we were hoping for the same this year with Nightwing. The picture above is the superhero Darkhawk, who inspired this foals name.


Jack the Ripper (2013), 15.3 hand light bay colt
By Union Jack out of Ace Of Grace by Ace of Hearts

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will enjoy a long peak performance time, several racing seasons.
This horse is good on hard dirt.
This horse is ok on soft dirt.
This horse is ok in mud.
This horse prefers hard turf.
This horse prefers soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse obeys its jockey and is flexible in its pacing.
This horse looks like it can run at classic distances.

Rip has a ton of potential and we very much like his chances of being successful. Really no downside that we can see.


Samurai Jack (2013), 16 hand dark chestnut colt
By Union Jack out of Affirm Gal by Affirmation

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have an average performance peak, at least two racing seasons.
This horse is good on hard dirt.
This horse prefers soft dirt.
This horse is good in mud.
This horse is ok on hard turf.
This horse is good on soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse looks like it can run at classic distances.

Another fine looking colt by Union Jack. Affirm Gal is a stable favorite so we have high hopes for this little fellow.

The last installment will preview the foals by the Triple Crown winning champion, War Machine.

Krakatoa, Juggernaut, Warp Factor Ten

This first installment will detail the foals sired by guest studs Doomsday, Jenny's My Gal, and Run Missy Run.

Krakatoa (2013), 15.2 hand brown colt
By Doomsday out of Monsoon by Storm Cat

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse is good on hard dirt.
This horse is ok on soft dirt.
This horse is ok in mud.
This horse is ok on hard turf.
This horse is good on soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse appears to be primarily a miler.

I expected a miler by this pairing, so no surprise there. Doomsday and Monsoon were both talented, somewhat underachieving racers, so I hope Krakatoa can take the next step.


Juggernaut (2013), 16 hand light gray colt
By Jenny's My Gal out of Shattered Record by Black Shatter

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have an average performance peak, at least two racing seasons.
This horse prefers hard dirt.
This horse is good on soft dirt.
This horse is good in mud.
This horse prefers hard turf.
This horse prefers soft turf.
This horse is very hardy and unlikely to fall victim to injuries.
This horse has a mind of its own and likes to run at its own pace.
This horse likes a lot of distance.

This fellow surpasses all expectations. Ready early, decent career length, good on all surfaces, and distance capable. Shattered Record has consistently turned out nice foals and JMG looks to have brought out her best yet. The supervillian Juggernaut who inspired the name is pictured above.


Warp Factor Ten (2013), 16 hand chestnut colt
By Run Missy Run out of Nova by Housebuster

This horse will mature quickly and be at peak performance early (2-3).
This horse will have a very short peak time, perhaps only a single racing season.
This horse is good on hard dirt.
This horse prefers soft dirt.
This horse is ok in mud.
This horse is ok on hard turf.
This horse prefers soft turf.
This horse has physical problems that may lead to alot of injury downtime.
This horse has average ratability.
This horse likes a lot of distance.

Bit of a surprise here, but not unwelcome. We were expecting a sprinter/miler, but got a stayer. This pair has a good a chance as any to produce a speedy colt. The fact that he also got endurance is very fortunate.

In the next installment, We'll release the info on the Union Jack and Nightwing foals.

2013 Foals have arrived.

Eleven foals comprise our biggest batch ever.

There were four sired by War Machine, two colts and two fillies, which was the largest group ever produced in one year for Otsego Farms by the Triple Crown Champ.

Union Jack sired three foals this year and they were all colts.

There was a total of nine colts and two fillies as detailed below:

Boudica - War Machine x Bold Alanna

Charlemagne - War Machine x Second Strike

Crackerjack - Union Jack x In Spirit

Darkhawk - Nightwing x Flawless

Jack the Ripper - Union Jack x Ace Of Grace

Juggernaut - Jenny's My Gal x Shattered Record

Krakatoa - Doomsday x Monsoon

Samurai Jack - Union Jack x Affirm Gal

Tomyris - War Machine x Immortal

Trebuchet - War Machine x False Demon

Warp Factor Ten - Run Missy Run x Nova

Information on running style and distance preferences will be passed along when the AR's are received and analyzed.


PLEASE NOTE: I've added a word verification step for those that wish to leave comments. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but the site has been getting quite a bit of comment spam recently.

I want the horse. What's it gonna take?

Like everyone else in Photo-Finish, every once in a while I have an urge to buy a specific horse.

It's not usually a horse that just happens to show up on the sales page. It's normally a horse that I've admired for some reason. Maybe it is the name, maybe it's how the horse performed in a race, Perhaps something else.

I remember a few years ago, I commented on the fact that War Machine has ratings of EX/VG for speed and stamina in the Horse Racing Fantasy game. At the time, he was one of a very select few who possessed those stellar ratings. Shortly thereafter, it came to my attention that the filly Jungle Fever also had the EX/VG rating. Since that time, I've really wanted to own her.

I had a chance to buy her a while ago when she was languishing as an unemployed broodmare at Endless Vista. I was in negotiations with Laurie, but decided to pass when I noticed that she was a bit finicky on surfaces. Months later, I reconsidered and decided to pick her up at the annual auction, but the bids quickly escalated well beyond what I had in mind. She was sold to Yeguada Lore Toki for $1,451,000 and my chances of rectifying my mistake and finally buying her went out the window.

At the beginning of the 2011 season, I happened to watch an 11 furlong Allowance at Shenandoah Downs. I believe I was watching to check out Hamahiru, a colt by Nightwing. But, I was mesmerized by the superb performance of the 2yo Ansla Sax. He bolted to an early lead, and cruising magnificently, won easily by 5 lengths.

I corresponded intermittently over a few months with Jim Hutton about acquiring Ansla Sax, but could not pry him loose. Hutton mentioned that the AR stipulated his best distance at 10 furlongs, but I just couldn't believe it. Every race I watched followed the same pattern; a tremendous start, lead the field for approximately 6 furlongs, fade out of contention.

Regardless what the AR said, I was convinced Ansla Sax was a sprinter, and based on how he ran, the shorter the race the better. I thought I could make a winner out of him if I could get ahold of him, but Hutton would not relent. He had 2 unremarkable seasons at HHH, then was sent packing to Endless Vista.

There have been others. Some I got. Most I did not.

I've got my eyes open, so watch your email...

Time to roll the dice again...

Trying to tell a good horse from a bad horse by looking at an AR is like putting on a blindfold and trying to determine the flavor of a jelly bean by just feeling it.

I've got four 2yo's ready to hit the track and I've spent quite a bit of time over the past year just gazing at their AR's, trying to discern what to expect.

I've complimented myself on the pairings, nodded appreciatively at the surface and distance projections, chuckled at the sheer genius of the names, and imagined the accolades of my peers when these horses splash into superstardom.

Then the cold slap of reality hits me again.

Odds are that at least 2 of these four youngsters will crap out completely. One may pay his way in some moderate fashion. And, if I'm lucky, one will win a million bucks or so.

It's sad to think that my current euphoria over Crossbones, Nebula, House of M, and War Hammer may eventually ebb, and some if not all of these magnificent animals will be unceremoniously shipped off to who knows where.

Of course, there is always the possibility that one or more may hit the bigtime.

Let's get started. It's time to see what we got here!

Need some help?

This post probably won't make me any friends. And I'm probably chopping my own head off by continually bringing up this subject. But....

We've got to find a way to shorten, at least by half, the excruciatingly long off-season.

I understand that Laurie is virtually a one-man show as far as running and administering Photo-Finish. And, I applaud her efforts and determination. The amount of manual labor to keep Photo-Finish running during the racing season is staggering and I know that I couldn't do it.

Then the off-season looms with the awards, the reports, the auctions, the retirements, the breeding, the foals, and their AR's. It's a monumental amount of work and it obviously takes a single person about 3 months to do it.

However, a 3 month off-season after every 6 months of racing is simply unacceptable.

I have heard a few other people comment on the overlong off-season, but there really hasn't been any serious complaining. This makes me wonder if I'm on a one-man mission.

I'd like to see something done about it. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Keep in mind, I'm not criticising Laurie. She does a pretty remarkable job considering that she is just one person.

My suggestion is that we make that one person, three people. Or maybe five people.

I'm not suggesting that Laurie give up her position as Grand Poo-Bah of Photo-Finish. That wouldn't do. How about some help though? How about a few trusted people that can get involved and handle various parts of the heavy off-season load?

Wouldn't it be nice if the Awards and YE Reports got done in a week, then the Auction in another week, then the Breeding and Foal Generation in the third week and we were all racing again in 21 days?

Seems like it could be done if several people were working on these items concurrently, with Laurie's overall supervision, of course.

Any possibility something like this can be done?