DerbyDreamer.com - Vinery Fantasy Game

[Indian Charlie]

Thanks!

If you give us your stable name or user name, I'll gladly give you the referral bonus points.

This is a pretty intriguing game, but there are some weird twists to it that don't make much sense.

[Sightseek]

The friend referral code doesn't come into affect until March 1, but I'll gladly give it to you.

Good luck!

I'm sure DrugS will be starting a thread in a few months proclaiming a grand victory by him.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

The friend referral code doesn't come into affect until March 1, but I'll gladly give it to you.

Good luck!

I'm sure DrugS will be starting a thread in a few months proclaiming a grand victory by him.

I don't think he'll play. The $12 entry fee is prohibitive.

No more seconds for me in that TVG contest!

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

I'm sure DrugS will be starting a thread in a few months proclaiming a grand victory by him.

I've already made the post.

It's just a matter of waiting for the official sign to be lit and to come over here and mash the submit button.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I've already made the post.

It's just a matter of waiting for the official sign to be lit and to come over here and mash the submit button.

I've already requested that you be entered with a heavy handicap on your stable!

[South Beach Luv]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Thanks!

If you give us your stable name or user name, I'll gladly give you the referral bonus points.

This is a pretty intriguing game, but there are some weird twists to it that don't make much sense.

out of the 11 stables signed up right now I bet you can pick it out.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by South Beach Luv

out of the 11 stables signed up right now I bet you can pick it out.

[mbahadur]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

This is a pretty intriguing game, but there are some weird twists to it that don't make much sense.

It looks like once you pick your 18 horses and 5 jockeys, you are stuck with them for the duration of the year (even if they get injured or take a break from racing). I can see some well-crafted stables dominating the competition every month with horses that are healthy and in form throughout 2010. Unless I read the rules wrong, the winner of contests occurring later in the year will have picked their horses in February -- THAT DOES NOT MAKE MUCH SENSE as there is a huge element of luck (rather than skill) involved in picking horses now that will be competing effectively months from now. Most horses that go the Triple Crown route usually will take an extended break after the Derby or Belmont. I would be nervous drafting any good horses headed to Dubai (Gio Ponti), even though they could be earning points later in the year. The best horses to draft would appear to be older horses who would have some predictable form throughout 2010 (Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, Quality Road).

The original TVG Fantasy game allowed you to pick new horses at the start of each month -- the latest version of TVG Fantasy gave you so many roster additions to make during the course of the game. I have to say that I like the TVG Fantasy rules better as they allowed you to stay strategically involved in the game by allowing you to make roster additions over the course of the game.

[lemoncrush]

Originally Posted by mbahadur

It looks like once you pick your 18 horses and 5 jockeys, you are stuck with them for the duration of the year (even if they get injured or take a break for racing). I can see some well-crafted stables dominating the competition every month with horses that are healthy and in form throughout 2010. Unless I read the rules wrong, the winner of contests occurring later in the year will have picked their horses in February -- THAT DOES NOT MAKE MUCH SENSE as there is a huge element of luck (rather than skill) involved in picking horses now that will be competing effectively months from now. Most horses that go the Triple Crown route usually will take an extended break after the Derby or Belmont. I would be nervous drafting any good horses headed to Dubai (Gio Ponti), even though they could be earning points later in the year. The best horses to draft would appear to be older horses who would have some predictable form throughout 2010 (Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, Quality Road).

The original TVG Fantasy game allowed you to pick new horses at the start of each month -- the latest version of TVG Fantasy gave you so many roster additions to make during the course of the game. I have to say that I like the TVG Fantasy rules better as they allowed you to stay strategically involved in the game by allowing you to make roster additions over the course of the game.

I agree...and although I haven't looked too far into it, I assume the 2010
2-year olds won't be included in the game (even though they'll be dozens of stakes races for them between May and the end of 2010.

[Indian Charlie]

I emailed the people running the contest. Read the bottom part first.


Hi David,

thanks for your interest in DerbyDreamer.com!

Yes, the scoring will start March 1st,

and yes, you will need to pick 18 horses and 5 jockeys once you sign up.
The 2 year olds will be added at a later stage. You could focus on Triple
Crown races and races for the older horses now and get a second stable
later in the year, as we will probably have a separate 2 year old
competition.

Regards,

DerbyDreamer.com


> Hello!
> When does scoring for the competition actually start? March 1?
>
> Also, do we need to fill up all roster spots immediately, or can we
> reserve empty spots for new horses later in the year, say for two year old
> racing?
>
> Thank you!
> David

[mbahadur]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

I emailed the people running the contest. Read the bottom part first.


Hi David,

thanks for your interest in DerbyDreamer.com!

Yes, the scoring will start March 1st,

and yes, you will need to pick 18 horses and 5 jockeys once you sign up.
The 2 year olds will be added at a later stage. You could focus on Triple
Crown races and races for the older horses now and get a second stable
later in the year, as we will probably have a separate 2 year old
competition.

Regards,

DerbyDreamer.com


> Hello!
> When does scoring for the competition actually start? March 1?
>
> Also, do we need to fill up all roster spots immediately, or can we
> reserve empty spots for new horses later in the year, say for two year old
> racing?
>
> Thank you!
> David

So they will have a separate competition (and prize pool) for 2-year olds later in the year.

For the initial competition (for the 3-year olds and older horses), I imagine that players will have to purchase new entries/stables to be competitive (more money for the sponsors of the game) later in the year as I cannot imagine a stable that is picked in February being competitive in September. New stables can be purchased at any time with each stable having a 12-month duration for the $12 fee. I wonder how much the prize winners each month will have to fork out for their winning stables to make sure they have the horses with the best current form that are actively running in graded stakes races. With the Derby being May 1 -- I can see many new entries at the end of April with Derby horses aiming at the Triple Crown races (which provide extra points).

Interesting premise and set of rules for this game. Many players will have the temptation to purchase new stable entries at the end of each month so they have the best chance of winning in the upcoming months. I would love to be the accountant for the game sponsor to see how much profit this game generates relative to what they were projecting (or if they were projecting prize money paid to exceed revenue received from entries).

I have not watched the How to Play video on the game's web page -- does it go into any of this?

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by mbahadur

So they will have a separate competition (and prize pool) for 2-year olds later in the year.

For the initial competition (for the 3-year olds and older horses), I imagine that players will have to purchase new entries/stables to be competitive (more money for the sponsors of the game) later in the year as I cannot imagine a stable that is picked in February being competitive in September. New stables can be purchased at any time with each stable having a 12-month duration for the $12 fee. I wonder how much the prize winners each month will have to fork out for their winning stables to make sure they have the horses with the best current form that are actively running in graded stakes races. With the Derby being May 1 -- I can see many new entries at the end of April with Derby horses aiming at the Triple Crown races (which provide extra points).

Interesting premise and set of rules for this game. Many players will have the temptation to purchase new stable entries at the end of each month so they have the best chance of winning in the upcoming months. I would love to be the accountant for the game sponsor to see how much profit this game generates relative to what they were projecting (or if they were projecting prize money paid to exceed revenue received from entries).

I have not watched the How to Play video on the game's web page -- does it go into any of this?

Have not watched the video.

Here is what else I've learned from them.

Dubai won't count.
They are debating on whether or not to people will be able to view other peoples stables.
They may make public groups where members can see each others stables.

I suggested to them that they need a yearly, or final prize, because of people such as myself, you and DrugS will obviously buy a new stable for each month. Obviously a stable bought for March will be hopeless against a stable bought in October, thus anyone with any savvy will do the monthly purchase.

Since they state they want to draw newbies to the game, I am hopeful that by adding a year end prize, this will keep people who purchased stables early into the game with the hopes of cashing in on the long term goal.

Even if they bring in a contest end prize, people like us will buy new stables each month.

[mbahadur]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Here is what else I've learned from them.

They are debating on whether or not to people will be able to view other peoples stables.
They may make public groups where members can see each others stables.

Hmmn. I bought my stable around 5:30pm today, activated my horses/jockeys at about 5:45pm. I noticed that I got credit for a John Velazquez 2nd place finish and got dinged for a Rafael Bejarano 4th place finish in races that I think went off before my jockeys were activated.

I hope that stables that are created on Saturday after the Santa Anita Grade 1 races are run do not get any points for these races. Making the stables public would definitely help the integrity of the game. I would think that such testing would have been extensively performed before the game was released to the public.

Now I know why the TVG Fantasy game requires you to pick and activate your horses the day before.

Good thing I waited until the Santa Anita entries were out before I created my stable as I would have selected a couple horses that were not entered on Saturday (The Usual QT and Evening Jewel). There are a number of good horses running in the Santa Anita G1 races on Saturday (Fluke, Proviso, Ever a Friend, Neko Bay) that are not available to be picked. Also, if My Baby Baby or Mushka were going to take on Zenyatta the following week in the Grade 1, they are not available either. I held off on selecting Jeranimo after he got post 14 in the Big Cap -- a horse by Congaree could have trouble at 10 furlongs. I decided to inactivate Lookin at Lucky as he is not a lock running on dirt in the Rebel (against Dublin and Super Saver if Super Saver does not go to Tampa). With so few Grade 1 races in March, I also had to activate both Rule and Eskenderaya for the Florida Derby, even if one of them waits to run in April in the Wood Memorial.