Player-Owned Race Tracks in the SOPL International

Author	Comment
JimCougar	Player-Owned Race Tracks in the SOPL International	Lead	[-]
Posts: 13924 (04/30/08 2:50 PM) ORLWorld Founder Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None This is something that I have been thinking about for several years now for the SOPL. I would like to see the accumulation of money with many of the SOPL trainers, be of significance to the. When they were newer trainers in the SOPL, I am sure following their accumulation of wealth was fun, but now it probably doesn't give them the thrill it had several seasons ago. I would like to see them be able to purchase race tracks in the 3 racing associations. I would like to see them create a racing schedule (they could even keep the existing schedules for those tracks and just change the names if they desired), set the purses, set the entrance fees and submit them for approval through the respective racing association president and then to the SOPL Int. President for final approval. The SOPL Int. President's responsibility in approving the purchase of these race tracks would be to see that they did not conflict with existing schedules in the three racing associations. The race track applicants would also have to show that they had enough money to both purchase the tracks and to finance the purses that they had set for the races on their tracks. Their income from the races would be a formula worked out based on the number of Entries into their races. They would also be responsible for promoting their races especially their feature races so they could attract as many player entrys into them as possible. I was also thinking that the SOPL International could award owners of these tracks, bonuses on records that were broken in their schedules based on the previous track records at those same distances as well. These are just some of my initial ideas for the purchase of race tracks by players. Please post any of your thoughts and ideas on this proposal below.
JimCougar		#1	[-]
Posts: 13925 (04/30/08 10:08 PM) ORLWorld Founder Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	In addition race track owners would get their own section on the Board viewable only by them, which would include forums and a chatroom. They could discuss race track agreements, strategies, etc. Two or more race track owners could even do what Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Belmont did when they created the Triple Crown. They could create their own series of prestige races (local racing association series of races or even cross-racing association series of races) and submit them for approval to their Racing Association Presidents and then for final approval to the SOPL International President. I am sure they could come up with all sorts of ideas that I haven't even come close of to thinking of yet as well. Last Edited By: JimCougar 04/30/08 10:13 PM. Edited 2 times.
dcdean		#2	[-]
Posts: 203 (05/02/08 4:01 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Hi Jim think this is a great idea but with only 1 potential downside - that it may affect the realism of the league. There are a couple of solutions to this. We could either run the regular season with all the big races first(classics, triple crown, Dubai, breeders cup, Cheltenham etc.). Then move on to races on player owned tracks, a bit like we have the real races currently and then and in the last 2 weeks of the season have the SO PRO and Loveday cups, alternatively we could select a bunch of the big races and state that no changes to track or prizemoney are allowed, then the races like maidens, minor handicaps and listed races could be run at player owned tracks. This would add yet more depth to the league, and I personally would love to get a smaller track trying to compete against the likes of Ascot, Gulfstream Park, Newmarket etc.
JimCougar		#3	[-]
Posts: 13938 (05/02/08 7:01 PM) ORLWorld Founder Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	dcdean wrote: Hi Jim think this is a great idea but with only 1 potential downside - that it may affect the realism of the league. There are a couple of solutions to this. We could either run the regular season with all the big races first(classics, triple crown, Dubai, breeders cup, Cheltenham etc.). Then move on to races on player owned tracks, a bit like we have the real races currently and then and in the last 2 weeks of the season have the SO PRO and Loveday cups, alternatively we could select a bunch of the big races and state that no changes to track or prizemoney are allowed, then the races like maidens, minor handicaps and listed races could be run at player owned tracks. This would add yet more depth to the league, and I personally would love to get a smaller track trying to compete against the likes of Ascot, Gulfstream Park, Newmarket etc. I completely agree. If a new company purchased Delmar or Santa Anita it would be very unwise of them to change such races as the Pacific Classic or the Santa Anita Derby. More than that though I would say that the ultimate goal might be for a player to own Churchill Downs, Pimlico, Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Epsom Downs, Aintree, Cheltenham, Newmarket, Flemington, Caulfield, etc., but it would cost a very large fortune. They should cost several times more than it would to buy a new race course and build its prestige from scratch. So if a player built a new race track in Las Vegas, they could start out with minor races and even one or two Grade 3 or Grade 2 races. Then when the tracks income built up and they could afford it, they could host a Grade 1 race. The tracks would indeed have to start out small simply because the owner would be financing all of the purses at the track. If they offered in their first year, flamboyant purses, they might end up out of business after their first season and end up either taking on a player-investor or selling their track outright to another player. As I mentioned above in order to strengthen their track against the bigger tracks, they could get an agreement with one or two other track owners and come up with a series of races the players could compete in with some sort of bonus purse if they won each of those races in the same season. So any path a new track would take for a player, it would certainly add a new dimension to that player's particiaption in the SOPL International. And it would be up to the SOPL International President to coordinate player owned tracks into the schedule so that they as you said, did not take away from the realism of the current schedules. They would certainly have to be treated as new smaller tracks and it would be up to the player-owners to do what it took to (presenting their schedules, and pleading their cases to their National President and the International President) gain more prestige for their track and "become" part of the realism of the schedules during the future seasons. How many seasons it would take, no one knows at this time of course. It would certainly be a new challenge for the rich stables owners in the SOPL International, if they were so inclined. Last Edited By: JimCougar 05/02/08 7:26 PM. Edited 5 times.
jasonpaulburke		#4	[-]
Posts: 498 (05/07/08 9:17 AM) SOPL Punter's Hall Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Slightly worried that the realism of the league may be lost with this being introduced. I mean people will create stupid race names and races. I can already see it. If Brett Anderson gets a course then we are screwed. His naming technique is not the best to say the least. I mean if I player has the best 1miler in the game, whats stopping them creating four group ones over a mile for their horse??? Jason
colmodea		#5	[-]
Posts: 1835 (05/07/08 10:23 AM) President SOPL International Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Understand your concerns Jason. This will be moderated by me. It would be one of my roles as International President. Race course owners will have to develop a good race schedule and send them to me for approval before being accepted in any season schedule. Proper naming conventions, appropriate balance for ages and distances, and appropriate prizemoney for grades of race, across the race card, will be what I'm looking for.
JimCougar		#6	[-]
Posts: 13964 (05/07/08 10:29 AM) ORLWorld Founder Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	jasonpaulburke wrote: Slightly worried that the realism of the league may be lost with this being introduced. I mean people will create stupid race names and races. I can already see it. If Brett Anderson gets a course then we are screwed. His naming technique is not the best to say the least. I mean if I player has the best 1miler in the game, whats stopping them creating four group ones over a mile for their horse??? Jason Well Jason, your worries can be turned into good suggestions for the National and International Presidents in the Rules and Regulations for someone owning and operating a race track in the SOPL International. I doubt there is a race track in the world that does not have some sort of organization that the owners have to answer to in every aspect of running a race track. So the schedules must be approved by the National Presidents and then by the International Presidents. If they see things they don't like in it such as ridiculous names or obvious emphasis on races that would cater to their own horses, they will have the power to veto and send the schedules back for restructuring. Not bad, eh? And remember this, they have to make their track attractive to other players to compete on. If it was obvious to everyone that the schedule only catered to their own horses, or there were other things the players didn't like about it, just as in the real horse racing world, players can simply bypass that track and its schedule. And if that happens, it will defeat the purpose of having gone through all the trouble to purchase one in the first place. So any other concerns that you have, please post them so they can be possibly incorporated into the Race Track Ownership Application as well as the Rules and Regulations. Last Edited By: JimCougar 05/07/08 10:43 AM. Edited 1 times.
JimCougar		#7	[-]
Posts: 13968 (05/07/08 12:10 PM) ORLWorld Founder Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	colmodea wrote: Understand your concerns Jason. This will be moderated by me. It would be one of my roles as International President. Race course owners will have to develop a good race schedule and send them to me for approval before being accepted in any season schedule. Proper naming conventions, appropriate balance for ages and distances, and appropriate prizemoney for grades of race, across the race card, will be what I'm looking for. What he said!
JimCougar		#8	[-]
Posts: 13969 (05/07/08 12:12 PM) ORLWorld Founder Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	And Colm just got me to thinking. These applications should go straight to him first for his approval. He can then go over the application with the National President of that Association, for any of possible concerns that person might have. Once those were all satisfied, the International President would approve the application.
jasonpaulburke		#9	[-]
Posts: 500 (05/07/08 12:20 PM) SOPL Punter's Hall Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Thats a relief to know that everything has to be approved. Hopefully things will run smoothly. Great idea if the things im concerned about doesn't happen. Thanks for the replies guys.
kniesh		#10	[-]
Posts: 25 (05/07/08 2:24 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Hi guys, I am actually for this application and think it's a very good idea, if organised properly. i am not totally sure how you plan to monitor the races available to new tracks, but in real life a track newly op[ened would not go straight into the group 1 category. It would need to build a reputuation from scratch. Not sure if this is already in the pipeline but how about a grading system for the new tracks, starting off where they can run listed races at best, maybe group 3s. This could be run on a star system, i.e starting off as a 1 star track. then they can build up their track by prize funds available for races, along with runners in their races. The more runners you get at your track each week the more chance of an upgrade to a 2 star. i'm sure some sort of official formula for upgrading could be worked out. Once you get to 3 stars you can then host group 2s and then the same applying untill you get to 5 star when u can then host group 1s. Not sure how feesable this is, or if it was the plan originally, I just think the harder we make it to upgrade your track, the longer it will take to be hosting top, top, races and the more ralistic it would be. Maybe even have an extra grade where it becomes gold after 5 star and then you can hold some sort of festival? Just thought i would throw some ideas out there, as i say I'm only a newbie so not sure how the mechanics work properly yet. Hope there is something constructive in that lot anyway, if it makes any sense at all. Vinny

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Yuku free message boards

Player-Owned Race Tracks in the SOPL International

Player-Owned Race Tracks in the SOPL International

Quick Reply