Turf Talk with the Pros – Cvbear
Turf Talk with the Pros – Cvbear
Next up is cvbear. Unfortunately Cv had a few computer crashes while doing this interview, and not just once but several occasions. I’m wrapped he persisted to have him a part of this Turf Talk series. I must admit I haven’t had as much to do around the sim with cv as some of the other people I’ve interviewed however his words ooze honesty, class and very well thought out advice and I thank him for that.
Like many of the experienced guys that know their stuff, Cvbear has likewise signalled out Donny Beisbol as the sim troublemaker and suggests asking for advice in the chat room is a great way to learn the ropes of the game. This has been a very popular response (with regard to both chatroom help 24/7 & dodging dirty Donny lol).
Trainer of awesome speedster & Eclipse winner Tolleson, and winner of several big name races including the Breeders Bowl F & M sprint cvbear can train a horse don’t worry about that. I’ll now hand over to the one they call………….
Cvbear
1. How long have you been playing?
I’ve been here since roughly September 2004. That was sometime in the 2200’s, but I don’t recall specifically what week, or what my first win was or anything like that. I’m sure someone can help me out. But in any event, I’m lower on the food chain of veterans, having been around 9 years.
2. How many stables do you run and how much time on average would you spend ‘simming’ a week.
For the Sim, this is the $64 question. I’m listed as having 103 public stables. But I have some stables hidden, mostly holding stables and ones I’m no longer operating on a full-time basis. There’s nothing sinister about that, I’m reserving my right not to have them exposed as part of my operation. I have opened more stables since the new game went live last year, because opening new stables is easy to do, fun, and addicting. Depending on how much time I have freed up, I run more than just 103 from time to time, mostly for fun, partially to accumulate BP’s as I need them (like right now, to get sire shares for next year).
As for time spent in the Sim, I’m with Beisbol on this, probably 10+, maybe closer to 20 hours a week. The old Sim made it more challenging to run a large operation because you have to pick races, pick jockeys, enter, choose tactics, and it became something of a chore. But now that you can plan ahead, it doesn’t take that much of an effort to run a big outfit. It is pretty easy to plan what you need to do ahead of time, without a lot of worry. And, it’s still addicting after all these years.
3. Does your partner play and either way what does he/she think of your involvement with the sim?
Well, that question hasn’t applied lately, but I’m a guy with a number of people in my circle who are gamers, from RPG’s to online games involving the killing of orcs and demons and things. My rule of thumb is that if I’m to accept a guy who’s a gamer, he’ll have to accept someone like me who’s a Sim junkie. And my partner and I will live happily ever after….albeit probably on different computers.
Love me, love my Sim addiction. Oh, and marriage equality. There, I said it.
4. Who is your favourite sire and why?
I’ve got a special place for Awesome Again. He’s given me a graded winner in Gideon’s Trumpet, and he mixes very well with most sires because he’s a Northern Dancer-line sire with ND in good position for just about any DS/DDS combination. He’s classy-elite. I also enjoy most anything on the Seattle Slew line, from A.P. Indy and Pulpit, to Mineshaft, Malibu Moon and Bernardini. I think those sires are hidden gems because they give you plenty of good options at DS and DDS.
This answer would have turned into a novel if you asked me what sires I hated (Distorted Humor, anyone?), but hey, them’s the breaks.
5. When looking at your race fields pre race which ……..
a) sire do you most fear racing against?
b) player(s) do you most fear racing against?
There are certain sires I want to avoid if I see them coming. Frankel was this year’s one to avoid because Mike gave him the big build-up this year. Sea The Stars was one also. But generally, I have to know they’re entered, otherwise I won’t avoid them. Usually that requires a lot of digging, and even then, I won’t know until entries post who’s running, so I really try not to go overboard with the investigations unless I think it’s necessary. But the trainers are a different story. There are trainers I’ll see entered, and look at the color code for their horse, and if their form is excellent, I’ll avoid them if possible. Those include trainers like Lenny, the Supers, AFC, Topicount, even Given. It’s not restricted to just them, and it doesn’t happen all the time with those specific trainers. But it’s a matter of placement. If you have a horse whose form is a little off or the pedigree isn’t quite so blue-blooded, you’re not going to automatically throw them in against horses and trainers who always seem to run hot. It’s about spotting them carefully enough so you don’t defeat yourself from the start.
On the other hand, though, if I have a horse with great form or an excellent pedigree, I’m actually more likely to seek out those trainers I might otherwise stay away from. My thinking is, if you have a horse that you believe in, your test for class isn’t always just the horses. Sometimes it’s wanting to put your best up against the best of the top trainers. It’s not always the case, but if you believe you have a good horse, sometimes (LISTEN UP, NEW PLAYERS) sometimes it’s worth taking the risk just to see how good you are and how talented your horse is. Sometimes it’s about being fearless and taking on all comers if you have a little faith in yourself and what you can do.
6. Is there one race you set out to win each year above all else and if so why?
I always wanted to win a Triple Crown race, a Breeders Cup race, a legendary race that has real-world history to it. And last year, I won a Breeders Bowl race with Tolleson, in the F&M Sprint. And now….I still want to win another BB race. I just want to spread the wealth, and try to win big races in a division I haven’t excelled in before. I still want to win a Triple Crown race. I still want to win some of the best races out there. And this year, I won the Alabama with After School, which is a race with a long history to it. I like having a horse winning the equal to a real-world classic. But you don’t necessarily get to choose what you can win or where your specialty lies. Sometimes, you just win what you win in a moment in time. And all the big races are pretty much first among equals, with nothing being more special or more precious. As long as you can find your way towards winning a big race, that’s all that matters. Win a graded. Then see how you feel, and just try to win more.
7. What is your greatest achievement so far?
Tolleson winning both the Breeders Bowl F&M Sprint and the 2012 Eclipse for top sprinter, beating the boys. To be honest, it’s a bittersweet achievement on many levels. She won that award on the square with an excellent winning streak to end her season last year, and was the most consistent sprinter at the end of the year. But there were some bits of negativity towards her (and some towards me, I felt) after winning the Eclipse that left me a bit sour towards a few people. As if that wasn’t enough, she’s been pretty much off her game for the last 6 months or so, and that’s been a disappointment to me. I liked the fact I achieved the goals I set out for when I started playing, but the experience has left me wanting to have a better overall experience next time.
I realize that’s a controversial thing to say, and it’s not meant with malice towards anyone many months later. I stand by her achievements and my own as well.
8. How many individual G1 winners have you trained?
Let’s see…Jesus Walks was first, on 2007’s DelPenn Champions Day. Then came Pitch Perfect, then Tolleson, Wonderful Dream and, most recently, After School this summer in the Alabama. So, that’s 5 Grade I winners. Plus, I bred a sixth that our BTB interviewer knows well.
I bred Carol of the Bells for a residency Christmas gift exchange a few years ago, but the person who received it dropped it in for a $15k claiming tag in the debut. She won, was claimed, and she went on to win a Sim World Cup race in I think 2008. Since then, she’s bred a pair of Grade I winners of her own. I am proud of that achievement as well….but I’ve never had a chance to breed to her myself. Still, it was the first sign that as a breeder, I kinda know what I’m doing. It’s a neat feeling.
9. What is your opinion on the current mare breeding costing? This has recently provided much debate. Please comment on your thoughts on this.
also please select your preference for charging of your own mares when breeding out of these 3 options:
a) As is – ie pay the sire cost again to breed your own mare
b) Flat rate – of say 250 – 500 credits as a mare ‘stud fee’
c) No charge – its your mare why are we paying to use our own mare?
I actually lean somewhere between A and B. I honestly don’t see the pricing as that big of an issue, but I do agree that maybe paying the sire price twice might be a little unfair. On the other side of things, with a bad mare, there is no amount too little you’d want to pay, and for a great mare, no price is too high to make sure you end up with the mare you want, especially if you share the rights with someone.
We should remember that Mike needs to make money on this, too. He’s not a Dubai sheik, he’s just a good ol’ Saints fan. If there’s a compromise to be made, maybe just stagger the fee per mare based on the output of the foals. Better producing mares requiring a higher fee, mares not producing as much get less of a fee. I’m really not sure if there’s a solution that would make everyone happy, though “C” is out on a basis of not being terribly realistic. Or maybe that’s just me. I honestly don’t know how to make everyone happy in terms of the question, but between A and B is a workable compromise.
10. Funniest story where your involvement in the sim has affected your outside world eg. missed a wedding, called in sick to work etc.?
I have few stories to share about me and the Sim in the real world. I have checked race results while supposedly spending quality time with family on the road at Christmas—it was a Saturday!—but otherwise I’ve been forced to keep the Sim and the real life separate; it helped that I didn’t have an iPhone until this summer. 😛
11. Most valuable piece of advice for new players just starting out?
Obviously, new players should seek out advice from the chatroom regulars. Except Dan, and possibly Donny, possibly even Robby or Frank. But everyone else is alright.
Seriously, my chat buddies are always glad to lend a hand to a new player. We want to see the community grow and thrive, in continuation of the new Sim’s Golden Age. Seek out advice, and listen, and absorb…
…and don’t be afraid to reject some of it sometimes. I don’t say that to be rude or snotty, but sometimes the best thing about advice is how you can choose not to take it. Some things are universal. Try all surfaces. Place your horses at the right competitive level. But also, don’t be afraid to be fearless. Sometimes you have to try and race at higher levels to see just what it takes to win an allowance or a stakes. And breed. Buy some credits, save your BP, and buy quite a few shares, and breed your heart out. The way to get winners is to breed your own, and not just to rely on other people’s castoff horses. Learn the ins and outs of pedigrees, nicks and breeding by buying some cheap sires and play around in the Sim’s big breeding sandbox. If you see another horse that you like, try and breed a copy of it to get a sense of what sires might work for you.
Listen to everyone’s veteran advice and follow the universal truths. But also, be fearless, and be willing to make some mistakes. No one excelled at the Sim overnight. Make your mistakes on the track, and breed some mistakes off of it, and you’ll start getting a sense of some of the qualities you need to have to succeed beyond your imagination at the game. You’re only limited by your own imagination, after all. Just have fun.