TRACK TALK – Desperado

TRACK TALK | desperado

12/03/2014 by PHAR LAP from THE BLACK TYPE BUGLER

 

 

Today is ISSUE 15 of TRACK TALK. We will spend some time with one of the top trainers in our great game Derby Fever. The great desperado stable. Breeder and trainer of the mighty PROUD SOULS, winner of over $6.6 million in earnings and an Eclipse Finalist

PROUD SOULS       

        SIRE   AWESOME AGAIN                            DAM SIRE A.P. INDY                       DDS NORTHERN DANCER                                                            
       

 

   

 Stables Winning strike rate    22 %              ITM   53.2 %

Member of the Blazing Saddles residency

 

PHAR LAP:  Hi Rob, thanks for taking the time for this interview.

Rob: Thanks Phar Lap, I am honored to take part in the series and really enthused by the new blood that has come over to the game.

PHAR LAP: Where do you come from Rob?

Rob: I am from Delaware in the USA. I am from the southern part of the state, closer to the beaches than the more metropolitan areas.

PHAR LAP: Have you a racing background and can you give us an insight on how you got involved in this great game.

Rob: My dad has trained Standardbred race horses for 40+ years, and I got my start working with him as a groom in the summers during high school. I also worked as Asst. Racing Secretary/Timer at Ocean Downs racetrack, a Standardbred track during college. I found this game from a friend in a simulation baseball league, who like me, raced harness horses. I remember his exact words “It is runners but it is still fun.” Interestingly, in my job now I oversee two farms – one Standardbred and one Thoroughbred that bred about 150 mares a year combined and my learning curve about thoroughbreds has been accelerated by this game. It is fun to be able to breed some horses in the game by horses I have been around in real life. I have a big picture of Shamardal as a foal in my office, as he was bred/raised at the farm I work for and I actually planned the breeding of Boys at Tosconova, a sire I like to use because of that. 

 

PHAR LAP: Could you tell us how long you have been breeding and training in Derby Fever.

Rob:  I have been playing since the fall of 1999. When I first started, there was no breeding at all. I took a few hiatus in college where others ran my stables for a bit, but have been going strong since then.

 

PHAR LAP:  PROUD SOULS is your best horse so far, correct me if I am wrong, can you tell us about other past stars.

Rob: Yeah, there a few I would like to show you

STORMIN BLUES(Eclipse Winner twice. Stormin Blues grand dam is the blue hen mare AP Magic, who is a Graded Winner and the dam of 2 Graded Winners, but also the grand dam of 3 Grade 1 Winners and 4 other Graded Winners).

                    SIRE BERNARDINI                        DAM SIRE STORM CAT                            DDS   FORTY NINER     

     

A.P. MAGIC (blue hen mare)

                  SIRE FORTY NINER                                    DAM SIRE A.P. INDY                             DDS   SHMAGO  

                                                                                                                                           

MONEYGROWSONTREES  (my first dual G1 Winner)

                     SIRE FORESTRY                     DAM SIRE MR PROSPECTOR                  DDS I AM THE GAME          
     

       

PROUD MARY(my first G1 Winner)

              SIRE NUREYEV                                DAM SIRE PLEASANT COLONY                      DDS PRETENSE                                                                                                                         
      

PHAR LAP:  Breeding and training are passions of yours Rob, have you any horses that are getting you excited?

Rob: Before I show you a few of my promising horses I would like to share with the community a story I am proud of.  I loved Henny Hughes as a racehorse, so when he retired, I started a stable dedicated to Hennys. I was able to get a G1 Winner, and 2 x G2 Winners from that experiment (his top 3 foals ever), including running 2^nd in the Breeders Bowl Sprint the same year.

HENNY HUGHESHennessy – Meadow Flyer, by Meadowlake

      

 

Rob: Other parts of the game I enjoy are taking horses from the scrap heap or cheap in the game and doing well with them. I run a subset of stables focused on bargain runners, and while I have not had the success of some players like Hawkz and Mtk, but have bred some cheap (under 50 bp horses) like Weather Warming that turned into legitimate Graded Stakes performer. I also like little things, like long ago buying a horse named Firey Car from the auction for $1 as a maiden and winning 15 races with him.

WEATHER WARMING

      SIRE   WEATHER WARNING                         DAM SIRE   IN EXCESS                     DAM’S DS MIESQUE’S SON     

         

FIREY CAR

                 SIRE   BE MY GUEST                            DAM SIRE DAMASCUS                     DAM’S DS FIRST AND GOAL

                                         

Rob: Let me show you a few horses that have me excited

HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE (about to try stakes company but has dominated allowance fields)

                 SIRE   CONGRATS                            DAM SIRE EMPIRE MAKER                            DAM’S DS DANZIG 

     

FEELS FUNNY (is one of my favorite up and comers and is headed to the Equinics) 6th Equinics – Creators

          SIRE   DISTORTED HUMOR                    DAM SIRE A.P. INDY                                  DAM’S DS STORM CAT

                                          

BUY A ROUND (top bred filly that has reeled off 4 in a row)

                      SIRE   STREET CRY                               DAM SIRE A.P. INDY                             DAM’S DS STORM CAT                    
     

HELLO FIVE O (a nice 3 year old on the way up)

                SIRE   DEEP IMPACT                                  DAM SIRE DANSILI                              DAM’S DS STORM CAT        

NOBODY GOT TIME (actually a Maryland bred 3 year old)

                   SIRE   FRIESAN FIRE                           DAM SIRE GONE WEST                  DAM’S DS PLEASANT COLONY    

     

PHAR LAP: Breeding is one of the most exciting aspects of the game in my opinion. Have you any secrets you would like to share with us; we all would like a horse of PROUD SOUL’s class and quality.

Rob: I think a lot of people over complicate the game. In my opinion, there are not a lot of secrets. In the end, it is breed the best to the best and hope for the best. Now, that being said, I do try to breed with a plan – what do I want for this horse as far as surface, distance, and precocity. That certainly does not always work out, but I like to have a plan. I also think the most important part of the game, and what separates trainers, is an understanding of value among sires. If resources are unlimited, sure, breeding Galileo x Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector for $25+ a pop is going to give you success, but for most of us, resources are limited, so it is a matter of trying to get the best bang for your buck. I think the best way to do that is to form your own opinions and do your own research – as opposed to chasing trends in the sim.

 

PHAR LAP: Without giving away all your secrets, have you any favorites as Sire, Dams Sire and Dams Dam Sire?

Rob: As I mentioned in the previous question, I try to seek out value, which has led me to drastically change the sires I go after on a continual basis. In the past I have had a ton of horses by sires like Dansili, Pivotal, Encosta De Lago, etc., but as they have risen in price, I have shifted to new sires. There are some classic sires that I love and will occasionally step up and pay for, even at inflated prices, including Distorted Humor, Street Cry, and Galileo. However if you look at my stables now, I have a large number of foals by sires like Deep Impact, Malibu Moon, and Medaglia D’oro, who I consider top class, but can sometimes be purchased for far less than sires like Distorted Humor or Street Cry. I use mostly mares, so the DS and DDS I use are products of prior breeding’s, so there are a lot of things like A.P. Indy and Distorted Humor populating my mare group.

 

PHAR LAP:Do you prefer scratch breeding or breeding to your good retired race mares? Do you like using he mares?

Rob: I prefer good retired mares, particularly for the cost aspect, but also because you can really create a strong band of mares by continuously breeding your top prospects up. I also love the breeding system in the new game that really incentive’s you to try lesser sires, or lesser mares than you might have considered using. I do like scratch breeding as well – Proud Souls is among my stars that was scratch bred, but I will typically only do that in stables like my bargain stables – that have no mares to choose from. I do like using he-mares, but with the new pricing structure, I am probably exclusively using Graded Winners or Stakes Winners, unless there are special circumstances.

PHAR LAP: OK Rob, we all know breeding is only one aspect of the game, once you get a good horse and get your maiden out of the way, the skill of the trainer then comes into play. Do you have any training preferences you would like to share with us? I am sure there are fellow trainers out there that would appreciate some advice from a trainer of your standing.

 

Rob: I like to try to clear conditions with horses if possible. Sometimes a horse is so good early you have to strike, but ideally I’d like to get through at least a N2L with a 2yr old, N3L with a 3yr old, and N4L or N4x with an older horse. I think the other key to success, outside of breeding for value, in the game – if your goal is to win graded races – is to not be afraid to experiment. As Dan (Given) mentioned in his earlier articles, unless your horse is undefeated on a surface/distance, he could always be better at another distance/surface. Proud Souls is a great example – he started out breaking his maiden at 8f dirt and ran a 100 at 8f turf… but I pushed him to 10-11f turf, where he exploded.

PHAR LAP:If you could pass on one piece of advice, what would that be?

Rob: Simple – have fun! Play the game you want to play it. Set goals for yourself. Sure most people in the game want to win the Bluegrass Derby, but only one person gets to a year, so having other goals can make the game more fun. There is no one right way to play the game.

 

 PHAR LAP:Here we go Rob, jockeys!!!  Great people, but they can be a real pain in the backside sometimes. Do you call the shots or let them ride their own race?

 Rob:  I probably have instructions on 25% of my horses. I have had some very top level horses with instructions but by and large, I prefer to let them ride their own race.

 

 PHAR LAP:Do you pay big incentives to get the best jockeys?

 Rob:  I set up incentives when the new game first came online, and have not looked at them since. I do like to get particular jockeys but really only care for big race days. I think based on what I pay, I typically do get a jockey I want.

PHAR LAP:Do you have a favorite Jockey?

 Rob:  Well I am a bit partial to my own jockey of D Esperado, and I like to use friends jockeys in the game if possible – R Heller, R Heenan, M Kelly, etc., As far as top level jockeys, D Givins typically gets my first call in big sim wide events

 

PHAR LAP:All right Rob, let’s look to the future, have you any big goals you have set yourself?

Rob: I enjoy always creating new goals. I have been breeding some local breds and trying new stallions, that is always fun, but no major goals.

 

PHAR LAP:Have you any big races to win on your bucket list?

 Rob:  Like most Americans, I would love to win the Bluegrass Derby. I ran third with Confidently Wrong which was a great thrill. It is a tough race to get into, let alone win. I am typically not over aggressive with my 2yr olds, so it may not happen. I would also love to win a Breeders Bowl. I have been third twice, but yet to win them. I was able to cross of the English Derby this year, which was great.

PHAR LAP:If I was new to the game or had a problem horse that had me stumped or needed some help, where would you recommend I go?

Rob: The chat room is a great resource and my favorite part of the game. Not only can you get some great advice, but you are likely to have some laughs and meet some great people. I have had the opportunity to meet in real life a number of simmers, all great people.

 PHAR LAP:Can you recommend any Horse Racing Movies or Documentaries?

 Rob: I loved Seabiscuit, but I probably do not seek these out as much as I should.

 

 PHAR LAP: Are any there things in the game you would like changed or improved on?

 Rob:  I think the local bred program could be flushed out a bit more, specifically emphasis on championship days/series, over the constant barrage of claimers, etc.  I think the new sim addressed so many playability issues.

 

PHAR LAP:Well Rob, it has been a pleasure to hear your story. Your game play is quite diverse, very clever and skilful, great work my friend. You are a great trainer and breeder that’s for certain. I am sure our community will enjoy your thoughts and learn something from your experiences. Phar Lap and the Black Type Bugler thank you for your time and we hope success continues to ride with you.

 GIDDEY UP from PHAR LAP (gcliffo)