MAJOR WORKOUT PROPOSAL

[Ripley]

Tell me how you guys feel about the idea of workouts not counting at all for races that aren't major races? This way we ONLY have to concentrate on horses that need the workouts for the big races/moving up into those big races and we can have more horses at the same time.

This would eliminate the idea of when workouts were completed and how many you have had this season because not every horse moves up into the big time at the same rate.

Proposal
x Eliminate workouts for minor races, except maiden races?
x Doesn't matter how many you have if you are not racing in the major leagues
x Eliminates idea of dates of workouts and will help bring back MUSE during busy times.

[S u N f r O s T ~]

I don't like this idea, because if horses in the lower races are trying to move up in the lower races they need workouts, and lower races are perhaps more competitive than big stakes races. I think that workouts should usually count, but we need to stress less about them. Eliminating them from the factoring entirely is not an idea I would uphold.

[Kenren]

I am 100% percent behind this. Obvs since I've been kind of hinting at it I think but I didn't know if anyone else would be into that. Like I've said, I do not judge by workouts at all as it is, so it doesn't change anything I'm doing by not having them. And it saves everyone a ton of time, and we can actually focus on works for the horses that need them. So yeah, I'm all for it.

Edit: I don't even look at them for maiden races so I don't care about having them for those really either. And Frosty, the point I think is that if no one has workouts in the lower races, it won't matter how competitive it is. If no one has them, and they're not allowed to be taken into consideration, it shouldn't make a difference.

[Ripley]

This was originally Kenren's idea. I wouldn't mind honestly. I don't even (sorry) look at workouts for horses in minor stakes. Frosty you don't race many horses in the lower levels :P.

[Ripley]

I'll add a poll.

[S u N f r O s T ~]

I think that we should take this into consideration, but we should consider it informally and not as an absolute and ironclad rule. If people are already judging that way...then people can continue judging that way. But it shouldn't be an absolute rule.

[Kenren]

The difference though is that some people are judging workouts and some aren't, which means we still have to scramble to get the works in regardless. And it could maybe not even be forever, but just when everyone's this busy. Idk, I just feel like works have become more effort than they're worth.

[Ripley]

The problem is that some people do judge based on workouts. This isn't an ironclad rule but it brings awareness to a general consensus. This means more time to focus on the big horses and only doing workouts for lower horses when they are entered into major stakes.

[S u N f r O s T ~]

Depends on who's judging. I know that I just check to see if the horse has been worked somewhat recently and take it slightly into account by judging. Quite plainly, we should just strongly discourage judging entirely on workouts and that should solve the problem. Workouts should be a factor of sorts if the judge wants it to be, but not a major one so that the people who don't create workouts for minor races aren't as affected.

[Ripley]

The problem is that we've had that kind of wishy-washy judging for a while. And then when people start to lose it's all because of not having workouts. Not attacking you Frosty because I completely get your idea, it's just I don't it to hurt our members when we're super busy.

[Kenren]

Like, it could even be a temporary thing. Like when we had that Jan Week 5 special week where works weren't considered. We could have it be something like that, or even have it for a trial period, for a couple of race months and see if we like it. At least while everyone's busy.

[S u N f r O s T ~]

Hmm. Overall, I'm going to change my stance to neutral. As you mentioned Ripley, I don't race in the lower levels all too much. I don't mind either way.

[Ripley]

Then we'll just need more opinions on this subject. I forgot about the Jan Week 5 thing, but that's completely true. We could do it like that and over the course of several race months, see how we like it, how well horses move up.

Anyway... more opinions?

[Snowflake]

I'm going to stand by the guidelines on GHF. I think workouts will always be an important factor and in certain races I like to see a specific workout. When I say certain races, I mean Kentucky Derby, Breeder's Cup, and maiden start. I don't personally have time to get workouts in for every horse and some of my horses have gone without for some time. I only check to see how recent a workout is and only if a horse hasn't had one in some time and the competition has been worked recently, do I actually mark down. Often I go by record. If a horse has been losing a few times in a row I will often put them in the win as long as they are up to the same level.

[Ripley]

So Snowy would you be in favor of the proposal? Because what you're saying goes along with what Kenren and I are talking about. Would you like to try it this way for a couple race months?