In the captivating world of Photo Finish LiveTM, the greatest horse racing game and arguably the best game in web3, the spotlight often shines on the owners and trainers of winning thoroughbreds. However, the unsung heroes of this sport are undoubtedly the breeders, those who lay the foundation for champions long before they ever set hoof on a track. One such figure is Mike Sowers of Tombstone Stables, a master breeder with the current #1 stud on the RDS Breeding Leaderboards, whose recent accomplishment has stirred the horse racing community. We’ll also have a few quick words with Maximus Aurelius of Flamboyance Stables who provided the stud cover for this victorious runner.
Sowers is the architect behind the breeding of “Minimal Effort” a horse that, despite being sold prior to its remarkable triumph, clinched an unexpected victory at the Kentucky Derby. This win, accomplished against seasoned S- and S-grade horses, is a testament to the prowess of Tombstone Stables in breeding top-tier racing horses.
In this exclusive interview, we delve into Sowers’ intricate world of horse breeding. We explore the strategies, insights, and decisions that go into creating a champion racer — from the selection of bloodlines to the eventual sale of a promising contender. Sowers’ expertise sheds light on the often-overlooked, yet critically important, role of breeders in shaping the future stars of horse racing.
Mike Sowers, Tombstone Stables
Hanz Holdingworth: Last night on Photo Finish Live Foal’s Day Spaces, I asked what was the secret ingredient to making a beast “A” horse like that. Thank you for joining me Mike. Peeb of YSM Racing suggested perhaps the ‘minimal effort’ name of your horse, gives a clue to your breeding strategy. Could you shed some light on this?
Mike Sowers: Absolutely, Hanz. Thanks for having me here. The name ‘Minimal Effort’ might be misleading because there’s never minimal effort in our breeding process. For each horse, including Minimal Effort, I spend hours going through every single breed report. This includes top non 1/1 s-lds and our in-house options like Tatanka. I focus a lot on progeny, and I remember choosing Aghillas frequently. Despite being under appreciated and having fewer progeny, its stats were quite similar to other LDS uniques. With Minimal Effort, I saw a perfect opportunity to breed with Aghillas.
Hanz: It’s impressive that you put so much effort even into horses you consider lower outcomes. Why do you think Aghillas is underappreciated?
Mike: Mainly because it lacks around 1.5 stars in soft, which generally makes the 9 pref stars look better and have greater resale value. However, if we get lucky and roll a superior outcome, it can be worth more due to more breeding options. My goal is always to create niche bloodlines and hopefully roll that S or above grade.
Hanz: Now, you sold Minimal Effort. That’s got to be one of the biggest fumbles selling a winner of the Derby’s Twin Spires Sprint…
Mike: Our strategy involves selling what we consider lower outcomes, as we have many horses. This helps us maintain cash flow, allowing us to focus on breeding and improving grades with unique blood long term. In fact, we have a similar breed combination to Minimal Effort on the marketplace for around 80,000 derby.
Another note is that I probably would have never entered there, and I have likely raced up with my best of grade as much as anyone — testing A+ against the S- restricted or allowances, testing my S- against the best open races, and so on. So, it just goes to show that even someone fully immersed may overlook opportunities. The strategy and variance in this field mean that anyone could find niches or opportunities to make money.
This is what I love about @photofinishgame: Skillfully buying/breeding to gain an edge on competitors.
— Ascension Stables (@Trot2Top) January 16, 2024
You don’t need to own the best horses in the game to have a shot. Just a little strategy, a little luck and minimal effort. pic.twitter.com/dzKEcOa9AW
Hanz: It’s interesting to see how even 11 seasons in that Gen0 studs still have so much demand in the breeding barn. Flexibility is so important. We’re seeing a lot of new horses now hitting the market with more blood in them which has positives and negatives. Has your strategy changed much in light of this?
Mike: My strategy remains mostly the same. I run reports for each horse to determine the best option for value, progeny, and outcome. It’s tough to beat the gen0 studs with lesser mares, so usually, a higher mare or equal mare is needed to get better stats. Usually, you need to use a mare of higher or equal quality to achieve better stats than, say, MonocleHeartBay or Shaun E Bear. When I’m breeding A or A- to S-, I don’t always expect to achieve the highest grade, but I aim to create versatile bloodlines for future breeds. For example, I recently bought a 0-year-old S- RDF filly. It’s like purchasing a gen0 unique, and I consider it the best deal in a long time. I focus on achieving a preferred outcome on the father, more than him, to avoid gambling on production.
Hanz: Any advice for newcomers to the game?
Mike: Focus on creating something others want at the top, and create flexibility in your bloodlines going up through the ladders if you’re in the mid to lower tier. The game has benchmarks now, which aids in creating unique bloodlines. For example, if you create a lower-tier S that’s unique but has lower race stats than a 1/1 S, you can race in benchmark events instead of being restricted to S restricted racing or higher. I’m playing the long game with bloodlines and unique horses. For those with 1/1s, I chase the highest stats possible. It might be necessary to start unique and circulate 1/1s out quickly as part of the meta, valuing unique lines as much as top stats.
Hanz: With the success of Minimal Effort, do you think there’s a shift in strategy among players?
Mike: Definitely. With the benchmarks set at age 3 and less emphasis on grade-restricted racing, it allows breeders to be as unique as they want. However, the higher you go, the bigger the prize pools, so I do a bit of both – chasing high stats/grades and opting for more unique bloodlines long term.
Hanz: Thanks for this Mike. That was awesome. Think it will help people a lot to with their breeding.
Now we’ll cross over to Maximus Aurelius
Maximus Aurelius, Flamboyance Stables
Hanz: Maximus, as the provider of the stud cover for this winner, how does it feel having the stud who played a part in that phenomenal win?
Maximus: Of course I was happy to see one of my studs’ foals win such a big race – even if i had a contender in the race myself as well. It points out the importance of looking at diversifying bloodlines and being creative in breeding choices to keep future options open whole getting a high quality stud in the line.
Also pointing out that it is no surprise to me that Aghillas is breeding some good offspring – based on his excellent track record as a racer, his gen0 sibblings doing really well in racing as well, and comparing breeding reports vs other high quality gen0 ld S- studs.
We continue to explore the strategic prowess of Ascension Stables in Photo Finish Live™, focusing on their unique approach and the secrets behind their recent victory.
Ascension Stables, renowned for their strategic acumen, joined Photo Finish Live™ at the start of season 8. They were captivated by the game’s complex design and the array of playing styles. Early on, they discovered a critical edge: most players were not optimizing their breeding strategies for the sub-grade racing meta. Instead, many were simply combining top stats, hoping for higher grades.
The key to Ascension’s success was their novel approach to breeding. They didn’t just focus on stats; they aimed to create a lineage that consistently produced top-of-grade horses. This strategy helped them gain a competitive advantage and led them to identify and acquire undervalued thoroughbreds like “Minimal Effort.”
Ascension’s technique of down breeding played a significant role in their achievements. This method involves enhancing a lesser horse by infusing it with higher-level stats, a crucial tactic in a skill-based, stakes-heavy game.
With the introduction of the Fleet Figure Benchmark races, Ascension acknowledges a shift in the game’s dynamics. While they see potential challenges with this change, they also recognize opportunities for adaptable players.
For newcomers to Photo Finish Live™, Ascension recommends a deep understanding of the nuances between horse grades and the importance of performance above fleet figure average. They encourage a contrarian approach, seeking edges in less obvious areas, which can lead to substantial gains, akin to “Minimal Effort.”
Discover more about Ascension Stables’ comprehensive strategy and their journey in Photo Finish Live™ in Part 2 of our article: Defying the Odds: Gigabraining a $225k Derby Win with Floor Priced Horse
