The ULTIMATE Guide to Photo Finish LIVE Part 7: Master Breeding Strategies for Champion Horses

Welcome back to our comprehensive guide to Photo Finish Live! If you haven’t read part 1, you can do that here.

By now, you would have just learnt about one of the core elements of the game – racing your horse! We even gave you a FREE PFL BASIC TRACKING TEMPLATE which you can use to track the ROI of your virtual race horse. If you want to reread that article click here. If you haven’t created an account yet, now is the perfect time to do so here (Use code: HIDDEN).

In this part, we’re diving deep into one of the most fascinating aspects of the game: breeding horses. We’ll explore the strategies, tips, and tricks to breed successful racehorses. This guide is designed to be a comprehensive resource, so grab a cup of coffee and let’s get started!

UNDERSTANDING THE BREEDING MECHANICS

Photo Finish Live allows players to breed horses with the aim of creating the next superstar on the track. Just like in real horse racing, a horse’s genetics play a crucial role in determining its potential.

THE BASICS OF BREEDING

Selecting Parent Horses: To start breeding, you’ll need to select two horses – a sire (male) and a broodmare (female). The choice of parents is critical as their genes will be passed on to the offspring. You must own the broodmare (female) horse in order to breed it.

Breeding Fees: Breeding comes with a cost. You’ll need to pay a breeding fee in DERBY currency. The fee can vary depending on the quality and rarity of the sire.

Genetic Traits: Each horse has a set of genetic traits that are passed on to their offspring. These traits include attributes like speed, stamina, and heart.

KEY GOALS AND BENEFITS OF BREEDING

The primary goal of breeding is to produce horses with superior racing attributes. The benefits include:

Enhanced Performance: Breeding horses with high attributes can result in offspring that perform exceptionally well on the track.

Financial Gains: Successful racehorses can earn significant DERBY and $CROWN through race winnings, with major races offering prizes up to $10,000!

Strategic Depth: Breeding adds a layer of strategic depth to the game, making it more engaging and rewarding.

Mr Wonderful has currently amassed over 2.2 million DERBY in race earnings equal to over $27,000 USD

STEPS TO BREEDING A HORSE

Here’s a step-by-step guide to breeding in Photo Finish Live:

1. Select a Sire and Broodmare: Choose a female horse from your stable and find a stud from your stable or the marketplace.
2. Check Compatibility: Ensure the horses are not closely related to avoid inbreeding penalties. Check all 4 generations.
3. Pay the Breeding Fee: Use your DERBY to cover the breeding costs.
4. Wait for the Foal: After a short period, a new foal will be born with a mix of traits from both parents.
5. Evaluate the Foal: Evaluate the foal’s parent’s attributes to determine its likely preferred distance, as well as assessing the star preferences.

ABOVE: An example of a horse breeding match up selected.

For a more detailed step-by-step guide, read this awesome article from Horse Racing Capital here.

USING BREEDING REPORTS

Breeding reports can be used to assess the likely outcomes of your new foal’s attributes, providing insights into their potential performance on the track. This valuable tool allows you to make informed decisions, though it is a paid feature. For more details on how to utilise breeding reports, read about them here.

THE ROLE OF GENETIC & HORSE STATS

Genetics play a crucial role in the breeding process. Here’s a breakdown of key attributes:

• Start: How quickly a horse begins a race.
• Speed: The horse’s pace during the race.
• Stamina: The ability to maintain speed over longer distances.
• Finish: The horse’s strength in the final stages of a race.
• Heart: The horse’s will to compete and perform close to its potential.
• Temper: Consistency and performance stability.

Cheat Sheet: The data above highlights the correlation between a horse’s preferred distance and its underlying attributes. High start enhances a horse’s performance in short-distance races, while high stamina boosts its ability to excel in long-distance races. For a detailed analysis, read the full breakdown here. Or you can watch Poseidon Racing explain this in a great video here.

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL BREEDING

Study Bloodlines: Research the bloodlines of potential breeding pairs. Horses with successful ancestors are more likely to produce high-performing offspring.

Complementing Attributes: Look for parents with complementing attributes. Building up stats that are next to each other can produce foals that are dedicated sprinters or long-distance runners.

Avoid Inbreeding: Ensure that the breeding pair is not closely related. Inbreeding can negatively impact the foal’s attributes.

Example: Bespoke Ovation‘s sire has high finish while her broodmare has high stamina. This combination of complementary attributes increases the likelihood of producing a horse suited for long-distance running. As evidenced by her performance on the track, Bespoke Ovation has indeed inherited these traits, excelling in long-distance races. Although the horse’s specific attributes are not visible until retirement, we can deduce from her performance that she likely possesses high finish and stamina.

COMMON MISTAKES & HOW TO AVOID THEM

Ignoring Bloodlines: Overlooking the importance of bloodlines can lead to poor breeding outcomes. Always check the lineage.

Inbreeding: Breeding closely related horses can result in penalties. Use the in-game tools to check the relationship between horses.

Neglecting Attributes: Focusing solely on one attribute can be detrimental. Aim for a balanced set of traits, taking into account complementing attributes.

QUICK FIRE STRATEGIES FROM EXPERIENCED PLAYERS

Experienced players recommend:

Long-Term Planning: Think ahead and plan your breeding strategy over multiple generations. Consider when is the best time to inject 1/1 blood (and dominant PFP blood) into your bloodline and how that will affect your future breeding options.

Diverse Bloodlines: Maintain a diverse stable to avoid inbreeding and ensure a broad genetic pool.

Track Performance: Monitor the performance of offspring and adjust your breeding strategy accordingly.

INSIDER INSIGHTS: STRATEGIES FROM SEASONED BREEDERS

We reached out to some experienced players for their insights on both beginner and advanced breeding tips. Collectively, these stables boast over $290,000 in USD career earnings and have bred hundreds of horses between them. Here’s what they’ve learned so far:

Understand Your Goals and Budget

Gewch says, “I’m going to preface this with this piece of advice; have an idea of how and where you’d like to compete. If you’re interested in racing, find the archetype(s) and the level (grade) you want to compete in. Also understand the budget for the horses AND the racing for that level.” Zedge adds, “I think the most important thing to know for anyone is what is your goal—where do you want to compete? With that, there are a few dimensions to consider: budget, grade, and breeding barn. Budget impacts stud choice and race entry fees—no point buying an S+ filly if you can’t afford to breed or race her.”

Financial Management

One of the first pieces of advice is to manage your finances wisely. The Commish from Solanaut Stables emphasises, “Breeding is a financial commitment that produces more horses requiring additional financial commitment. Make sure you budget appropriately so that you don’t scale too fast for your bankroll.”

Building Star Preferences

Beyond financial commitment, it’s crucial to focus on star preferences. Zedge from Celtic Monke Racing advises, “When you get to S+, you will have very few breeding options, so it pays to focus on star preferences early when you have more good matches to choose from.”

Internal vs. External Breeding

Zedge also weighs in on the importance of diversifying bloodlines: “Consider how important internal breeding is for you. If it’s important, you may want to vary up the studs you use to inject different bloodlines into your stable versus hitting the best studs multiple times, giving you max exposure to the best blood.”

Breeding Objectives

The Commish provides a clear strategy: “Whenever you breed, you should always ask yourself, am I breeding a racer or do I want to build a bloodline? If building a racer, go for the most proven sire. If building a bloodline, ask yourself, if I do this breed, who does it breed to next? If there is a colt you can use, great, keep building. If not, even greater, because now you’ve spotted a gap in the breeding market you should find a solution!”

Attributes and Distance Specialisation

Gewch from Kingsport Racing explains the significance of attribute combinations: “Flatter attributes is greater than distance specialty attributes (complementing attributes). Certain trait combinations lend themselves to the racer’s distance preference, but all traits are important. If you have an A+ filly whose trait reveal is S/S-/B+/A/A+/A+, it’s likely better suited as a sprinter with high start/speed. However, you’re better off breeding with a colt that has high stamina and similar traits elsewhere to ‘smooth’ the traits rather than trying to breed in more start/speed and less stamina.”

Long-Term Planning

Gewch continues with strategic planning: “Breeding is like a chess game. Think several moves ahead and plan your pairs. If you have an A+ mare and want to breed with a specific stud, let’s say Exoticus, the only SS- stud on the market as of July 2024. If you breed your A+ with an SS-, the resulting foal is likely to be in the S- to S+ range. Assuming it’s an S filly, your options for trying to breed up from there are limited. However, if you breed your A+ with an S stud that has none of the Exoticus bloodlines to get an S- filly, then breed the S- filly with an S+ stud and get an S filly—now you can breed with Exoticus, and the resulting foal has a higher chance to be S+ to SS-.”

Adapting to Market Changes

Gewch also highlights the importance of anticipating new studs entering the market: “By the time your A+ mare becomes an S mare, there may be several more SS- studs on the market, and potentially SS or even SS+.”

Real-World Examples

Zedge uses a real-world example with Charlie Chaplin, a multiple major-winning horse with over $25,000 USD in career earnings: “I have a ton of non-1/1 LTS mares for Charlie Chaplin, but some are A+. For the lower-graded mares, it makes more sense for me to breed them with a solid S horse that will leave me with high preferences and an ability to breed with Charlie in the future. That should get me to an S- or S mare before hitting up my champion stud Charlie. If you want to go one step further, you can look at horses not yet in the stud barn that will be great and start breeding to get matches now.”

Cross-Preference Breeding

The Commish advises players to consider cross-preference breeding and the long game: “You need to look at cross-preference breeding (breeding horses with different archetypes) and playing the long game. 3-4 generations of a plan can pay off handsomely if executed properly.”

Final Advice

He circles back to the importance of taking it slow: “Financial management. Financial management. Financial management. You don’t want to scale too fast and run out of your funds before you’ve even begun.”

To learn more about breeding philosophy & techniques read The Commish’s article here.

CONCLUSION

Breeding in Photo Finish Live is a complex but rewarding. By understanding the mechanics, leveraging genetics, and learning from experienced players, you can breed the next champion racehorse. Remember, it’s not just about luck – strategic planning and a deep understanding of the game’s systems will give you a significant edge.

Stay tuned for Part 8, where we’ll delve into even more invaluable insights to boost your virtual horse racing success. Ready to get started? Create your Photo Finish Live account here (use code: HIDDEN) and begin breeding your dream horse today! Also, receive exclusive benefits like a free silks & stable branding pack!

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