Hello Racers & Future Jockeys!
We are pleased to announce some new and exciting changes to our racing program beginning with this race season!!
I wish there were races that were just for us new people or people who are just starting. Well, we’ve heard you!
Beginning this race season, you will see a two-tiered race system (Tier 1 & Tier 2). Tier 1 will be for the most experienced and winning jockeys. Tier 2 will be for the more inexperienced or new jockeys or those who do not race that often. We will calculate a jockey’s Tier in the following way:
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Jockeys will be awarded points for races where they placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th using last season’s races (Jul – Dec 2020)
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20 pts for 1st
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15 pts for 2nd
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10 pts for 3rd
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5 pts for 4th
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2 pts for 5th
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We will add up all the points for each jockey and then post those results on the ABC web site. This will also show people who earned the most points for last season.
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We have decided that jockeys who earned 1000 or more points are Tier 1 Jockeys for the start of this season. Jockeys who have less than 1000 points or did not race last season are Tier 2 jockeys.
How does this affect racing?
Races will also include a Tier along with the Race Type and QL. Anybody (Tier 1 or Tier 2) will be able to register and race in a Tier 1 race. But only Tier 2 jockeys can race in a Tier 2 race. This gives the less experienced jockeys a chance to compete and win while only competing against similarly experienced jockeys. How does this benefit Tier 1 jockeys? Tier 1 races will have higher purses (double last season) and only Tier 1 races qualify for the Crown Cup. However, Tier 2 races will also have a higher purse than last season, but it won’t be as large as the Tier 1 races.
How do I get to be a Tier 1 jockey this season, if I didn’t qualify before the start?
First, the good news is that Tier 2 jockeys can compete in Tier 1 races. Also, we will be awarding points during the season and if a Tier 2 jockey earns enough during a 3-month period, they can become a Tier 1 jockey.
Will the points be shown for this season too? Yes. We are going to create a web page that shows last season’s results and one that shows this season’s points as they are earned each week. We are also going to hold a contest and the top 3 jockeys, by points, will win prizes at the end of the season. The points from last season will not count for the contest so you all start fresh!
Along with the Tier system, we are also trying to make racing more fun, exciting, and less frustrating. Therefore, we are changing our processes to help reduce disqualifications that occur on the track and in the paddock. While we are “loosening up”, we will still have structures that help maintain the level of professionalism for which our races are known. Please see the posted rules on the web site for the new changes.
We are doing everything we can to reward those best and most experience jockeys, while also providing exciting opportunities for new or less experienced jockeys. Let’s fill those races!!
How will I know what race I qualify for when I register?
When owners and jockeys register for a race event in MyABC, they will see that there have been some changes to the registration page. Tier 1 jockeys will only be allowed to register for Tier 1 races. Tier 2 jockeys have the option of registering for Tier 1 or 2. The web site will automatically select the races you are qualified for based on the Horse/Pony ID and the jockey’s Tier.
I’m a new jockey or I’m interested in becoming even better and I don’t know where to go for help?
We, along with volunteers from our community, are here to help! We will be adding a list of “Jockey Mentors” to the Racing section of the ABC website. This will be a list of names of veteran jockeys that are offering mentoring and advice to help a new jockey with various parts of the racing program.
New Saturday Event Time!
We want our Euro and non-US time zone folks to also enjoy racing! So, we are adding a new Saturday event with a start time of 9am SLT. We hope this opens a door for more of our European customers to participate, without sacrificing sleep! It also lets you more early risers in the US start your Saturday with an ABC race!
Badges we don’t need no – wait, YES WE DO!!
We will also be adding badges and quest coins to the racing program in the near future. We want everyone to be proud of their racing achievements and rewarding participants in this fashion will give everyone a chance to show off their accomplishments! Also planned for the near future is jockey leader boards!
Fashion Anyone??
Silks makers will now be allowed to use mesh as an option for their silks designs. Jockeys will still have to be at zero scripts, but the mesh will bring us all up to “current fashion” and provide more flexibility when choosing your designs.
Oh No! My Horse wasn’t done with Cool Down in time for a race!!
Use our new ABC product, Insta-Heat to take horses or ponies out of Cooldown sooner than the regulated time. This will enable horses and ponies to race without being disqualified for still being in Cooldown mode.
OOPS – I needed to train a few points right before the race but don’t want to go into CoolDown!
Use Vitamin TC – It provides jockeys/owners with the ability to help undertrained horses meet their qualifying level and bypass the regular Vitamin T Cooldown wait time. (Vitamin TC uses the same button as Vitamin T in the consumables menu).
AND WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED!! For the latest news, keep an eye on MyABC News on the MyABC web site!
