Tipsheets
From Derbyfever.com Wiki
Tipsheets were among the Sim's first player-run support sites. Tipsters either worked alone or teamed up to handicap one track's full racecard. The player(s) posted their week's tipsheet on their own private webpage.
The usual format of a tipsheet included a list of the track's races and conditions. At a minimum, the tipster posted their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place picks. Some tipsters added brief comments for each horse in the race.
Tipsheets were very popular in the game's early years. In November 1999, 40 of the game's 48 tracks had tipsheets. But by 2000, tipsheets began to wane. The increase in field sizes and races per track from 10 horses to 14, and 10 races to 16 respectively upped the ante on a tipster's workload. The stress and commitment of posting a full racecard on time weekly saw many sites erratically skip weeks. Eventually, most sites folded all together.
Additionally, the ever-ballooning number of tracks near always ensured that some tracks would have no tipsheet coverage. There were just not enough interested handicappers to go around to meet demand. This turned some players off who expected tipsheet coverage of their horses. As a result, tipsheets lost a lot of their luster.
It is arguable that the SimRacing Form further contributed to the tipsheets' fate -- many former tipsters moved to the SRF to accept a "lighter load," covering their track's stakes races in essay format. In the end, tipsheets were not the primary player-run support site by 2002. Instead, residencies, the SRF, and Sim utilities took over.
Since 2003 first YOSS and later Benelux provide tipsheets for all races in the sim. This is maintained by Yochem.
List of Mid-1999 Tipsheets
- Snapshot of tipsheets in August/September, 1999
| Tipsheet | Player(s) |
| South Port Alabama | Aussieauss |
| Queen's Gardens | Intergaze, Frewdog, Morsegrove |
| Arkansas Racing | Rickhh2 |
| HollyRock Downs | Duanecrisp, Capsized |
| The Delaware Links | Revelation |
| Florida Flops! | Marky, Shelmo |
| The Grapevine | Sal |
| Iowa, Is This Heaven? | Chilcoat |
| Louisiana Sauce Picante | Moose, Wahoo |
| Turfstar: Paris Races | Hakim, Oldsorrel, Indy |
| Maryland Analysis | DrFager |
| Maryland Money | David37373 |
| Bloodline Reviews | TS |
| Michigan Tipsheet | Jacklewis, Tanico |
| Missouri Thoroughbred Racing Club | DeBee |
| Coker's Call: Northern California | Coker, MrCoker |
| New Jersey, Gardners Park | Shawnjeter |
| New Mexico/Washington Trainers Stats | Hannibal |
| Through The Binoculars | 5starfarms, Flstables |
| Okie Picks | Randyraide |
| Woodpine Racetrack, Ontario | Bigred77, Klaus |
| Crater Lake Downs, Oregon | Abcde, Lockness |
| Pennsylvania Turf Club | Arcticruck |
| Texas Cookin'! | Rock63 |
| Utah Picks | Charisma |
| Seattle Downs | Adawg |
| West Virginia Wildpicks | Wildhorse |
| West Virginia Trainer Stats | Tolstoy |
| Ontario, Epsom, Ostend Picks | Fatl (FirstAtTheLine.com) |
List of Late-1999 Tipsheets
- New tipsheets added by November, 1999
| Tipsheet | Player(s) |
| Pacific Racing Circuit | Team PRC |
| Killer Bees Selections | Johnhenry |
| Bayou Thunder | Apniner |
| Kentuckiana Racing Circuit | Team KRC |
| Frizzledown Racetrack (Ohio) | 1arazi |
| The Rabbi's Gospel (New Mexico) | Luckyrabbi |
| Grand Canyon Park | Rawb |
| Seattle Downs Newsletter | Randy |
| Virginia Tips | Silverny99 |
| Kansas Selections | Claimers |
| Idaho Racing Club | Robgomm |
| Epsom Downs | Helmet |
| Psychloan's Pselections | Psychloan |
| Vermont Picks | Genebaum |
| Racing In Georgia | Newnavy |
| North Carolina Racing | Dahoss |
| Montezuma Park (Mexico) | Looney |
| South Dakota Tipsheet | Mano |
| Mount Rushmore Track (South Dakota) | Angy |
| What's up at the Downs? | Rastak |
List of Early-2000 Tipsheets
- New tipsheets added by February, 2000
| Tipsheet | Player(s) |
| California Gold | Team California |
| Bluegrass Downs | Capsized, Socalslew, Tisjuliet |
| Louisiana Lagniappe | Brostimpy |
| Red Oak International Racecourse | Us101 |
| Ohio Picks | Mpm12, Jeffframe |
| SimRacing Report (Ohio) | Damico |
| At The Wire (Virginia) | Warlock |
| Husker Park Tipsheet (Nebraska) | Ace |
| Missouri Tipsheet | Firfight60, Thejokster |
| Ontario Tipsheet | Wally123 |
| Ascot Tipsheet | Inhand |
| Epsom Notes | Cutter |
| Pastures Of Green | Ldyssecret, Kate |
| North Carolina Training Center | Desperado, Labreche |
| Maine Tipsheet | Warlock |
| Preacher's Picks (Mississippi) | Duanecrisp |
| The Word At HQ | Sls |
| Japan / Dubai Tips | Rhyth |
| Racing At Nad Al Sheba | Oshtay |
| Victorian Races Homepage | Vorogue, Punterdoug |
| Superform (Queensland) | Joshua |
