Hachiko's Pony Conference Dynasty

[Hachiko]

Also known as Hachiko's New WAC and Mountain West.

The Mountain West I am making for NCAA Football 14 will have six teams, and will go through 60 seasons. 15-minute quarters will be utilized, with the difficulty set to All-American. Coach mode will be used in this one.

All six schools are TeamBuilder schools, based on the Lauren Faust classic "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic." The schools are concentrated outside the modern city of Placerville, California. Four of the schools are located in the fictional city of Ponyville, California with the exception of two: one is located in the fictional town of Apple Acres (modern day Camino, California), the other is in Cloudsdale.

This dynasty thread starts in the 2019 season and will go all the way to 2072. After my Madoka Magi dynasty finishes, this will be the primary dynasty I will work on.

Seasons 2012-2018

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018​

 

[Hachiko]

Twilight Sparkle University is a private four-year university based out of Ponyville, California. Founded by Twilight Sparkle, the current university president, Twilie is the largest of the schools in the reformed PonyCon in terms of enrollment, with 15,000 strong. It is the most popular university in Ponyville and attracts students from 210 different countries. It is also the only university in the PonyCon that receives funding from the City of Canterlot, located 200 kilometers to the northwest of Ponyville.

The university is considered as the Ivy League of the PonyCon, with its buildings covered in ivy and its professors having taught at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn, Brown, McGill, the University of Tokyo and many other internationally renowned schools of learning.

The academics are very rigorous and are equivalent to that of a master's-level education, with all students required to present a thesis or dissertation. Master's students are required to provide two dissertations as part of their study.

As the most comprehensive school in the conference, any form of study that is seen at Harvard can be seen at Twilie. The university's mathematics and science programs are highly renowned. Other notable programs include the College of Business Administration, the College of Nursing, Twilight Law School and Twilight Medical School.

The emphasis on academics means that not a lot of funding is spent on athletics, although the school has a remarkable athletics program. Twilie's field hockey, women's volleyball and women's lacrosse teams are nationally known and respected.

The first football team, run by former mailpony Derpy Hooves, uses a Run Balanced offense, with a lot of involvement from the fullbacks and halfbacks. The passing game is essentially a change-up, as the offense focuses on speed, technique and execution. Currently, M.A. Larson is the coach and his offense is more of a run-and-shoot style. The multiple defense is balanced, with the run and pass defense earning equal priority.

Twilight Sparkle's main rival is Applejack, as both teams battle for the Big Wooden Apple. Twilie contests the Celestia Trophy with Rarity College and the Friendship Cup with Pinkie Pie.

 

[Hachiko]

Applejack State University is the newest addition to the California State University system. The University was created out of a partition of land in the Apple Acres owned by the University President, Applejack, her grandmother Granny Smith and her brother, Big MacIntosh, who is also the head football coach.

Applejack State owns the largest university-owned apple orchard in the country. The university's agricultural school is one of the most competitive. The school owns the largest cider bottling plant in the state of California.

Known informally as Apple or AJ, the school runs a Pistol offense and their playbook primarily uses more variants of the Pistol than Nevada, the creators of the Pistol formation. The defense is multiple, with an emphasis on coverage.

AJ's main rival are the Rainbows of Rainbow Dash University. Both schools battle for the Appledash Cup, as well as an all-sports trophy called the Zap Apple Trophy, which is a giant traveling crystal apple infused with all the colors of the spectrum.

Apple also has a minor rivalry with Twilight Sparkle University. Both schools fight for the Big Wooden Apple, a 35-pound wooden apple painted orange for Jackie and purple for Twilie. Victories for either team are painted on the winning sides, with the year and the score. Finally, Applejack and Pinkie Pie battle for the Apple Pie Trophy.

 

[Hachiko]

Rainbow Dash University, or Dash, is the second-largest university in the reformed Pony Conference, with an enrollment of 10,000. Dash is the first-ever school in the NCAA to have seven official college colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The colors are implemented in different forms in the uniforms of the athletic teams.

Dashie is home to a very strong engineering program, and has one of the most competitive engineering schools in the country for a university its size. It attracts students from 200 different countries and is known for tolerating and embracing different cultures, persuasions and orientations. It is the most-liberal university in the WAC, and 100% of all students who are US citizens vote Democratic or Green.

Marketed as "20 percent cooler than your highly-competitive American university," Rainbow Dash also attracts students with athletic talent and offers scholarships to those with superior athletic ability. An aim of the football team is to prepare its players for the National Football League or Canadian Football League while instilling their obligations as students of the university.

Rainbow Dash's offensive playbook is the run-and-shoot and is a carbon copy of the Hawaii playbook installed by former head coach and current SMU boss June Jones. The Dashie defense is one of the most aggressive in the league and incorporates a lot of blitz packages with an emphasis on tackling hard, fast and with an intent to injure. The head coach of the team is former Ponyville DJ and record producer Vinyl Scratch.

Rainbow Dash's primary rival is Applejack State. Both teams battle for the Appledash Cup in football and the Zap Apple Trophy in all sports. Dashie also have a rivalry with Pinkie Pie. Both teams battle for the Fifty-Pound Horseshoe, an actual horseshoe that weighs 50 pounds. Finally, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy battle for the Blue Helmet, a blue football helmet with unicorn head decals donated by Fluttershy College's founder.

 

[Hachiko]

Arguably the Party School of the Pony Conference, Pinkamena Pie University, or Pinkie Pie for short, has the largest amount of fraternities and sororities in the six-team league. Famous for its hotel and restaurant management programs and infamous for having too many inebriated professors to mention, Pinkie Pie University is a very liberal institution, with a majority of students voting for the Democatic Party.

Its looseness and easygoing campus life is similar to that of Stanford, but on a smaller scale. Every week, house parties are celebrated in the dorms, where kegs of apple cider from nearby Applejack State are bootlegged in through illicit means. You are not in Pinkie Pie without seeing at least one student outside a building recovering rather graphically from a hangover.

The Major Trouble, coached by Cheerilee, run the Spread Offense. No-huddle is the norm, with an intention to run up the score when possible. Defensively, Pinkie Pie utilize the blitz packages heavily in their multiple formation.

At the home games at The Sugarcube Corner Stadium (formerly known as The House Party Stadium), cupcakes are a popular food item and are bought in bulk by the fans.

Pinkie Pie have a rivalry with Applejack State in football. Both teams battle for the Apple Pie, a bronze-cast apple pie with silver-cast bacon strips on top. During this game, fans opt to drink bottles of AppleJack Daniels whisky into a stupor.

Pinkie Pie's secondary rival is Fluttershy College. Both teams battle for The Balloons. Also, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle battle for the Friendship Cup, a 20-pound stainless steel bowl with the logos of both school ingrained on it. Finally, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash battle for the 50 Pound Horseshoe in football.

 

[Hachiko]

Fluttershy College is a liberal arts college based out of Ponyville, California. With an enrollment of 4,250, it is the second-smallest school in the WAC (the smallest being Rarity College of the Arts). The Humanities programs are the highlight of this university, which attracts scholars from Latin America and Africa due to the affordable tuition. Many who plan to graduate from Flutter serve in the Peace Corps, as there is a Peace Corps training program on campus.

Fluttershy's main rivals are the Rarity Royals and Pinkie Pie Major Trouble. Fluttershy and Rarity battle for The Monarch, a large bronze-cast butterfly bedecked with diamonds. The Spirit and Major Trouble collide for The Balloons, a trophy of three ballons cast in solid gold. Fluttershy also has a rivalry with Rainbow Dash. Those two teams compete for the Blue Helmet.

The school's offense is a one-back set similar to the style of offense run at the University of Alabama. The defense is multiple, with an emphasis on man coverage. Berry Punch is the head coach of the Spirit.

 

[Hachiko]

The Rarity College of the Arts, or Rarity for short, is a liberal arts institution in Ponyville, California. It is the smallest school in the Pony Conference, and the most conservative, with all of the US-based students and faculty voting Republican.

As a liberal arts school, Rarity is known for its music, theater arts and fashion design programs. Many aspiring young chefs go to Rarity for the culinary arts program, which includes among its faculty a list of former celebrity chefs.

The architecture of this campus includes plenty of diamonds, emeralds and other jewelry. The bookstore is known as the carousel boutique and sells designer wear along with textbooks and other course-related material. Rarity is the most-expensive of the WAC schools in terms of tuition and one of the most selective universities in the conference.

Rarity's football team, run by the founder's younger sister Sweetie Belle, runs a Pro style offense similar to Stanford's, allowing liberty for the quarterback to make smart decisions and develop the skills required to be a competitent field general at the professional level. The defense is one of the more conservative, with a lot of coverage involved.

Rarity's main rival is Fluttershy College. Both teams battle for the Monarch. Rarity also has a rivalry with Twilight Sparkle University. Both teams fight for the Celestia Trophy, a bronze quarter-life-size replica of Princess Celestia of Canterlot.

 

[Hachiko]

​

M.A. Larson given a contract extension

By Geoff Martinez
The Ponyville Express
January 14, 2019

Twilight Sparkle Unicorns head coach M.A. Larson has been given a contract extension that will see him coach the Unis until at least the 2025 season, according to reports from the Ponyville Express. The contract is worth $7.5 million dollars/8.6 million bits over a course of seven years.

"We're pretty pleased with the way M.A. has been handing the Unicorns success," said university founder Twilight Sparkle. "So we are looking forward to a number of solid years with Coach Larson here at my university."

"I have to say that I was pretty much expecting this," said Coach Larson at the press conference at the Tara Strong Convocation Center. "So I'm ready to get back to work and get the job done."

Some interesting new hires have been made. Brian Stewart is now the defensive coordinator after Momo Kawashima left for a new job. Former Fluttershy head coach Berry Punch is now the offensive coordinator at Twilight Sparkle. Meanwhile, a flurry of coaching changes have taken place at a number of schools across the PonyCon.

Rainbow Dash, after a disastrous 1-11 season, emptied out their coaching staff, including the now-disgraced Derpy Hooves. DJ Durkin is now the head coach at Dash, with Mike MacIntyre as the offensive coordinator and Ron English as the defensive coordinator. Dan Mullen is now the OC at Pinkie Pie, while Billy Bradford is now the DC. Mike Canales is now the head coach at the Spirit, with Art Briles as the offensive coordinator and Ruffin McNeil as the defensive coordinator.

 

[Hachiko]

​

Twilight Sparkle picked to finish first in PonyCon

By Geoff Martinez
The Ponyville Express
July 1, 2019

M.A. Larson's Twilight Sparkle Unicorns have been picked to finish first in the Pony Conference for football, according to the combined coaches/media poll. Twilight earned all 180 points and all of the first-place votes from the coaches and media members participating in the poll. Applejack State was picked second, Rarity was picked third, Pinkie Pie was picked fourth, Fluttershy was picked fifth and holding up the rear was Rainbow Dash.

Twilight Sparkle was the only team in the PonyCon ranked nationally, at No. 5 in the preseason coaches poll. They have assembled a solid non-conference schedule comprised solely of Top 10 teams.

1. Twilight Sparkle 180
2. Applejack State 150
3. Rarity 120
4. Pinkie Pie 90
5. Fluttershy 60
6. Rainbow Dash 30

Schedules...

Twilight Sparkle Unicorns
8/24 vs. #3 Oklahoma
8/31 vs. #6 Clemson
9/7 vs. #2 Georgia
9/14 vs. #1 Ohio State
9/21 vs. #7 Notre Dame
9/28 vs. #8 Texas
10/05 vs. #9 Mizzou
11/2 vs. Fluttershy
11/9 at Pinkie Pie
11/16 vs. Rainbow Dash
11/12 vs. Applejack State
11/30 at Rarity

Applejack State Appleknockers
8/31 vs. South Dakota
9/7 vs. Northwestern
9/21 vs. Eastern Michigan
9/28 vs. Hawai'i
10/6 vs. Arizona State
10/19 vs. Fluttershy
10/26 vs. Pinkie Pie
11/2 vs. Robert Morris
11/9 vs. North Dakota
11/16 at Rarity
11/23 at #5 Twilight Sparkle
11/30 at Rainbow Dash

Rarity Royals
8/31 at Louisville
9/7 at Arkansas
9/14 vs. Akron
9/21 vs. Arizona
9/28 vs. #18 Alabama
10/19 vs. North Dakota State
10/26 vs. UC Davis
11/2 at Pinkie Pie
11/9 at Fluttershy
11/16 vs. Applejack State
11/23 vs. Rainbow Dash
11/30 vs. #5 Twilight Sparkle

Pinkie Pie Major Trouble
8/31 vs. #14 San Diego State
9/7 vs. Akron
9/14 vs. Eastern Michigan
9/21 vs. Eastern Washington
10/5 vs. Minnesota
10/19 at Rainbow Dash
10/26 at Applejack State
11/2 vs. Rarity
11/9 vs. #5 Twilight Sparkle
11/16 vs. Illinois State
11/23 vs. Portland State
11/30 at Fluttershy

Fluttershy Spirit
8/31 vs. Fresno State
9/21 at West Virginia
9/28 #9 Missouri
10/5 at UCLA
10/12 vs. Stanford
10/19 at Applejack State
10/26 at Rainbow Dash
11/2 at #5 Twilight Sparkle
11/9 vs. Rarity
11/16 vs. Georgia Southern
11/23 vs. Montana
11/30 vs. Pinkie Pie

Rainbow Dash Rainbows
8/31 at Tennessee
9/14 vs. Minnesota
9/21 at Indiana
10/12 at Mississippi State
10/19 vs. Pinkie Pie
10/26 vs. Fluttershy
11/1 vs. Indiana State
11/9 vs. Villanova
11/16 at #5 Twilight Sparkle
11/23 at Rarity
11/30 vs. Applejack State

 

[Hachiko]

​

Twilight Sparkle overpower Oklahoma 102-17

By Maribel Hana Kim
The Daily Twilight
August 24, 2019

In the pouring rain at Armor-Cadance Field at Twilight Stadium, M.A. Larson's Twilight Sparkle Unicorns delivered a massive spanking to the Oklahoma Sooners, 102-17. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Frank Whitworth threw for 596 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 184 yards and three more scores,

Halfback Eric Love ran for 161 yards and three touchdowns, wide receiver Derrick Randolph caught 12 passes for 231 yards and four scores, wideout John Bennett had 14 catches for 136 yards and wideout Anthony Mitchell had nine catches for 103 yards. Mitchell led the team in blocking with 27 pancakes while Randolph added 24.

Left end Mike Collier was a beast on defense with 12 tackles and six sacks. Middle linebacker Michael Henderson led the team in tackling with 17 tackles and a sack for a safety. Cornerback Gabriel Morrison had seven tackles and four interceptions and fellow cornerback Shaun Carroll had seven tackles and two picks.

"What a game defensively by the crew," said Coach Larson after the game. "We came out very aggressive and it paid off. Frank really showed his promise as the next great NFL quarterback to come out of Twilie. He's been improving on his throws but he needs to work a little bit on hitting the target in the red zone because I wasn't too happy about the pick.

"But other than that, no complaints from me. We'll catch our breath and get ready for Clemson next week."

Twilight Sparkle improve to 1-0.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 2 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 106, Clemson 0
Fluttershy 43, Fresno State 31
Tennessee 42, Rainbow Dash 35 OT
San Diego State 31, Pinkie Pie 24
Applejack State 34, South Dakota 20
Rarity 49, Louisville 33

 

[Hachiko]

Week 3 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 69, Georgia 50
Northwestern 44, Applejack State 26
Akron 35, Pinkie Pie 31
Arkansas 27, Rarity 7

 

[Hachiko]

Week 4 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 103, Ohio State 17
Eastern Michigan 73, Pinkie Pie 66
Rainbow Dash 41, Minnesota 20
Rarity 42, Akron 14

 

[Hachiko]

Week 5 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 63, Notre Dame 3
Rarity 34, Arizona 28 OT
Eastern Michigan 35, Applejack State 28
West Virginia 83, Fluttershy 52
Eastern Washington 31, Pinkie Pie 16
Indiana 49, Rainbow Dash 31

 

[Hachiko]

Week 6 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 56, Texas 7
Missouri 26, Fluttershy 24
Alabama 35, Rarity 28
Applejack State 25, Hawai'i 21

 

[Hachiko]

Week 7 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 63, Missouri 17
Minnesota 41, Pinkie Pie 27
UCLA 52, Fluttershy 45 OT
Applejack State 30, Arizona State 27

By the way, @Travis7401, if you want I'll put you in this dynasty too, starting in the 2020 season. Pick a pony, and I will make you the offensive coordinator at that pony's respective school. Optional, but you can also specify your age, preferred offensive and defensive playbooks, whether you want a no-huddle attack, and how aggressive you want your offense and defense to be.

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Los Alamitos Race Course

By Hong Cheong
The Daily Dash
October 7, 2019

Los Alamitos Race Course is a horse racing track in Cypress, California. The track hosts both thoroughbred and quarter horse racing. The track has the distinction of holding four quarter horse stakes races with purses over $1 million, more than any other track in the United States. Although the track is geographically located in the city of Cypress, it has a Los Alamitos postal address (zip code 90720). Los Alamitos lies just across Katella Avenue to the south.

Arriving from Kentucky with only $19 to his name, Frank Vessels Sr. built a fortune in the construction industry, and eventually purchased a 435-acre (1.76 km2) ranch in Orange County. Racing at what is today Los Alamitos started off as match races contested on the Vessels Ranch in 1947.

The first pari-mutual meet at Los Alamitos was held in 1951. The meet lasted 11 days, closing on 15 December. It rained for ten of the eleven days of the inaugural meet. Frank Vessels and his family spent many hours during this first meet repairing rain-induced damage to the racecourse. The closing night festivities featured a world record performance by the mare Bart B S in the Miss Princess Handicap. She covered the 400 yards in a time of :20.3.

Following the first meet, Mr. Vessels sank $100,000 of his personal funds into improvements at the track and lobbied the California Horse Racing Board for a total of 16 days of racing, which he was granted. The 1952 season saw financial success as business doubled over the initial meet.

The 1955 season saw the first true superstar of Los Alamitos. A coon-tailed, roan quarter horse with a distinctive look and noticeable personality, the popularity of Go Man Go was such that huge crowds would pack the grandstands and chant the roan colt's name as he notched victory after victory.

Dr. Ed Allred's first appearance as a law student at Los Alamitos was an unheralded event. He was only at the track because he had read that the Allred Brothers (who were no relations) were racing a horse at Los Alamitos. This one day started a life long love affair that would eventually see Mr. Allred as the sole owner of Los Alamitos.

Until the 1990s, the Vessels Family had always owned Los Alamitos. However, the 1980s proved a time of great change, as the track passed from one owner to another. Finally, When Los Alamitos was put up for sale in 1990, Allred was able to acquire 50 per cent ownership, with help from RD Hubbard. 1995 saw the opening of the $5 million Vessels Club, the lavish turf club restaurant which has gained fame for the decor and food alike. The Vessels Club has even been named the top sports park restaurant in Southern California. In addition to the Vessels Club, the track has also opened such fan favorites as the Player's Club, Rodney's Bar (named after trainer Rodney Hart) and Schwanie's Grill (named for trainer Blane Schvaneveldt) under Dr. Allred's tenure.

1995 also saw the beginnings of the Los Alamitos $2 Million, a championship race for two year olds. The 2008 running was the richest non-Breeder's Cup race ever contested in California with a purse of $2,038,250. It is also the only quarter horse race in the country with a guaranteed $2,000,000 purse. Los Alamitos also offers the richest three year old quarter horse race in the country, the Los Alamitos Super Derby. In 2014, the track was expanded to 1 mile (1.6 km) and is expected to host a throughbreds-only meet with the closure of Hollywood Park.

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Santa Anita Park

By Roy Toy von Schacht
The Daily Party
October 8, 2019

Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race track. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap as well as hosting the Breeders' Cup in 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013. In 2010, Santa Anita's ownership was moved to MI Developments Inc. (MID).

Santa Anita Park was opened on December 25, 1934 and is the oldest racetrack in California. It was designed in the art deco style by architect Gordon B. Kaufman. Originally part of "Rancho Santa Anita", owned originally by former San Gabriel Mission Mayor-Domo, Claudio Lopez, named after a family member "Anita Cota". The ranch was later acquired by rancher, Hugo Reid, a Scotsman. Later, it would be owned by gold prospector Lucky Baldwin. He initially founded a racetrack adjacent to the present site in what is today, Arcadia, outside of the city of Los Angeles in 1904. It closed in 1909 and burned in 1912.

In 1933, California legalized parimutuel wagering and several investor groups worked to open racetracks. In the San Francisco area, a group headed by Dr. Charles H "Doc" Strub was having trouble locating a site. In the Los Angeles area a group headed by movie producer Hal Roach was in need of further funds. These two groups combined and the newly formed Los Angeles Turf Club reopened the track on Christmas Day in 1934. In February 1935, the first Santa Anita Handicap was run. The race's $100,000 purse, the largest of any race ever in the United States until that time, produced its nickname the Big 'Cap.

In its heyday, the track's races attracted such stars Betty Grable, Lana Turner, Edgar Bergen, Jane Russell, Cary Grant, Ester Williams, and other stars. Bing Crosby, Joe E. Brown, Al Jolson, and Harry Warner were all stockholders.

Under the leadership of Doc Strub, Santa Anita initiated many innovations that are now standard in thoroughbred horse racing, such as the use of starting gates and photo finishes for every race. It is interesting to note that the implementation of photo finishes at Santa Anita actually recorded an increase in dead heats. Santa Anita was so successful that in its first year under Doc Strub's leadership, it paid its investors a 100% dividend on their investment.

In 1940, Seabiscuit won the Santa Anita Handicap in his last start. Two years later, in 1942, racing at Santa Anita was suspended due to the Second World War. From 1942 to 1944, Santa Anita was used as a Japanese American internment center with up to 17,000 people living in horse stables, including then-unknown actor George Takei. After the track reopened in 1945, it went through the postwar years with prosperity. A downhill turf course, which added a distinctly European flair to racing at Santa Anita, was added in 1953.

Due to its proximity to Los Angeles, Santa Anita has traditionally been associated with the film and television industries. The racetrack sequences in the Marx Brothers 1937 classic A Day at the Races were filmed there, and The Story of Seabiscuit with Shirley Temple was filmed on location in 1949. Several stars, including Bing Crosby, Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn, Alex Trebek, and MGM mogul, Louis B. Mayer, have owned horses that raced at the park.

The 1958 Santa Anita Derby was attended by 61,123 people, making the attendance that day a record crowd. They had come to watch Silky Sullivan come from 28 lengths off the pace and win—going away.

The 1960s brought about a major renovation of Santa Anita Park, including a much-expanded grandstand as well as major seating additions. In 1968, Del Mar Racetrack relinquished its dates for a fall meeting. A group of horsemen including Clement Hirsch intervened and established the not-for-profit Oak Tree Racing Association. Oak Tree had no facilities of its own and rented Santa Anita Park for its first autumn meeting in 1969. The Oak Tree Association has since become the operator of the autumn meet at Santa Anita Park. This meet usually runs from the end of September until early November. Many key stakes races are held during the Oak Tree Meeting, including many preps to the Breeders' Cup races. Oak Tree has been given the privilege of holding the Breeders' Cup itself on six occasions: 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, and 2012. The Oak Tree meet relocated to Hollywood Park for 2010 and the track has agreed to host a meet in 2011.

Prosperity continued at Santa Anita throughout the 1970s and the 1980s. In 1984, Santa Anita was the site of equestrian events at the 1984 Olympics. The following year, the track set an attendance record of 85,527 people on Santa Anita Handicap Day. However, recognizing the potential revenue boon to the State of California, the California Legislature expanded off track betting, bring operating betting parlors within closer driving distance of the race-day tracks. While the Santa Anita meeting could still draw large crowds, attendance had decreased by a third. Only 56,810 people were at the park for Santa Anita Derby Day 2007 to witness a Grade I event.

In 1997, Santa Anita Park was acquired by Meditrust when it purchased the Santa Anita Companies for its unique real estate investment trust paired share corporate structure. Following the elimination of the special tax treatment accorded Pair Share REITs, Meditrust sold the track to Magna Entertainment Corp. Magna still owns Santa Anita Park. In 2006, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita cohosted the Sunshine Millions, a day of competition with $3.6 million in stakes races between horses bred in the State of Florida and those bred in the State of California.

In 2006, there was a proposal to close Santa Anita Park and use its location as the site of a new retail/entertainment complex. This proposal was soundly defeated when the adjacent Westfield Santa Anita Mall (built in 1974 on the site of the old barns and training track) began its expansion, and due to the continuing popularity of the racetrack. In April 2008, a plan was approved to use large parts of the existing track parking lot to construct another mall. The "Shops at Santa Anita" were planned to open in 2010, no ground has been broken for the project, but it tentively scheduled for 2012.

At Santa Anita Park's European-style paddock there are statues of jockeys George Woolf, Johnny Longden, Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay, Jr. plus a memorial bust of announcer Joe Hernandez and one of trainer Charlie Whittingham with his dog, Toby. There is also a lifesize bronze of Seabiscuit in the walking ring at Seabiscuit Court; a similar bronze of John Henry was unveiled near the Seabiscuit statue in December 2009. Buried near the paddock is Emperor of Norfolk, the best horse Lucky Baldwin ever owned, along with three other great Baldwin horses: Volante, Silver Cloud, and Rey El Santa Anita, all four of them winners of the prestigious American Derby.

Since 1950, Santa Anita Park has annually presented the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award to a rider who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack. South African native Trevor Denman has served as the track announcer at Santa Anita since 1983. Denman is noted for his calls beginning with "And awaaay they go..." and his distinctive gravelly voice. Starting in 2014, Santa Anita is expected to run more racing cards due to the closure of Hollywood Park Racetrack as they will host Hollywood's old spring dates from late April until June.

Santa Anita has a one-mile (1,609 m) natural dirt main track which rings a turf course measuring 9/10 of a mile, or 7 furlongs plus 132 feet (1,448 m). In addition, it has an unusual hillside turf course which crosses the dirt and is used mainly to run turf races at a distance of "about" 6½ furlongs (exact distance 64½ feet [19.7 m] less than same, or 1,288 m). This type of track is one of the few of its kind in America.

To comply with a State of California mandate, Santa Anita replaced its dirt racing surface with a new synthetic surface called Cushion Track, a mixture of silica sand, synthetic fibers, elastic fiber, granulated rubber and a wax coating. The new Cushion Track opened for training on Sept 4, 2007 and hosted its first live race on Sept 26, 2007. The track lost 11 racing dates in 2008 due to a drainage problem with the new material, but intensive maintenance and the addition of a liquid binder greatly improved the artificial surface. Santa Anita replaced the artificial surface with a return to an all natural dirt surface in December 2010.

Santa Anita occupies 320 acres (1.3 km2). It has a 1,100-foot (340 m)-long grandstand, which is a historic landmark that seats 26,000 guests. The grandstand facade is rendered in an Art Deco style and is largely the original from the 1930s. The track infield area, which resembles a park with picnic tables and large trees, can accommodate 50,000 or more guests. The Park also contains 61 barns, which house more than 2,000 horses, and an equine hospital.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 8 Scores...

Rainbow Dash 51, Mississippi State 28
Fluttershy 41, Stanford 10

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

By Lee Denholm
The Daily Carousel
October 14, 2019

Del Mar racetrack, which has a capacity of 44,000, is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the seaside city of Del Mar, California, 20 miles north of San Diego. Owned by the State of California and leased by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, it is known for the slogan: "Where The Turf Meets The Surf." It was built by a partnership including Bing Crosby, actors Pat O'Brien, Gary Cooper, Joe E. Brown, Charles S. Howard and Oliver Hardy.

When Del Mar opened in 1937, Bing Crosby was at the gate to personally greet the fans. On August 12, 1938, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club hosted a $25,000 winner-take-all match race between Charles S. Howard's Seabiscuit and the Binglin Stable's colt, Ligaroti. In an era when horse racing ranked second in popularity with Americans to Major League Baseball, the match race was much written and talked about and was the first nationwide broadcast of a Thoroughbred race by NBC radio. In the race, Seabiscuit was ridden by jockey George Woolf and Ligaroti by Noel Richardson. In front of a record crowd that helped make the fledgling Del Mar race track a success, Seabiscuit won an exciting battle by a nose.

By 1940, Del Mar became a summer playground for many Hollywood stars. Between 1942 and 1944 the facility was closed due to the Second World War. Initially, the grounds were used for training by the United States Marine Corps, then as a manufacturing site for parts to B-17 bombers.

The first Bing Crosby Stakes was held at Del Mar in 1946 and that same year the Sante Fe Railroad began offering a racetrack special bringing spectators, bettors and horses to Del Mar from Los Angeles. Throughout the late 1940s and 1950s the track became the Saratoga of the West for summer racing. The track had large purses for many stakes, many of the stakes races were won by the legendary jockey, Bill Shoemaker.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Del Mar continued to offer high quality racing and continued to be one of the premier racetracks in the country. The track attempted to run a fall meet in the 1960s but later canceled it after getting lackluster results. This allowed for the creation of the Oak Tree Racing Association at Santa Anita race track.

Change marked the 1980s when the infield was opened to spectators and in 1984 Trevor Denman became the voice of Del Mar. The track still offered the best summer racing in the West and continued to grow in purses, handle and attendance.

In the 1990s the track underwent a major renovation. The grandstand of the Del Mar Fairgrounds was demolished and replaced. In 1991 the track ran its richest race to date, the $1,000,000 Grade I Pacific Classic Stakes. The first Classic was won by an impressive three-year-old named Best Pal.

Beginning in the year 2000, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club 's marketing team went through a major shift in their marketing direction. They realized they had to attract a more youthful audience as well as a female audience. They focused Del Mar as a fashionable destination, using social media and other avenues to market the racetrack. The majority of ads didn't show horses. They adopted the slogan "Cool as Ever" and created a new website to draw in the new crowd which is known as delmarscene.com. They also hired jockey and model Chantal Sutherland to be the new face of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

Their strategy worked as over 13 years later Del Mar has changed their demographics and audience attendance. The marketing campaign of the Del Mar Racetrack has become a Stanford business study to see if their strategy could be done at other racetracks. One of the largest draws each year for the Del Mar racetrack has now become Opening Day with their famous hats contest and parties.

In March 2013, there was a vote to expand the turf portion of the racetrack. Construction began later in the year and the work is expected to be completed in time for the 2014 racing season. The work includes widening the course to 80 feet and softening the curve coming out of the diagonal chute, thus allowing more horses to compete in turf races.

Starting in 2014, Del Mar is expected to run more racing cards due to the closure of Hollywood Park Racetrack. A Fall meet is planned. The Del Mar racetrack runs live racing July through the end of Fall. The other months of the year the satellite wagering facility is operating.

The track has a one-mile oval with chutes for 7/8 and 1 1/4 mile races and a seven-eighths mile oval with a diagonal straightaway chute for 1 1/16 and 1 1/8 mile races on the turf course. The turf is a mixture of Common Bermuda and Hybrid Bermuda (GN-1). The track runs during the summer at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and can stable more than two thousand horses. Del Mar is known for its tan stucco grandstand located directly on the Pacific Ocean.

In early 2007, Del Mar became the second track in Southern California to install a synthetic surface and the first to install a Polytrack brand surface for a price of approximately $9 million. However, in February 2014 Del Mar president Joe Harper announced his intention to return to a dirt surface for the 2015 racing season. Harper cited a lack of synthetic surfaces in Southern California as the reason for the switch - Santa Anita Park had experimented with a synthetic surface but then reverted to dirt, while Hollywood Park, which had a synthetic surface, is now closed.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 9 Scores...

Rarity 37, North Dakota State 3
Applejack State 38, Fluttershy 14
Rainbow Dash 34, Pinkie Pie 14

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Ascot Racecourse

By Steve Grad Jr.
The Daily Twilight
October 20, 2019

Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle. It is owned by Ascot Racecourse Ltd.

Ascot today stages twenty-six days of racing over the course of the year, comprising eighteen Flat meetings held between the months of May and October inclusive. It also stages important jump racing throughout the winter months. The Royal Meeting, held in June, remains a major draw, the highlight being the Gold Cup. The most prestigious race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run over the course in July.

Ascot Racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne. The first race, "Her Majesty's Plate", with a purse of 100 guineas, was held on 11 August 1711. Seven horses competed, each carrying a weight of 12 stones (76 kg). This first race comprised three separate four-mile (6437 m) heats.

In 1813 Parliament passed an act to ensure that the grounds would remain a public racecourse. A new grandstand was opened in 1839 at a cost of £10000. In 1913 Parliament passed an act (Ascot Authority Act 1913 c.lxxxiv) creating the Ascot Authority, an entity that manages the racecourse to this day. From its creation until 1945 the only racing that took place at Ascot was the Royal Meeting, a four-day event. Since that date, more fixtures have been introduced to the grounds, notably the Steeplechase and hurdles in 1965.

Ascot racecourse closed for a period of twenty months on 26 September 2004, for a £185 million redevelopment funded by Allied Irish Bank and designed by Populous and Buro Happold. As owner of the Ascot estate, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth reopened the racecourse on Tuesday 20 June 2006.

Upon re-opening the new grandstand attracted criticism for failing to provide sufficiently raised viewing for patrons to watch the racing, and devoting too much space to restaurants, bars and corporate hospitality facilities. At the end of 2006 a £10 million programme of further alterations was announced to improve the viewing from lower levels of the grandstand using an innovative steel composite product ("SPS" sandwich plate system) to reprofile the existing concrete terraces. However, the upper levels provide far less accommodation for the everyday racegoer than was present in the former stand.

In March 2009 it was confirmed that the main sponsors of Ascot, William Hill would be ceasing their sponsorship deal, citing that the decision by the BBC to reduce live race coverage as the main reason in its decision making process. In July 2009 Ascot Racecourse also hosted the third round of the UAE President's Cup.

The centrepiece of Ascot's year, Royal Ascot is one of Europe's most famous race meetings, and dates back to 1711 when it was founded by Queen Anne. Every year Royal Ascot is attended by HM Elizabeth II and various members of the British Royal Family such as The Prince of Wales, arriving each day in a horse-drawn carriage with the Royal procession taking place at the start of each race day and the raising of the Queen's Royal Standard. It is a major event in the British social calendar, and press coverage of the attendees and what they are wearing often exceeds coverage of the actual racing. There are three enclosures attended by guests on Royal Ascot week.

The Royal Enclosure is the most prestigious of the three enclosures, with recent visits from the Queen and Royal Family members. Access to the Royal Enclosure is restricted, with high security on the day. First-time applicants must apply to the Royal Enclosure Office and gain membership from someone who has attended the enclosure for at least four years. For existing badgeholders, an invitation is sent out by Her Majesty's Representative to request badges. The badgeholder's name is written onto the badge and can be used only by that person; the colours of the badges vary each day for one-day applicants. Those in the Royal Enclosure have the options of fine dining and hospitality, and a selection of bars. The dress code is strictly enforced. For women, only a day dress with a hat is acceptable, with rules applying to the length and style of the dress. In addition, women must not show bare midriffs or shoulders. For men, black or grey morning dress with top hat is required.

Over 300,000 people make the annual visit to Berkshire during Royal Ascot week, making this Europe’s best-attended race meeting. There are sixteen group races on offer, with at least one Group One event on each of the five days. The Gold Cup is on Ladies' Day on the Thursday.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 10 Scores...

Rarity 35, UC Davis 7
Applejack State 34, Pinkie Pie 33
Fluttershy 56, Rainbow Dash 31

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Churchill Downs

By Bill Hayes
The Orchard
October 27, 2019

Churchill Downs, located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs has also hosted the renowned Breeders' Cup on nine occasions, most recently in 2019. Churchill Downs Incorporated owns and operates the racetrack. The capacity of Churchill Downs is 120,000. In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Churchill Downs was ranked number 5 on this list.

The track is named for John and Henry Churchill, who leased 80 acres (320,000 m²) of land to their nephew, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. (grandson of explorer William Clark). Clark was president of the Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Park Association, which formed in 1874. His father-in-law, Richard Ten Broeck, was an accomplished horse breeder and trainer, and introduced Clark to horse racing, attending the English Derby at Epsom Downs outside London.

Churchill Downs filled a void in Louisville left by the closing of Oakland and Woodlawn, two earlier race courses. The then-rural location was located along Louisville and Nashville Railroad tracks, allowing for easy transport of horses. Clark, who preferred longer races to the relatively short ones that had become popular by the 1890s, was running short of funds, and in 1893 sold the track to a syndicate led by William Applegate. The new ownership would soon institute many changes, such as shortening the length of the signature race to its modern 1¼ mile (2 km), commissioning the famous twin spire grandstand in 1895, and adorning the winner of the Derby with a garland of roses, a tradition that also began in 1895.

In early 1902, Applegate turned over operation of the track to Charles F. Grainger, then the mayor of Louisville, in an effort to move Churchill Downs away from being primarily known for gambling. The business had been floundering until this time when Col. Matt Winn of Louisville put together a syndicate of businessmen to acquire the facility. Under Winn, Churchill Downs prospered and the Kentucky Derby then became the preeminent stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses in North America.
During that early period, a new clubhouse was built in order to promote social interaction, and new events such as steeplechases, automobile races and band concerts were held at the track. The State Fair was held on the grounds, featuring the odd spectacle of two locomotives being intentionally crashed head-on in the infield. On June 5, 1907, African American jockey James Lee set a record that has never been beaten when he won the entire six-race card at Churchill Downs. In 1908, parimutuel betting machines were introduced as gambling began to be less controversial again, and the wagering portion of the track's business became more profitable. Churchill Downs was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. On Friday, June 19, 2009, Churchill Downs hosted its first-ever night race.

Churchill Downs has now ventured into the music business, organizing the inaugural HullabaLOU Music Festival, held on the weekend of July 23–25, 2010. The track had planned to make this an annual event to compete with other summer music festivals. However, due to what was perceived as lower than expected ticket sales and complaints from concert goers over seating and the brutal heat, it has been decided that the festival will not return in 2011. Despite selling more than 78,000 tickets for the three-day event, it failed to turn a profit, losing over 5 million dollars for the now defunct Churchill Downs Entertainment group. Besides the heat and poor seating, many blamed the lineup of artists, calling them "washed up acts from the state fair circuit." While headliners Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, and Kenny Chesney drew large crowds, other acts that filled slots during the day did not.

On Wednesday, June 22, 2011, an EF2 tornado hit the Louisville area, striking the stables and chapel at Churchill Downs, though only at EF1 intensity at the time. Several stables were badly damaged, as was the chapel. Over 200 horses had to be evacuated from the damaged stables and be relocated to other stables that were not damaged by the tornado. The tornado did not cause any damage to the iconic twin spires or the clubhouse.

The twin spires atop the grandstands are the most recognizable architectural feature of Churchill Downs and are used as a symbol of the track and the Derby. They were designed by architect Joseph Dominic Baldez and built in 1895. Today, Churchill Downs covers 147 acres (0.59 km2). The usual number of people seated at the derby is 50,000 people, though crowds can reach over 150,000 on Derby day. The dirt oval main track, on which the Derby is run, is one mile (1.6 km) in circumference and is 79–80 feet (24.1–24.4 m) wide, with a 120-foot-wide (37 m) section for the starting gate. A turf track, inside the main track, is 7⁄8 mile (1.4 km) in circumference and 80-foot (24 m) wide.

From 2001 to 2005, Churchill Downs underwent a three-and-a-half year, $121 million renovation. The clubhouse was replaced, 79 luxury suites were added, and the historic twin spires were refurbished. One of the additions in the clubhouse was a 36-foot (11 m) mural by Pierre Bellocq depicting all 96 jockeys to win the Kentucky Derby from 1875 to 2004. In summer 2008 the same artist added another mural depicting all of the trainers and updating the Jockey's painting, adding Calvin Borel and Edgar Prado to it. The new design has been somewhat controversial since the new suites block full view of the spires from most angles. The tips of the spires are still the
highest parts of the facility, albeit just barely now.

Racing at Churchill Downs occurs in two meets. The spring meet starts one week before the Derby and continues until early July. The Kentucky Derby is held the first Saturday in May and the Kentucky Oaks is run on Friday, the day before the Derby. A fall meet picks up in late October and closes Thanksgiving weekend in late November.

In addition to the track, clubhouse and stables, Churchill Downs also contains the Kentucky Derby Museum which focuses on the history of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs. The museum also contains a number of exhibits exploring the training and racing of thoroughbred horses. It includes a 360-degree cinema that shows the short film "The Greatest Race," a documentary about the Kentucky Derby. The museum is normally open year-round.

In October 2013, Churchill Downs announced that it would be installing a new, high-definition video board to be operational in time for the 2014 Kentucky Derby. The video board measures 171 feet wide and 90 feet high, with the bottom edge 80 feet off the ground. It was constructed along the outside of the backstretch of the dirt course and will face the grandstand and infield. Churchill Downs officials said that it would be the world's largest high-definition video board ever constructed.

 

[Travis7401]

Gimme one of the pink ponies. Fluttershy if it needs to be one of your existing ponies or Rosedust if it needs to be a new one? (for @TrojanMan )

Lets say I'm 35 years old
Offensive Coordinator
Triple Option
No Hurry Up
Not very aggressive (this mostly affects pass tendency?)

 

[Hachiko]

Gimme one of the pink ponies. Fluttershy if it needs to be one of your existing ponies or Rosedust if it needs to be a new one? (for @TrojanMan )

Lets say I'm 35 years old
Offensive Coordinator
Triple Option
No Hurry Up
Not very aggressive (this mostly affects pass tendency?)

Fluttershy it is. Correction: Travisshy. If @TrojanMan wants to join in, he has to choose one of the other five remaining ponies available and he will be the OC for that school. If you go conservative, the attack will be a bit more balanced. Again, I will need the same info, and he will be known as Trojan Man, unless otherwise requested.

 

[Travis7401]

@TrojanMan is definitely a pinkie pie man

 

[TrojanMan]

What in the? I don't even?

 

[Travis7401]

Just embrace the pink pony, bro.

 

[Hachiko]

@TrojanMan is definitely a pinkie pie man

All right, he will get Pinkie Pie, but I need the other stuff, such as: offense, defense, if he wants a no-huddle, and does he plan to play aggressive or conservative.

 

[Travis7401]

I think he should be a Lane Kiffin clone.

OC
Pro-style
aggressive
bad

 

[TrojanMan]

I embrace the pink pony. I reject the Lane Kiffin comparison.

 

[Hachiko]

Of course, I will note that the Major Trouble are winless this year as of Week 11. So, the Major Trouble...are, literally, in major trouble.

Week 11 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 70, Fluttershy 3
Rainbow Dash 33, Indiana State 14
Rarity 45, Pinkie Pie 10
Applejack State 33, Robert Morris 24

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Pimlico Race Course

By Hong Cheong
The Daily Dash
November 4, 2019

Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London. The racetrack is nicknamed "Old Hilltop" after a small rise in the infield that became a favorite gathering place for thoroughbred trainers and race enthusiasts. It is currently owned by Maryland Jockey Club.

Pimlico officially opened in the fall of 1870, with the colt Preakness winning the first running of the Dinner Party Stakes. Three years later the horse would have the 1873 Preakness Stakes named in his honor. The track is also noted as the home for the match race in which Seabiscuit beat War Admiral in the second Pimlico Special, on November 1, 1938, before a crowd of 43,000. The capacity of the stadium is 98,983.

The Preakness Stakes and the Pimlico Special are run at a distance of 1 3/16 miles. The Pimlico track record for that distance is held by Farma Way, who set it while winning the Pimlico Special in 1991.

In the century and more since its opening, Pimlico Race Track has weathered much outside history including the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Great Fire of Baltimore (1904) and several notable Baltimore riots. Pimlico also survived Prohibition and even an anti-gambling movement in 1910. As Alfred G. Vanderbilt said, “Pimlico is more than a dirt track bounded by four streets. It is an accepted American institution, devoted to the best interests of a great sport, graced by time, respected for its honorable past.” The races held at Pimlico, especially the Preakness, draw spectators from the Mid-Atlantic region. In 2007, the official attendance was 121,263 for the Preakness, the most people to watch a sporting event in Maryland history. More than $87.2 million in bets were made.

On March 23, 2010 an agreement was reached to sell the two Maryland Jockey Club tracks (Pimlico and Laurel Park) from Magna Entertainment Corporation to its parent company, MI Development. On May 7, Penn National, with MI Development, announced they would jointly own and operate the Maryland Jockey Club. Penn National, which began in 1973, operating a thoroughbred race track near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has grown to become the largest racetrack operator in the country.

In June 2011, The Stronach Group took control of the tracks when MI Development bought out Penn National Gaming's minority stake in the Maryland Jockey Club, which owned Laurel Park, Pimlico, and a training facility in Bowie. The Stronach Group is owned by Canadian horse breeder and owner Frank Stronach, who also was MI Development's chairman and chief executive, a position he gave up in order to run Maryland's racetracks. Penn National bought a 49-percent stake in the Jockey Club in 2010 in hopes of securing a slots license at Laurel Park.

The track has a one-mile dirt oval, surrounding a seven-furlong turf oval. There are stables stabling for about 1,000 horses. Pimlico's capacity, including the infield, is over 120,000 people. The track area is bounded by Park Heights and Winner Avenues to the west, West Rogers Avenue and West Northern Parkway to the north, Preakness Way to the east, and West Belvedere Avenue to the south. (Its namesake street, Pimlico Road, runs from the city line near Greenspring Avenue to Park Heights Avenue south of Cold Spring Lane, but is rendered discontinuous to through traffic between Northern Parkway and Belvedere Avenue.)

 

[Hachiko]

By default, TM will get the 4-3 Multiple Defense and defend the run and pass 50/50, with sub frequencies set to the max for fresh body purposes.

Week 12 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 55, Pinkie Pie 0
Villanova 34, Rainbow Dash 14
Applejack State 20, North Dakota 3
Fluttershy 33, Rarity 24

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Belmont Park

By Hong Cheong
The Daily Dash
November 13, 2019

Belmont Park is a major Thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905. It is typically open for racing throughout May and June and into late July, and again from late September through late October. It is world famous as the home of the Belmont Stakes, known as the "Test of the Champion", the third leg of the Triple Crown.

Belmont is known as "The Championship Track" because almost every major champion in racing history since the early 20th century has competed on the racecourse — including each of the 11 Triple Crown winners. Along with Saratoga Race Course, in Upstate New York, Keeneland Race Course, in Lexington, Kentucky, Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky, and Del Mar and Santa Anita racecourses, in Southern California, Belmont is considered one of the elite racetracks in the sport. Belmont saw its largest crowd in 2004, when 120,139 witnessed the Belmont Stakes as Smarty Jones was seeking the Triple Crown but was upset by Birdstone.

Belmont Park is operated by the non-profit New York Racing Association, as are Aqueduct and Saratoga Race Course. The group was formed in 1955 as the Greater New York Association to assume the assets of the individual associations that ran Belmont, Aqueduct, Saratoga Race Course, and the now-defunct Jamaica Racetrack (which site is now occupied by the Rochdale Village housing development).

In May 2007, reports surfaced suggesting that then New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was considering closing Aqueduct Racetrack, which is ten miles west of Belmont in Ozone Park, New York, and turning Belmont into a nearly year 'round race track when the New York Racing Association lease for all three of New York State's tracks expired at the end of 2007. According to the plans being discussed, Belmont's stands would be heated, additional barns built for Aqueduct's 400 horses, and the track modified to accommodate winter racing. In addition, video lottery machines would be introduced. A new entity would operate Belmont from fall to spring while the New York Racing Association would operate Saratoga Race Course in the summer. Any plans the former governor might have had for the track alignment likely left office with him when Spitzer was forced to resign amid a prostitution scandal in March 2008.

The Belmont Stakes was named after financier and sportsman August Belmont, Sr., who helped fund the race, and most sources say the racetrack itself was also named for him. Other sources say Belmont Park was named in honor of his son — August Belmont II, a key member of the Westchester Racing Association, which established the racecourse.

The race was first run in 1867 at Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx. In 1937, the wrought iron gates that bore an illustration of that first Belmont Stakes were donated to the track by August Belmont II's sole surviving son, Perry Belmont. The gates are now on the fourth floor of Belmont Park's clubhouse. The Belmont Stakes races have been run at Belmont Park since 1905, with the exceptions of 1911-12, when racing was outlawed in New York State; and the 1963-67 editions, held at Aqueduct while the grandstands at Belmont Park were reconstructed. The first post parade in the United States was at the 14th Belmont, in 1880.

Secretariat's finishing time in his 1973 Belmont victory (2 minutes, 24 seconds) set a world record for 1 1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) on dirt, a world record which still stands. The 31-length victory clinched the first Triple Crown in 25 years, dating back to Citation in 1948. A statue of Secretariat is in the center of the Belmont paddock. Another Belmont Stakes achievement is recognized by the "Woody's Corner" display in the first-floor clubhouse lobby, commemorating the five consecutive Belmont Stakes winners trained by Woody Stephens from 1982-86.

Other memorable performances in Belmont Park history include the opening of the track in 1905 with the famous dead heat between Sysonby and Race King in the Met Cap. In 1923, Belmont Park was host to an international duel between the American and English champions: Zev, winner of the Kentucky Derby, against Papyrus, winner of the Epsom Derby. Zev won by five lengths in front of the biggest crowd for a match race in a hundred years.

Belmont Park was the site of the tragedy-marred victory of Foolish Pleasure over champion filly Ruffian in a 1975 match race. Ruffian broke down during the race and had to be euthanized; she is buried near the finish line in the infield at Belmont Park, her nose pointed towards the finish pole.

The racetrack was also the site of Affirmed's epic stretch duel with Alydar in the 1978 Belmont Stakes, a victory that gave Affirmed the Triple Crown; and Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew's defeat of Affirmed in the Marlboro Cup in September of that same year. The Marlboro, a key event of the Fall Championship meets in the 1970s and 1980s, included a dramatic come-from-behind win by Forego in the 1976 installment.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 13 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 63, Rainbow Dash 7
Applejack State 41, Rarity 14
Illinois State 27, Pinkie Pie 10
Fluttershy 38, Georgia Southern 17

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of Keeneland

By Hong Cheong
The Daily Dash
November 20, 2019

Keeneland includes the Keeneland Racecourse, a Thoroughbred horse racing facility, and a sales complex, both in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial assemblage of photo negatives and newspaper clippings.

In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Keeneland was ranked #1 of the top ten tracks. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Keeneland was founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing–auction entity on 147 acres (0.59 km2) of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack Keene, a driving force behind the building of the facility. It has used proceeds from races and its auctions to further the thoroughbred industry as well as to contribute to the surrounding community. The racing side of Keeneland, Keeneland Race Course, has conducted live race meets in April and October since 1936. It added a grass course in 1985. The spring meet contains several preps for the Kentucky Derby (held the first Saturday in May), the most notable of which is the Blue Grass Stakes. The fall meet features several Breeders' Cup preps.

Keeneland takes pride in maintaining racing traditions; it was the last track in North America to broadcast race calls over its public-address system, not doing so until 1997. Most of the racing scenes of the 2003 movie Seabiscuit were shot at Keeneland, because its appearance has changed relatively little in the last several decades. Lately, Keeneland has adopted several innovations. It reshaped the main track and replaced the dirt surface with the proprietary Polytrack surface over the summer of 2006 in time for its fall race meeting. Rogers Beasley, director of racing at Keeneland since 2006, describes the track as "selectively conservative." Keeneland was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Since 1999, the Keeneland Association has been a part owner of Turfway Park in Boone County, Kentucky.

The Keeneland Association partnered in 2013 with Full House Resorts in a plan to buy Thunder Ridge Raceway, a harness racing track in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. The facility would be razed, and its license would be transferred to a new Quarter Horse track to be built in Corbin. The purchase is contingent on the formal legalization of slot machine-like Instant Racing devices, at least 300 of which would operate at the new track.

In the thoroughbred racing world, Keeneland is equally famous for its other side—its sales operation. It holds four (previously five) annual horse auctions that attract buyers worldwide. Keeneland Association, Inc. also owns half interest in Turfway Park at Florence, Kentucky; casino and race track giant Harrah's Entertainment owns the other half interest. Through Turfway, Keeneland also owns a part of Kentucky Downs, near Franklin, Kentucky.

Keeneland Association's influence is felt throughout the industry and in Kentucky politics. In recent years, its opposition to allowing slot machines at race tracks in the Commonwealth has largely squelched the issue on the floor of the General Assembly.

The track has a one and one-sixteenth mile (1710 m) Polytrack oval and a seven and one-half furlong (1509 m) turf oval. As noted earlier, the Polytrack surface was added between the 2006 April and October meetings. The turf course uses two configurations: the Keeneland Course setup has a temporary rail set fifteen feet out, while the Haggin Course has no temporary rail.Competition from riverboat casinos (and Keeneland's "strange bedfellows" partnership with Harrah's at Turfway) is starting to reduce that opposition by the association's members. This ownership arrangement partially explains Keeneland's fondness for tradition.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 14 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 40, Applejack State 3
Rainbow Dash 33, Rarity 21
Portland State 42, Pinkie Pie 35
Fluttershy 48, Montana 17

 

[Hachiko]

The Mystique of the Hong Kong Jockey Club

By Hong Cheong
The Daily Dash
November 27, 2019

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC, Chinese name: 香港賽馬會) is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, founded in 1884 to promote horse racing. It was granted Royal Charter and renamed to "The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club" (英皇御准香港賽馬會) in 1959. The name of the institution was reverted to its original name in 1996 due to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997. Membership of the club is by nomination and election only.

It is a non-profit organisation providing horse racing, sporting and betting entertainment in Hong Kong. It holds a government-granted monopoly in providing pari-mutuel betting on horse racing, the Mark Six lottery, and fixed odds betting on overseas football events. The organisation is the largest taxpayer in Hong Kong, as well as the largest private donor of charity funds, contributing an average of over HK$1 billion (approximately US$130 million) annually over the past ten years. The HKJC also provides dining, social and recreation facilities to its approximately 23,000 members.

Founded in 1884 as an amateur body to promote horse racing, it was an exclusive club whose membership was drawn from the upper class. During the 19th and early 20th century, there were few Chinese members. Three of the top colonial clubs at the time, namely the Jockey Club, Victoria Recreation Club (1872) and the Amateur Dramatic Corps (1844) "had not a single Chinese member between them".

The Club evolved into a professional institution from 1971. The Club organised the annual races which took place around Chinese New Year, and was initially financed by commissions on bets which were placed through private clubs. HM Queen Elizabeth II accorded it with Royal Charter in 1959, and became "The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club" (英皇御准香港賽馬會) until 1996.

In July 2005, the decision was made to stage equestrian competitions of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Hong Kong. The Club's racing centre at Sha Tin was used as the foundation for the Olympic and Paralympic venues, with additional competition and training venues being incorporated into existing sports facilities at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the Jockey Club Beas River Country Club and the adjacent golf course.

The HKJC conducts nearly 700 horse races per year at its two race tracks at Sha Tin and Happy Valley. During the 2001/02 racing season, the HKJC licensed 1,144 horse owners, 24 trainers and 35 jockeys and had 1,435 horses in training.

In 2002–2003, the betting turnover was HK$71 billion. After paying dividends of 58 billion and betting duty of 9.5 billion, its betting commission revenue was HK$3.9 billion. It contributes 11.7% of Hong Kong's tax revenue. Surpluses from its operation are allocated to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Following the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, the popularity of horse racing declined substantially, possibly due to economic conditions in the region.

On 16 March 2007, the HKJC appointed William (Bill) Nader, formerly with the New York Racing Association, as its executive director of racing from April 2007. On 9 September 2007, Sha Tin Racecourse opened after its summer break with record 1-day crowd of about 60,000. Chief Secretary Henry Tang struck the ceremonial gong. The Hong Kong Jockey Club collected US$106 million in bets (highest since 2001). Children of horse owners were admitted amid protest of local anti-gambling groups. Sunny Power, booted by Howard Cheng got the trophy in the 1,200 metre dash.

In January 2008, Eclipse and Sovereign Award winning jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson became the first North American female rider to be granted a license to compete in Hong Kong.

The reform and other changes mentioned above, the HKJC revenue has steadily increased back to previous levels and above. The total racing revenue for the Racing Season 2018/2019 reached HK$126.5 billion.

The HKJC has a legal monopoly over betting on horse racing and football. In 1974, it opened 6 off-course branches where the members of the public could wager on horse race meets at the club's Happy Valley racecourse. There are now in excess of 100 betting branches throughout the territory which accepts bets on racing and on soccer and buy Mark Six lottery tickets.

The HKJC was instrumental in persuading the Hong Kong government to pass the Gambling (Amendment) Bill 2002 to combat unauthorised cross-border gambling and the related promotional activities in Hong Kong, making it a criminal offence for any person in Hong Kong to bet with an unauthorised bookmaker, even when the bets are received outside Hong Kong. The offence applies to all visitors as well as to residents of Hong Kong. It was also instrumental in persuading other members of the Asian Racing Federation to sign the Good Neighbour Policy on 1 September 2003.

 

[Hachiko]

Week 15 Scores...

Twilight Sparkle 49, Rarity 7
Fluttershy 33, Pinkie Pie 14
Rainbow Dash 35, Applejack State 28

Week 16 Scores...

No Scores

 

[Hachiko]

@Travis7401 , your Fluttershy Spirit won the 2019 Poinsettia Bowl, so you are going to be in a good position as you take over as the OC next year. The Era of BTTYay begins next year at Travisshy. Stay tuned for the presser.

"I would like to be a B...T...T...T,
Woohoohoohoohoohoo,
To B T T, you're such a Travis.
I'm the Boss Tom you know,
I bet you can't BTT, hee hee."
"He's BTT, right?"
"He's BTT, Dashie!"
"Ahhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhhh..."​

As for @TrojanMan , Pinkie Pie went 0-12, including losses to FCS teams.
It looks like the Party School of the Pony Conference will need you more than ever to turn things around.

 

[Travis7401]

I'm glad I did my research before picking the shitty pink team

 

[Hachiko]

I'm glad I did my research before picking the shitty pink team

Good on you. Taking over for Art Briles won't be easy, but I think you can get it done. And Mike Canales is a decent coach himself.

 

[Hachiko]

Bowl Season, 2019 Scores...

BCS National Championship Game
Twilight Sparkle 122, Central Florida 13

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Fluttershy 40, Eastern Michigan 21

Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl
Boise State 48, Applejack State 21

Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
Florida International 30, Rainbow Dash 27

 

[Hachiko]

 

[Hachiko]

Two players leaving Twilight Sparkle, new coordinators hired

By Chris Jones
The Daily Twilight
January 14, 2020

The offensive line of the defending national champions might be a little thin next year. Right guard Alex Elbert and center Jimmy Larsen have elected to transfer from Twilight Sparkle University and play for Oregon and LSU, respectively.

"I don't feel like I'm part of the team," Elbert said. "I need a fresh start."
"Sorry, I gotta do what's best for my friends and family," Larsen added. "I'm leaving."
"We are very disappointed that Alex and Jimmy have elected to leave Twilie but we wish them well," said Twilight Sparkle Unicorns head football coach M.A. Larson. "We will consider scheduling Oregon and LSU next year, but only if they are nationally ranked."

In other news, offensive coordinator Berry Punch and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart have taken their trade elsewhere. Replacing Punch at offense coordinator is Haruka Takayama while Yuu Sonoda replaces Stewart as defensive coordinator. At the age of 22, Takayama and Sonoda are the youngest coordinators in college football.

 

[Hachiko]

Enter...the Travis!

By Kotone Noda
The Daily Yay
January 17, 2020

Yesterday morning, to the strains of Green Leaves's "YATTA!," Fluttershy College introduced their new offensive coordinator for the Spirit Football Team in front of a packed crowd at Everfree Hall, the college gymnasium.

"Well, first I want to thank everyone for coming today," said the college founder, Fluttershy. "I want to also thank our wonderful athletic director, Angel Bunny, for setting up this meeting." Angel took a bow. "And now, I would like to introduce the new offensive coordinator, one who is excited to be here at my college. Ladies and gentlemen, mares and gentlecolts, here is Mr. Travis Rountsaville."
A tall man went to the podium, dressed in a simple button down shirt and slacks. The flashbulbs went off like crazy. "Hey, good mroing, everybody," Travis said to the press and fans.
"Good mroing," they all said.
"Well, um...hmmm. Let me go ahead and start off..." A crack of the knuckles, and? "...with this." He tore his shirt off, revealing his muscular physique. "YOU'RE GOING TO LOOOOOOVE MEEEEEEEEEE!" he roared, eliciting cheers from the press and fans, and some applause.
"Oh...oh my...meep!" Fluttershy was peeing herself.
A few staff members gave Travis a T-shirt and a Fluttershy sweater to put over it. "Thank you, now can someone get a mop to clean that mess the founder made?" It was taken care of. "You liked that, eh? I know that dude over there in the back like it. Wait a minute, is that you @Reel?"
"Shit, it is me, Travis!" Reel said. "Whatcha doin' over here, bro!?"
Fluttershy went over to snuggle Travis, eliciting some "awwws" from the crowd. "I got hired."
"Dayum son!" Reel stayed to watch the rest of this presser.
"And I notice that this women in front of me is bleeding from the nose." Travis leaned closer to the microphone. "Is there a doctor in the house?"

An ape with blonde hair arrived. "You were asking for me, Travis?"
"Dr. Zaius! How could I have forgotten. You're here to do a case study on some hipsters and hippies that attend Fluttershy. I'm so sorry. Yes, you may go ahead and help this young lady."
"Yes sir," Dr. Zaius said, going over to assist the lady suffering a nosebleed from seeing Travis's uber-sexyness.
"Now then, ahem. My name is Travis Rountsaville, and I am excited to be your offensive coordinator for the Fluttershy Spirit. I like the university and its people. They really emphasize winning and learning, on and off the classroom. The power of team is strong, and the founder is one that..."
Travis wagged a "come here" finger to Fluttershy. "Eh?" Fluttershy said.
"Are you single?" Travis whispered.
"Yes, yes, I am."
"You're not trying to sleep with the founder are you?" Angel asked him.
"I got everything under control. I'm the BTT."
"I forgot. You're the BTT, you should be fine." Angel Bunny had a lot of respect for Travis as the BTT. Legend has it that the BTT had powers that were so amazing, it would make your head spin.
Travis returned to the press. "The founder of this university is Best Pony."
"YEAAAAAAH!" the fans roared, clapping.
"It's an honor to be a part of the program, and I hope Coach Canales and I work well together heading into this coming season. I'll take the floor to questions."
"Yes, Sergei Skobrev, Moscow News," said the first journalist. "What offense do you plan to run here at Fluttershy?"
"It's Travisshy, by the way," he countered, eliciting some tittillating "ooooohs!" from the fans. "Anyway, we plan to put the ball on the ground and wear down our opponents through the triple option. We want to be very conservative with the ball and through a return to the old school, we should be able to get results."
"Jeff Mason, New Orleans Times-Picayune. Twilight Sparkle has been winning the last several conference titles. How are you going to challenge Twilie for the crown this year?"
"We're actually going to focus on getting a winning record, making it to a bowl game and winning the bowl game. That's going to come from successful recruiting and very good management of our resources. Our coaches know what they have to do and Coach Canales is the one that really knows how this thing works."
"Steve Morris, New York Times. Why did you choose Fluttershy? Could you have done better at Colorado State?"
"Colorado State, unfortunately, would have been tough for me to be a coordinator at. I don't think I would have lasted as much. Here, I am very convinced that I can get it done and get results."
"Ernie Hastert, Los Angeles Times. Do you think this is the year that Twilight Sparkle finally falls down from their perch as the best team in college football?"
"I don't think anybody can take down Twilie, except for Twilie. The entire college football landscape knows this and they have adjusted well. Two years ago, San Diego State won a national championship, the first in their program's history, so I'm sure it won't be a problem for the rest of college football to deal with the Unicorns and the team they had. I'll take one more question, and then I will be done."
"Robert Fredricks, Dallas Morning News. What other skills are you good at?"
"I'm a white-hat hacker, a commander of Panzer tanks under the handle @Travis7401 and I am the mythical Boss Tom Turkey. I plan to incorporate these skills or elements into our Spirit offense and make them a force in the Pony Conference for years to come."

After the press conference, Fluttershy and Travis went to Fluttershy's cottage, which doubled as the President's Office. It was complete with a bedroom, and this time there were no animals. Travis was busy moving his clothes and materials into the bedroom provided for him by the College.
"This is where you're going to stay, Travis," she said. "I'll make sure to cook you some meals and also get you settled."
In a few minutes, he was finished. "Actually, I'm not hungry for meals...I'm hungry for you."
Fluttershy, immediately, was in heat. "F...For me? Oh my."

He pinned her to the bed and suddenly, Fluttershy transformed into a human version of herself. "Ever since I came to this campus, I wanted to make love to you and I needed your touch so bad. Fluttershy. I. Want. You."
"Oh Travis!" Fluttershy cried as Travis tore off his clothes and made love to Fluttershy in the nude. Fluttershy watched as her clothes were taken off her and for a few hours, they consummated. "Ahhhhhhh!" she cried, coming.
"Fluttershy," he whispered, lost in her cleavage. "Mmmmmmmm..." He was motorboating. They were huge. Her breasts, that is.
"I...I...I...Am Aaron Rodgers for Travis?"
"You're Aaron Rodgers for me?" he grinned.
"Like your friend @pavel!"
"You know him?"
"I just read a conversation that was sent to me by Photo Finish. He said he was Aaron Rodgers for you!"
"Hahahahah, naw, that's a long time ago. Really long time ago."
"But he can't be Aaron Rodgers for Travis. It is I that must be Aaron Rodgers for you. Travis! I want to be your slave!" she hissed, horny as fuck.
"I don't do slavery, I do partnerships," Travis replied, running his hands through Fluttershy's bubblegum-scented hair. "You're gonna be my partner and we're gonna make this year our year. The Era of BTTYay starts now."
"Oh, my sweet Travis! Haaaaah!" Fluttershy squealed as the two of them shared a long, deep, rich kiss that caused them to fall into a deep sleep. Outside, some campus girls in their underwear were getting off, seeing how Travis's awesome libido caused the founder to be touched for the very first time. Like a virgin.

 

[Hachiko]

In Trojan Man...We Trust?

By Shizuku Minami
The Daily Party
January 18, 2020

Yesterday, Pinkamena Diane Pie University announced that they have hired a new offensive coordinator to replace Dan Mullen, who led the Pinkie Pie Major Trouble to all sorts of major trouble and a 0-12 record. @TrojanMan, a USC alum and advocate of the West Coast Offense, has been hired to turn things around and give the struggling team something to be proud of.

"I can understand why this place can't win on the field," said Coach Man at the press conference. "Everybody at this press conference is drunk!" Indeed, nearly all of the press members had sipped some strong alcoholic cider before stumbling into Libman Hall, the University gym, where the presser was taking place.

"This place needs to sober up and focus on winning, not using the game as a way to get drunk after it. I plan to implement a West Coast style offense, a Pro Set, with a lot of no-huddle. Everybody needs to get to work, everybody needs to finish, everybody needs to be accountable and make plays on both side of the ball.

"As the offensive coordinator, my job is to make sure the offense know what plays to run and make a success of it. Hopefully I am able to turn the tide as part of this new staff coming in. We've had a lot of turnover here at Pinkie Pie the past few years, and we could have more if we don't do our job.

"This is a school that believes in having fun, and I hope to bring the fun back to the Party School of the PonyCon. Let's make it a GR8 year at Pinkie Pie. The Major Trouble's Coming."

 

[Hachiko]

Twilight Sparkle picked to finish on top of 2020 Pony Conference

By Rhys Smithfield
The Ponyville Express
July 1, 2020​

M.A. Larson's Twilight Sparkle Unicorns were picked to finish first in the Pony Conference, according to the combined coaches and media poll released at PonyCon Media Day at the Strong Convocation Center in Ponyville, Calif. Twilie won all 180 possible points and also earned all the first place votes possible.

Applejack State was second (150), Fluttershy was third (120), Rarity was fourth (90), Rainbow Dash was fifth (60) and Pinkie Pie was last with 30 points. Twilight Sparkle's schedule is once again the most demanding schedule in all of college football with all the nonconference games taking place on the road against ranked opponents.

1. Twilight Sparkle 180
2. Applejack State 150
3. Fluttershy 120
4. Rarity 90
5. Rainbow Dash 60
6. Pinkie Pie 30
​

TWILIGHT SPARKLE UNICORNS
8/29 at #1 Georgia
9/5 at #5 Oregon
9/12 at #2 Alabama
9/19 at #4 Clemson
9/24 at #9 Auburn
10/3 at #8 Michigan
10/10 at #21 LSU
11/7 at Fluttershy
11/14 vs. Pinkie Pie
11/21 at Rainbow Dash
11/28 at Applejack State
12/5 vs. Rarity

APPLEJACK STATE APPLEKNOCKERS
9/5 vs. Eastern Washington
9/12 vs. Arizona State
9/19 vs. Akron
9/26 vs. Arizona
10/10 vs. #16 Air Force
10/24 at Fluttershy
10/31 at Pinkie Pie
11/7 vs. Montana
11/14 vs. Georgia Southern
11/21 vs. Rarity
11/28 vs. #6 Twilight Sparkle
12/5 vs. Rainbow Dash

FLUTTERSHY SPIRIT
9/19 at Hawai'i
9/26 at Akron
10/3 vs. Fresno State
10/10 at #2 Alabama
10/17 vs. Ole Miss
10/24 vs. Applejack State
10/31 vs. Rainbow Dash
11/7 vs. #6 Twilight Sparkle
11/14 at Rarity
11/21 vs. Bucknell
11/28 vs. Montana
12/5 at Pinkie Pie

RARITY ROYALS
9/5 vs. UC Davis
9/12 vs. Minnesota
9/19 vs. #24 Army
10/3 at California
10/10 at Arizona State
10/24 vs. Rhode Island
10/31 vs. Portland State
11/7 vs. Pinkie Pie
11/14 vs. Fluttershy
11/21 at Applejack State
11/28 at Rainbow Dash
12/5 at #6 Twilight Sparkle

RAINBOW DASH RAINBOWS
9/12 vs. Old Dominion
9/19 vs. Louisiana Tech
9/26 vs. Brigham Young
10/10 at Tulane
10/17 vs. #21 LSU
10/24 at Pinkie Pie
10/31 at Fluttershy
11/7 vs. Elon
11/14 vs. North Dakota State
11/21 vs. #6 Twilight Sparkle
11/28 vs. Rarity
12/5 at Applejack State

PINKIE PIE MAJOR TROUBLE
9/5 vs. #23 Texas A&M
9/15 at Arizona State
9/26 at Arkansas State
10/17 at Georgia State
10/24 vs. Rainbow Dash
10/31 vs. Applejack State
11/7 at Rarity
11/14 at #6 Twilight Sparkle
11/21 vs. South Dakota State
11/28 vs. Richmond
12/5 vs. Fluttershy