I am here this afternoon with Mo Mentum Farm. Mo thanks for joining me and allowing me the opportunity to chat with you today. With a meet title, 2 BC wins and 25 Graded Stakes wins you certainly haven’t lost your Mo Joe 🙂

1. What’s your real name and where are you from? And how come you are called Mo Mentum farms?

1. Real name is Tyler and I am based in Toronto Canada. The name Mo Mentum just sounded cool at the time, I was just a kid basically.
   
   

1. Mo you know there is a legal age requirement to play at HRP?
2. Ha ha yeah. I was young though, just in my 20’s. 17 years later playing this game every day – I had no idea I would still be stuck with the name! Been asking HRP to change the name to you know something more elegant but they won’t allow me to do it.

1. It sounds a bit like the artists who have a midlife crisis’s and want to change their name like the artist formally known as Prince or Cat Stevens. For what it’s worth I like the name. So Mo, what’s your association with horses outside of HRP if any?

1. My Dad had a stable, when I was born it became mostly a broodmare operation which was really cool. My memories of my Dad growing up, were of travelling around to different stud farms and discussing mix of speed sires with a distance mare for example. Then I owned some quarter horses for a little while. There’s like a country fair track just outside Toronto, where up until not long ago they would write the odds on a chalk board – just a small operation but fun. When my kids are a little older, I would love to have a real stable of my own alongside HRP and race the horses at Woodbine and for one beautiful month a year, at Saratoga.

2004. That sounds like great memories to have with your father. I noticed looking at your stat page you have been here since 2004. You must off seen a few changes to the race engine, what are your current thoughts with the dev changes start season Tyler?
2005. I really hated the outside push that existed before the changes. Happy support heard the complaints of players and attempted to do something about that but I think they have taken one step forward and one step back. It’s been difficult a lot of the horses I brought recently have not turned out too well for whatever reason. For whatever reason I am not attracted to front running horses. I tend to prefer a horse that has maybe slow early fractions but finish strong. And that seems to be the ones that have suffered the most. It’s hurt my stable. Players like Mb stables and John Henry have put a lot of effort into constructive feedback of the game, with the best interest of the website in mind.
      
      

1. I follow and sorry to hear that. That said do you have any exciting 2 year olds in the barn you see potential and one to keep an eye on?

1. Yes! Queens Park won her debut at SA on the dirt, but I’ll aim her for the BC juvenile filly’s turf. I’m also excited about Cross of Lorraine. A 2 year old colt out of Grade one winning homebred Lorraine who was my favourite runner at HRP. Lorraine would just shoot to the lead run on restraint and could run all day. Her foals have been great and I bred her to State Police that’s how Cross of Lorraine came about. He looks special and I am looking forward to watching him run this year.

1. Nice good luck with him. In your opinion who is the top breeder at HRP?
2. There is no competition, MB All day long. AW with his greatest moment, could not hold a candle to Dan. I mean look at his studs one after another he seems to pull them out of bag. Also Cross of Lorraine is from State Police like I mentioned, who is from Smokey’s Barn – I think he’s got a strong stud with that one.
   
   

1. Who is your favourite real life horse right now please?
2. Easy answer! Authentic. I am a micro-owner of him. I was able to buy some shares in him before he won the Kentucky Derby and breeders’ cup classic. I am excited to see what he can do in the shed and that’s where that investment I think will pay off. What’s really interesting about him is he is by the sire Into Mischief from the dam of Leslie’s Lady; what I aspire to at HRP,  is to have a broodmare like that. I think she just had a yearling sell for $8.2 Million dollars. Like everything that comes out of that broodmare is incredible. I have one HRP broodmare called Rook Around and everything she throws seems to do well at the track or in the barn. Lorraine, Envy, La Marine Ancienne are all stake winners out of Rook Around and she has some young ones who look just as strong. Thanks to her success I have been able to grow my stable from earnings of $500/year in 2007 to consistently over $5,000/year. I’m still a small barn, but the game is finally making good financial sense.
   
   

Q That does indeed sound like fun and Authentic will do well in the shed am sure. Do you think the TC can be achieved? Like asking players this question.

1. I don’t think it’s even remotely possible unless drastic changes with the website. Right now, I don’t think we have had a Kentucky Derby winner win the Preakness? The difference between maiden claimers and the number one 3-year-old on site is fractions. Give or take a second at most. I just don’t see how it’s possible for one horse to win 3 consecutive top level races in big fields.

1. Fair point. OK so should HL be the primary instruction at HRP like more based on horses ability, then we use the other instructions if needed tactically on race day?

1. I think the greatest change to race engine is how the horses respond to HL. With the new engine HL is the kiss of death. The new engine still has me completely confused but hopefully if they don’t make any more changes I’ll eventually figure it out.

1. What has been your best moment at HRP?
2. Sure Kevo the best moment would be 2017, winning the Queens plate by 8 lengths with Laffin Parrot. It was on a sloppy track and to win the most important race of the year by such a wide margin was an incredible feeling...
3. Decent! We have got horses. They can all jump, let’s add more value to our stock and fun it’s not that hard surely to program, what do you think about a jump season in the winter? Big fields/ big purses. For or against?

1. Absolutely for it! I understand that it may mean building entirely new websites, but I would be interested in having stables in virtual jump racing, harness racing and quarter horse racing. I love all kinds of horse racing and the more unique and different from dirt sprints, the more I like it. Great idea.

1. Awesome! I asked Looney Stables last week during interview and he was for it also. It would be great to hear what other members think. So Tyler, what are your goals for 2021?
2. As a Canadian, the Queens Plate is the most important race of the year and I have only won it once that’s the goal for 2021. Also I have won a breeders cup race 2 years in a row and I’d like to try to keep that streak alive this year. I’ve also just bought a horse eligible for the KYD – a filly named Princess Jasmine who I don’t necessarily expect to compete in the Derby but hope she’ll have a shot at the BC Distaff if she can handle running with a little more weight.

1. Advice to new players please?
2. My advice would be to be fearless! There is not much difference between fair low and high level tracks. I think new players should aim for the top also to make sure they site mail the veterans more frequently ask questions. Players that have been here a long time are genuinely happy to help out. I think the direct site mail approach is better. Sometimes I see a new stable entering a horse in a race it has no chance and I will reach out and explain you may not do so well for this and this is the reason why. Please feel free to reach out if I can answer any question.
   
   

1. What would you say to support if you were chatting to them at the pub?
   
   
2. I’d line up a bunch of shots and some quality whiskey and suggest two things. 1) I think they should allocate a very small amount of money to advertising on a billboard at a racetrack which gets bet frequently on-line. There are probably billboards in Ireland which cost about $1,000 and could generate significantly more revenue for HRP than it cost. In other words, I think HRP should believe in its product and make some small but strategic investments in promoting the game.
   Also the cover page. It should be more dynamic. A link to an SRF article would help make it feel fresher. We’re only a few days away from arguably the biggest race of the year and looking at the front page, you wouldn’t even know it.
   
   

1. What are your thoughts on the help page?
2. It’s very intimidating for new players, looking at a help page that is so robust and confusing. There should be a help tutorial in the form of a video, that would certainly help.

Anyone you want to give a shout out to any why please Tyler?

1. I would like to say John Henry. Taking the baton for JGR with the trials. John put lot work into constructive criticism re the latest race engine and got nothing other than his posts taken down when all he was trying to do was help. There are a lot of great trainers I could list that I really like but he is the man of the hour for me.
2. Do you subscribe to the SRF? If so why? I don’t mind a honest answer as always appreciated.
3. 365 days a year I have subscription. I have done a shout out to John Henry but also to the SRF. Your contribution to the game (SRF) means a lot and makes it way more fun. I am not sure I would even play the game without it. It really incentivizes you to get a horse in a really big race.

1. Our editor will be pleased with that one and HRP take note! Thanks Tyler for your time again chatting with us and honesty. Is there anything you want to say to the community?
2. I like it when the players congratulate each other in the forums after a big win or crossing an important milestone. Even though some players here are at the opposite end of the spectrum of my morals and beliefs, I like that at times horse racing can unite us all.

Very true and nicely put. The love of horse racing is something we all share.  I have always admired how you conduct yourself on the track and off for the record and think you are a good guy. Best of luck this season Mo and I hope you finish strong!

That’s all for today folks though I am back on the road in a couple of weeks.

Stay Tuned

EL Primero Rodeo /Kevo

Categories: FEATURED STORIES, SRF Interviews