The world of digital assets and NFT ownership is frequently encapsulated by the familiar Capital One slogan: What’s in your wallet?
While many others have been avoiding this question recently, if you were to pose it to most Photo Finish™ players, you’d receive a quick and proudly enthusiastic response: virtual racehorses.
The response would be particularly energetic if you posed that same question to Solanaut Stables — a Photo Finish™ stable owner that has made headlines for earning nearly $150,000 in just a few months breeding their stables’ horses.
You Can Solanaut-be-Serious
The news of such a feat is jaw-dropping, even to the most plugged-in NFT enthusiast. But what makes those reported gains even more incredible is the added context that the achievement has been accomplished since just July, the first month Photo Finish™ opened the breeding barn doors. And that’s not to mention the same stable has sold over $33,000 worth of horses, and we haven’t even made it to saying what has happened on the track, yet.
While the numbers may shock some, if you ask Solanaunt, it was always programmed.
For them, the speed at which players have succeeded in the Photo Finish™ ecosystem is most shocking.
“These results always felt inevitable – because Photo Finish™ has everything it takes to become a massive success – but I guess I was just surprised how sudden the dam broke,” Solanaut said.
“If these results don’t make you bullish thinking about the day 10,000 fillies are looking for a stud horse, I dont know what would.”
Dynamic Trio
On their way to nearly $150,000 in collected breeding fees, Solanaut shares that the eye-popping revenue is almost exclusively from just three clear breadwinning horses — Prime Time, Shockwave, and Churro, horses that alone have collected a combined $142,000 in breeding fees.
The tale of the tape for each (as of this writing, October 5, 2023) is startling — Prime Time (~$72,000), Shockwave (~$35,000), and Churro (~$35,000).
Before retirement, the horses had also won thousands of dollars on the racetracks.
It’s important to note that this is nowhere near the end of the horse’s breeding lifespan. For example, Primetime has over a year left of breeding capabilities before he’s sent off to pasture.
As Shockwave goes, the breeding window stretches out even farther — four more seasons. Solanaut recently offered the three-year-old colt for sale for $15,000,000 $DERBY, or $187,500.
Yeah, you do the math. Solanaut is just getting started.
Uptober and Beyond
While a bit unexpected, Solanaunt says the extraordinary breeding fee windfall has left the team reconsidering future strategy, specifically around the thought that yesterday’s price is not today’s price, a necessary consideration as their stables’ bloodlines became increasingly in demand.
“We thought we priced Shockwave high enough only to warrant two to three breeds so that we could leverage his bloodline first, but we severely misjudged the demand,” adding seeing the current scenario play out has hardened their team’s belief in a strategy now years in the making.
“Our breeding approach is being validated, and I hope others follow suit – value your assets and play the long game.”
To Retire or Race: Know Your Value
While many players in Photo Finish™ LIVE face the real-life dilemma of retiring a horse for breeding purposes or continuing to run it on the racetracks for prize pool rewards, Solanaut Stables views it as a straightforward decision. If you understand the game landscape and your competition’s needs, making strategic choices becomes clear.
“We haven’t viewed many retirement decisions as tough at all,” Solanaut shares. “If you know what the competition needs, it’s clear every time.”
The Blueprint
For newcomers interested in the breeding aspect of Photo Finish™ LIVE, the Solanaut team advises first gaining a deep understanding of the breeding philosophy, suggesting that spending time practicing and seeking multiple opinions is critical to success.
To help others, they’ve even penned a Breeding Philosophy & Techniques article that, in hindsight, might be some of the most valuable alpha in all of Web3.
Solanaut says their long-term goals at Photo Finish™ are crystal clear: promoting the game to a broader audience, providing education and philosophy to the community, becoming the luxury/premier brand, and dominating every aspect of competition.
They also intended to expand their breeding and racing operations as the game developed.
“We are just super grateful and fortunate to be in this position. And yes, we are always looking for unique pieces, wombs, and opportunities that present themselves. DMs are open.”
