Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport, involving two or more jockeys riding horses over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports and its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has remained unchanged since the earliest times.

Horse races vary widely in format. Often, countries have developed their own particular horse racing traditions. Variations include restricting races to particular breeds, running over obstacles, running over different distances, running on different track surfaces and running in different gaits.

While horses are sometimes raced purely for sport, a major part of horse racing's interest and economic importance lies in the gambling associated with it, an activity that in 2008 generated a world-wide market worth around US$115 billion.

History

Horse racing has a long and distinguished history and has been practised in civilisations across the world since ancient times. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in Ancient Greece, Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. It also plays an important part of myth and legend, such as the contest between the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology.

Horse Racing (video game)

Horse Racing is an equestrian video game released by Mattel Electronics for its Intellivision video game console in 1980. Although primarily a sports video game, Horse Racing was actually assigned to the Gaming Network, due to its pari-mutuel betting for placing bets on the horses during the game; the game houses 8 virtual Thoroughbred race horses residing in the fictional Rainbow Thoroughbred Stables at a fictional western Kentucky race track called Plympton Downs (based loosely on long-time sportscaster/Intellivision sales personality George Plimpton). Each of the horses have differing racing abilities (front runner, pace keeper, come from behind, ...), and do vary from game time to game time (a horse with come from behind traits during one match may have front runner abilities during the next match). These horses are known by their colors (instead of their post position numbers—unlike in regular horse racing).

Gameplay

In Intellivision's original Horse Racing game, 6 players (bettors) begin each of the 10 races on the simulated match program by checking out the race program screen; 4 horses are entered for each race, with bettors starting out with a $750 simulated bankroll. For each of the 4 horses entered into a race, the odds—along with past performances—are listed (accessed by a side action button during placing bets). Each bettor then keys in his/her player number (from 1 to 6 on the keypad), enters a bet pay amount against his/her bankroll, then—places the bet (of a win or exacta only—by pressing [9] on the keypad) on his/her selection of horse(s). After all bets are made, a keypad press of [0] then [ENTER] starts the race.