Have you ever wanted to know what it's like to be a race horse owner and/or trainer?  Sport of Kings offers you the chance to do just that in an easy to learn and fun to play environment.  The thrill of owning and racing a digital horse is best summed up by one of our loyal players.

" Horse racing is the best game in the world. I have had the privilege of taking part in some of the greatest racing in America in the 22 years I have been soulfully attached to this great industry. So to find a game to match the excitement you have when you actually stand in that winners circle for the first or the last time it is the greatest feeling in the world, and if I get that feeling playing this simulation/game then you are doing your job. Well done guys. We just need to bring this simulated joy to all the other racing fans."

--Parks Racing 10/21/2013

We allow you to either buy an existing horse or breed your very own horse from existing bloodlines many of which will be familiar to modern day handicappers.  You are then responsible for the exciting process of discovering the horses ability and preferences.  Much like real life this can be a simple process or one that goes on for the life of the horse.  Our horses have a life of their own and evolve and mature in a very realistic manner which makes every horse a thrilling and unique adventure.  One key to making the game enjoyable is that we operate on a 3x timeline to real life, meaning that each season (1 year of game time) takes only 4 real life month.   This means far less wait time between races (the average layoff is 7-14 days) and an opportunity for a fresh crop of horses to hit the track every 4 months.

The races themselves are realistic simulations that allow horses to showcase their running style preferences and tendencies.  We have horses that simply need the lead to win while others will sit back off the pace and look to make one big run at the wire.  We provide detailed data that you as the owner are able to dig through to try and solve the puzzle that is each horse or you can simply use the training times to try and place your horse.  You are able to be as detailed and complex or as simple as you choose, it's all up to you.

Apart from racing we offer owners many other things to do including private sales, public auctions, and breeding.  Breeding is one of our most popular features that allows owners to continue on the bloodlines of their champion horses.  The unique horse development that we offer includes a sophisticated bloodline based breeding system that has no equal.  Breeding and our horse evolution are key features to our game and make us very unique in the online horse racing game industry.

Come join the over 13,000 registered players and take your spot in the starting stall for the thrill of a lifetime.

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We have undergone some major changes in the past few months and training will resume in less than 48 hours on April 1, 2016.  Racing will resume on May 1, 2106 (30 days) with thousands of dollars up for grabs.  If you have never played, come give the most exciting and enjoyable horse racing game on the market a try.  If you have already played, come back and see all the things that have improved.  We will see YOU at the track.

Core Changes

• Purses are now fixed and do not change based on the number of entrants or fee paid.
• Minimum number of horses has been raised from 3 to 5. This number is now the multiple of entry fees that the purse will be based off of. So a minimum number of 5 horses means the purse will be 5x the entry fee. Contests that fail to meet the required minimum will be invalidated and any entries refunded.
• Should a race (and hopefully most will) exceed the minimum number of entrants we will offer players a rebate on their entry fee. A page with these details will be released in the upcoming days.
• The race fees have been reduced by 1% total. We removed the house take from the calculations while the jockey fee has been adjusted up to compensate.
• Super Sprint division has been eliminated.
• Nominations will now be done each and every season rather than for the lifetime of the horse. The fees have been reduced accordingly. We are working on finalizing a plan for discounting horses previously nominated.
• Reduced the number of weather conditions from 4 to 2. 
• The number of training runs per day has been reduced from 3 to 2. This is in response to the reduced number of combinations and in an effort to keep the database manageable.

New Features

• Divisional Racing has been implemented into the regular schedule. This is handicapped racing based on the number of wins and is in place for senior horses.
• Added maidens have been introduced in the mix. Grade 1 will feature $20 added while Grade 3 will have $6.
• Qualifiers will feature purses with split added and bonus. This is now clearly identified. Each G1 qualifier will have $25 in added cash and $25 of BC. Grade 3 will have $25 in bonus credits and no added cash. The finals are TBD but each will be comprised (in part at least) of cash.

Other Changes

• Premium access, for those that had it, has been extended 4 months from the previous expiration date (meaning no lost time).
• Removed one of the classic distances to bring each division to an equal 3.
• Annual non-championship stakes races have been pulled in favor of returning cash prizes to the championship series and maidens.
• The added races, such as the juvenile maiden added, will show up under stakes rather than championship.

Viewer Updates / Progress

We are continuing to make progress on our new viewer.  This is indeed a massive project but you can see our most recent progress updates here.

A more immersive and complete stand alone viewer experience

New AI for the horses and jockeys

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The May Championships are in the books and saw over $1,300 in prize money paid out in a single day. The races were almost all competitive and very few stables walked away losers thanks to the large amount of added money that was available in the purses. The eight different races saw five different stables in the winners circle.  This was a great start to the season and we expect to see many of the horses competing again next month.




Juvenile Sprint Championship
One of the best races of the day was a 6 furlong sprint over a slow main track.  This race saw Kiki Dee, sent out by West Weston Westoner, stalk a fast pace set by Anfield Road's LFC Combat all the way to the stretch and then surge in front to win by a solid 2 lengths.  Those two were 3 clear of the rest of the field all of whom put in solid efforts chasing the top two around the track.  

The winner took home a cool $95.50 for her efforts and will look to build on what is now a two race winning streak.

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I wanted to chronicle my experience as I joined a new online virtual horse racing game.  I had been playing various other games that allowed you to own, train, and race your virtual horses and compete against other stables for prizes, but, was not happy with some of fees and charges that were overly burdensome.  Sport of Kings has taken all the best features of many of the existing virtual horse racing games and combined them into a wonderful experience.

The interface is easy to use, the developers are easy to get in touch with and very receptive to suggestions and addressing problems.  The game itself is a complex simulation that really puts the trainer in charge of a horses destiny.  As a horse trainer and stable owner you are responsible for identifying a horses likes and dislikes, including how long of a race to run and what surface best fits the horses running style.  There are three distinct levels of virtual racing that can essentially be classified as beginner, intermediate, and advanced.  These levels offer differing levels of prize money and competition and as a virtual stable you are able to compete in all three independently or simultaneously if you choose.

The community is a growing one and the site is currently completely free to play.  The developers have announced their intention to deploy a second model that will allow stables to compete for real stakes in the near future.  Online virtual horse racing is a burgeoning industry and these guys have produced a superior product that I will continue to thoroughly enjoy.

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