Top 5 Horse Racing Games

1. Winner's Circle / Royal Turf

Seven horses are racing in this game designed by Reiner Knizia. Players secretly place bets on the horses at the beginning of the game, evaluating each horse's skill and their starting position to decide the odds each has of winning. Once the race begins, each choice the players make affects the outcome. Quick and clever. For two to six players.

2. Win, Place and Show

Originally published in 1966 by Avalon Hill, Win, Place and Show was the first modern horse-racing board game. Players first bet on the horses -- each of which has unique characteristics -- and then bid to control the jockeys for those horses. Dice rolls play a part in determining the outcome, but there is plenty of opportunity for strategy with lane changes, blocking, etc. For three to six players.

3. Really Nasty Horse Racing Game

Players each have a stable of six horses, to be used in six different races. Wagers are placed on the horses before each race, and then the racing begins. So why is it "really nasty"? Event cards that let you accuse other horses of using steriods, knock horses out of a race, etc. Great fun in the beer-and-pretzels sense. For two to six players.

4. TurfMaster

The emphasis here is on the race, not the wagering. Jockeys compete to have their horses in the best position for a strong run down the stretch; most games are very close at the end. A Deluxe edition of the game also is available. For two to eight players.

5. Derby

It's a nine-horse race, and players try to manuver the horses into such a position that they will win the most money from their bets. Derby was designed by Dirk Henn, who also designed Metro and Alhambra. For three to five players.