Breeders’ Cup launches Facebook game

Breeders’ Cup Ltd. on Thursday launched a social-network game on Facebook that will allow players to simulate owning, training, and racing Thoroughbreds, the company said.

The game, called “Blazing Silks, Breeders’ Cup Edition,” is the second social-network game involving horse racing to be launched this year. In August, the Jockey Club launched “Thoroughbred World” on Facebook as part of its multi-year strategy to promote the sport, in addition to a fantasy-league game called “Major League Horse Racing.”

In “Blazing Silks,” players manage a stable of racehorses who can race at digital recreations of popular racetracks, Breeders’ Cup said. The game will be tied into the Breeders’ Cup, a two-day 15-race event that is scheduled this year for Nov. 2-3 at Santa Anita Park.

The game “is a key part of our strategy to expand and diversify our fan base through new channels,” said Justin McDonald, Breeders’ Cup’s senior director of marketing and new media.