Racing video game to debut soon

The Breeders' Cup and National Thoroughbred Racing Association will co-develop an arcade-style, coin-operated video game that will allow players to breed, train, and own horses that can compete against other horses owned by other players, the organizations announced on Tuesday.

The game, to be called Breeders' Cup Tournament Edition, will be developed by UltraCade Technologies, a San Jose, Calif.-based video game maker. The game will be able to link with up to 12 other machines at one location, allowing players to race their own stables against other players. It will also feature an online component that will allow players to compete with other players around the world. A players' horses will be stored on a card that can be inserted into the game.

Horse racing-themed video games have not been highly successful in the United States, although several exist. Horse racing video games are extremely popular in several counties, however, most notably Japan.

Breeders' Cup and the NTRA said the game is in testing and will be available in early 2005, according to a release.