MARYLAND JOCKEY CLUB LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL HORSE RACING GAME ON PREAKNESS.COM
BALTIMORE, 05-03-11---The Maryland Jockey Club today announced the official release of a free, virtual horse racing game on its Preakness website: http://www.preakness.com/page/fantasy-racing.
The 3D virtual fantasy game provides entertainment and strong educational value by allowing racing fans, from beginners to the most experienced handicappers, to participate in a virtual world of breeding, owning, training and racing their own stable of horses in a social community against thousands of other players for player status and real prizes. Each player has the ability to manage every aspect of his or her horse’s career. The game offers multiple levels of play including the ability to race horses against the great champion thoroughbreds of the past.
“With May upon us, when the eyes of the sporting world shift toward horse racing, what a perfect time to launch,” Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas said. “The Triple Crown season gives us greater opportunity to communicate with fans, new and old, and excite them with the thrills of thoroughbred racing at every level.”
The Preakness virtual horse racing game is operated by Horse Racing Simulation LLC (www.horseracegame.com), a leading developer and distributor of horse racing entertainment platforms, with more than 150,000 active players worldwide. Horse Racing Simulation has existing relationships in the industry with NTRA, Blood-Horse Publications and others.
“Fantasy applications are used by major sports to create the opportunity to communicate with, engage and build their core audiences,” said Horse Racing Simulation CEO Michael Calderone. “We are excited to work with one of the most recognized names in horse racing to provide this technology and create more in-depth awareness of the sport of horse racing and all of its exciting components.”
The game will soon be available for mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad and Android applications.
Fans attending the Derby Day concert in the Pimlico Race Course Infield next Saturday, May 7, will be able to compete in a complimentary contest as the rider of any of the 2011 Kentucky Derby runners with real-life attributes depicted under simulated racing conditions.
The 136th running of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown, will take place at Pimlico on Saturday, May 21.
-mjc-
Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club
410-578-4461 (Pimlico)
301-470-5461 (Laurel Park)
240-876-7403 (Mobile)
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