Stabling Rivalry

Stabling Rivalry is an exciting, card-driven, streamlined simulation of thoroughbred racing. You and an opponent represent friendly, rival stable owners, who train and race horses for fun and profit. On this racing day you both have a lot of horses at the track, and you’re focusing on bragging rights. Which one of you is the better judge of horseflesh—and which stable will win the most races and side bets? Playable in 30 minutes to an hour, Stabling Rivalry will provide the thundering excitement of the sport of kings—and the ultimate answer!

From his stable of horses, each player selects one for each race. During play, a player draws a card from a small display of action cards and then plays one from his hand. If it matches the color required on his horse’s card for the current furlong, its normal value is used. (If not, it is played "penalty-side" up-- with a lesser value.)

The cards played each furlong are totaled throughout the race. If tied at the start of a furlong, initial post position breaks it. Class markers allow a player to re-draw a card-- to help himself or to hinder his opponent. Additionally, players can "jockey for position" and sometimes "dump" the face-up cards of the display; the leader and other player have separate criteria for this.

After both players have played a card for the current furlong, the top card of a special deck representing the other horses in the race is turned face-up. Some of these cards have various effects in addition to their numerical value, while others have two possible values and one of the players will have to choose which to play.

After all furlongs have been played in a race, the horse with the most total value wins. Class markers and then post position breaks ties between players. The number of races won plus betting chips won are totaled to determine the winner of the game.