Virtual racing at HRP is heating up and 2009 and 2010 Breeders Cup Turf winner Bronze Sabre is favored to add a third Arlington Million to his collection. His owner, Maverick Racing, will pick up a $600 check if his charge can do so. In his career Bronze Sabre is a winner of $8,063.29 with wins in 16 of 21 career starts.

The virtual horse racing version of the Arlington Million is contested under the exact same conditions as the real one and the total purse money is $1,000. Those horses most likely to keep Bronze Sabre out of the winners circle are Purple Rain and Raise A Cowboy. They finished 1-2 in the United Nations last out. Purple Rain is a winner of 6 of his last 7 races. His total earnings stand at $1,161.07. Raise A Cowboy is working beautifully for top trainer Dynark Stables and he won the Grade 1 Whittingham Memorial Handicap two races ago.

HorseRacingPark is a great place for those that love horse racing. The virtual racing game mimics real life horse racing in every way imaginable. The game has real life sires like AP Indy and mares like Bayakoa or Classy N Smart. The stakes calender in the game is the same as the real one and includes all three Triple Crown races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes) as well as all Breeders Cup races.

Players have the option to race for cash or play on the free side of the game. I could go on and on for days telling about this great game, but I suggest you check it out for yourself. Clicking the HRP link in this paragraph or the image on the side of this page will get you 5 free horses to start. This is a $50 value! Let me know if you decide to play and I’ll try to provide a few pointers.

Could it be luck? I created a new horse on HRP this week. Thinking of my current choice for the Kentucky Derby, I decided to name him Brown Bomber. The name was also inspired by the late but great Joe Louis. I worked the horse the first time, and he ran lights out. Could it be luck, that the horse inspired partially by Big Brown looks good thus far? It’s definitely luck, but that brings me to another point. Luck will play a huge role in the Kentucky Derby.

It seems like yesterday that I started this blog. Part of my inspiration was my enthusiasm for the Kentucky Derby. If you recall, I ended up selecting Hard Spun (10-1) last year, and he finished second. I also noted three horses who could beat him. Sure enough, I was right about that and one of my three (Street Sense) passed him in the stretch. I’m a little bitter about the race though. Street Sense had one of the luckiest trips I have seen in my life. The rail opened up countless times for him. If it doesn’t open up just one of those times he doesn’t get the win. But LUCK was on his side that day, and he got the roses. I’m not complaining though. Luck is a legitimate factor in a race like this.

Big Brown shouldn’t need that kind of luck. Judging from his small amount of experience, he has a large amount of tactical speed. He can lay right off the pace, or say catch me if you can on the lead. I personally would opt for the second strategy. It would allow him to avoid traffic and for the most part dictate the race. Truly great horses go up front and just keep going.

Make sure you check back next week. I will have a deep analysis of the Kentucky Derby field, along with selections and the bets I will be making. This next week will be pretty grueling in anticipation of the big one. I know I can’t wait, and I’m sure you cant either. See you there, and make sure you remember this. What can Big Brown do for you?

This year is shaping up to be a great one at HorseRacingPark.Com or HRP for short. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I encourage you to do so. I’ve been a member for about a year and half now and it is great entertainment. The game parallels real life horse racing to a tee. You can play for real cash, or for free. I encourage you to try out the free part of the game first while you are getting a handle on things. The purses at the pay tracks are on a 1:1000 scale. So for instance HRP holds the $5,000 Breeders Cup Classic in place of the $5,000,000 Breeders Cup Classic.

HRP has something for everyone. If you love to race claimers you can do so. If your goal is to train a Kentucky Derby winner than have at it, mind you it won’t be easy just as in real life. Fans who are fond of the breeding aspect of the game will also love HRP. The players of the game spend hours masterful matching up their mares with sires and hoping for the next “Timepiece” whom is among the best bred horses in the game.

Those on a small budget can succeed, and this is something I can attest to. In the year and a half I’ve been playing I’ve probably spent $250. That may sound like a bit of money, but spanned out over a year and half it is about $13 a month. I also forgot to mention I’ve withdrawn well over that due to auction sales. In my estimation I’d say I’ve probably netted about $200. True racing fans are going to love this game and the realism it brings.

If you sign up through my blog by clicking any of the links in this article, you will get 5 free horse vouchers instead of the normal 2. What are you waiting for?!

HorseRacingPark.com