In Thoroughbred Tycoon the player steps into the horse racing business and
has the goal to earn as much money as possible. First he buys a horse from of
two breeders which offer horses of different quality and prizes and chooses
one of three training farms. In the prize included is a horse trainer who sets
a diet and training plan for the horse – of course the efficiency is better
when using a more expensive farm. But if the player feels competent enough he
can undertake these duties himself.

The player can walk freely over the farm and interact with his horse through a
context menu, e.g. he rides it, feeds it or tells it to sleep. Every action
influences the horse’s affection to the player and therefore its performance.
Every horse has different stats which can be improved with the right diet and
training. When the player rides his horse on the farm or during the race his
only interaction possibility is to smack the horse. This improves its speed
but also drains the stamina.

When a horse achieves good race results the player gets prize money. This can
be reinvested into better food, training or additional horses. If the player
has more horses to look after the game gets more stressful because it is
played in real-time. A exceptionally successful horse can be sold to receive a
large amount of money. If not it retires after 25-30 races and can then be
used for breeding.

Thoroughbred Tycoon