Play Derby Day Free Demo
3 out of 5 - from 10 votes
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Derby Day Review
Derby Day Horse Racing is a virtual horse racing game by Playtech that provides players with an on-demand, on-track betting experience.
Gameplay
Bet amounts range from 10 cents to $100, and the default configuration supports up to 10 wagers per race, which means that at some casinos you can be as much as $1,000 per run. Of course, at more than a few bets, win and loss conditions start to overlap, which is problematic.
Each race includes six virtual horses, which are listed pre-race in a left-hand column. You can view a profile card for each horse, and you can even compare two horses at a time. The profile card includes an overall rating for the horse, win and competition statistics for the horse, and win and completion statistics for the jockey. In the upper right-hand corner of the play area, the game lists the weather and track condition, which will affect how the participants run.
Special Features
Players can bet on a particular horse to win, place or show. There is also an 'exacta option', which allows the player to predict the first-place and second-place winners in a single bet in return for a win multiplier. There is also a Pick IV-V feature, which lets the player predict the finishing places for four or five of the six horses that run for a shot at an even greater multiplier. When picking five horses the win multiplier is 756.22.
Graphics & Audio
The graphics and audio are comparable to the free Flash games that are prevalent on the Internet but not up to the high online casino standards usually set by Playtech. The game is certainly playable and very readable and usable, but the lackluster graphics and sound effects do not create the kind of engaging experience a player who desires a virtual horse racing game would want.
Jackpot
The top jackpot is available from the Pick IV-V bet, which, as mentioned, pays out 756.22 times the stake. The maximum stake is $100, which would result in a payout of $7,562.20 plus the return of the $100 stake.
Overall
Derby Day horse racing was a lot fun the first couple of times we played. Playtech is definitely on the verge of something neat here, but it lacks enough to keep us engaged. The developers need to up the ante in the simulation department as well as have the comparisons mean something. As it is, the player who invests time in the game has no better chance to win than the player who plays randomly.
Derby Day Review published by Jeff Grant 
