APBA American Saddle Racing (1970)

Scarce and popular Saddle Racing simulation. The first "season" is 1969 -- published late 1970. The company made new seasons of horses through the 1987 season (last published 1989). There is also one card from the 1968 season (Stage Door Johnny) that the company made and sent to faithful subscribers in the later 1970s.

APBA allows replay of famous races and construction of fantasy match-ups as well. Like its APBA brethren, statistics for each horse are represented on cards, sometimes several for each horse (for different racing years).

The horses are historical and accurate in detail, though not in results. If you play enough the horses begin to develop their own personalities and you stop worrying that Shecky Greene can beat Secretariat-- after a while you understand the cards and the way they are printed.

User modification makes this a better game-- limit the amount of lengths a horse can "save"-- give certain horses one mulligan per race, add real significance to jockey rating-- but be that as it may, this game is a geek fest-- results and stats can be retained for literally years.