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For fans of "vintage," historical racing seasons, here's one of the greatest: presenting the 1978 Pro Season for PLAAY at the Races Tabletop Horse Racing Game! This set was researched and rated by PLAAY Gamer and thoroughbred racing fan Harvey Couch.
In horse racing circles, the 1978 season is remembered for the near-mythic rivalry between Affirmed and Alydar. The pair met four times during the '78 season. Affirmed, ridden by 18-year-old Steve Cauthen, earned Triple Crown and Horse of the Year honors, narrowly defeating Alydar by close margins in all three Triple Crown races. As an historical footnote, Alydar is the only horse ever to finish second in all three Triple Crown races the same year. In all, the pair raced against each other ten times over two years (1977 and 1978) and finished one-two in nine of the ten matchups, with Affirmed winning 7 of the 10 meetings.
Other Notable Performers in this set include 1977's Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, and next year's (1979) derby winner Spectacular Bid.
The set includes 192 horses and 96 jockeys. Horses are numbered 1 through 96, with two of each. This is to make the betting aspect of the game work better, see the game rules.
Your card set also includes a 1978 Season racing guide, which will allow you to run a full season of top-tier saddle racing, 37 races in all. The guide lists all of the participating horses and their jockeys.