Stakes Winner / Stakes Winner - GI Kinzen Seiha e no Michi

Experience the thrill of competitive horse racing in Stakes Winner, released in 1995 by Saurus. This two-player arcade game utilizes SNK’s Neo-Geo MVS hardware to deliver a fast-paced sporting challenge. Players control thoroughbred steeds and jockey them to victory across a variety of races, utilizing an eight-way joystick for precise movement and two buttons for subtle or sharp bursts of speed. The game offers a progression system where success in earlier races unlocks the opportunity to compete in prestigious international events such as the Breeder's Cup Classic and Prix De l'Arc de Triomphe. Stakes Winner provides a straightforward, skill-based experience focused on mastering race strategy and timing your acceleration effectively to outpace your opponent. Originally released in Japan under the longer title Stakes Winner - GI Kinzen Seihae no Michi, which translates to “Way of Joyful Success,” this game launched a series that would continue with Stakes Winner 2 the following year. It also saw ports to several home consoles soon after its arcade debut.