Now, horse-racing videogames are rare and hard to find. And of the few franchises that are out there that aren’t associated with Mattel dolls, Tecmo’s Gallop Racer series is clearly the cream of the crop. At least in my book. But this is definitely a “my personal tastes” pick, though it may leave some of you so shocked you’ll be breathing through air filter for a year.

Normally, I hate racing games; there are only three franchises that have ever captured to interest. Gran Turismo is one, SSX (which I classify as racing rather than sports) and Gallop Racer. Of all of them, Gallop Racer is the quirkiest choice.

Still, every year when the Kentucky Derby kicks off the US Triple Crown, dusting off my old copy of Gallop Racer 2006 is my favorite form of pre-race warm-up. The game is challenging yet accessible; easy to play but hard to master; highly realistic but with a flair for Japanese “over the top” cartoonishness at times.

From the racing itself to managing the careers and breeding of your stable, there are few joys as sublime as playing through a month (or a year) of Gallop Racer, just because when you actually do come in first, there’s such a sense of achievement.

You can’t push horses like cars, so hitting them ceaselessly with the rider’s crop is a no-no; and each horse has a different personality, making it a challenge to master this game.

Sure, the franchise never made it to the PS3/Xbox 360 era, and the company seems to have forgotten about it (the last installment came out in 2006), but I spent too many hours playing this game not to acknowledge it on this list.

The missed opportunity to put this game into the major leagues was its lack of a licensing agreement with the US Triple Crown; if Tecmo had done that, the game could have been marketed on TV throughout the Run for the Roses each spring, and it would have sold even better.

The series may never have been a breakout hit, but it always sold out and sold quickly… and those of us who own a copy NEVER give them up.