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Race Cycle Overview

Every race follows a predictable 2.5-minute cycle: Race Cycle Diagram
PhaseDurationActions
Entry120 secondsPlayers submit entries on horses
Race30 secondsOutcome fixed by VRF, race animation shown, payouts settled
This creates 576 races per day, running continuously 24/7.

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Step-by-Step Process

1

Entry Phase (120 seconds)

What happens:
  • Players analyze horse probabilities for current track
  • Place entries on horses they think will win
  • Pool accumulates for each horse
  • Live pool distribution visible to all players
Smart strategy: Watch pool distribution to find value entries where probability exceeds pool share.
2

Entries Close

What happens:
  • No more entries accepted
  • All entry pools are locked
  • Protocol requests randomness from Switchboard VRF
  • Prize pools are calculated from total volume
Prize Pool Allocation:
Total entries: 10,000 SOL

1st place pool (60%): 6,000 SOL
2nd place pool (20%): 2,000 SOL
3rd place pool (10%): 1,000 SOL
Blazing Hoof (2%): 200 SOL
King's Run (2%): 200 SOL
Buyback-and-burn (1%): 100 SOL
Protocol fee (5%): 500 SOL
3

VRF Randomness Generation

Switchboard oracle network generates verifiable randomness:
  • Multiple oracle nodes create random values
  • Cryptographic proofs ensure validity
  • 256-bit random seed posted on-chain
The seed determines everything: winners, jackpots, next track.
4

Race Phase (30 seconds)

The outcome is fixed by the VRF seed the moment entries close; the race is then shown as an animation of that predetermined result while payouts settle.Winner Selection (Plackett-Luce):
  • Horses are drawn one position at a time, each with probability proportional to its remaining weight
  • This yields the full finishing order (1st, 2nd, 3rd, …)
  • Each horse wins with exactly its assigned probability, deterministically verifiable on-chain
Jackpot Checks:
  • Blazing Hoof: 1/125 chance
  • King’s Run: 1/12500 chance
  • A trigger pays out only if the race passes the volume gate (minimum-volume threshold); otherwise it is void and the pot keeps growing
5

Payout Distribution

Winners can claim their share:Payout Formula:
Your payout = (Your entry / Total entries on horse) * Prize pool
Example:
  • You enter 100 SOL on Horse #5
  • Total entries on Horse #5: 1,000 SOL
  • Horse #5 wins 1st place
  • Your payout: (100/1,000) * 6,000 = 600 SOL
Payouts are available to claim after race resolution.
6

HORSE Token Distribution

All players receive HORSE tokens (volume-linked emission):
Race emission E = min(c * total volume, cap)   // bootstrap: c = 0.5, cap = 25
Your tokens = E * (Your entry / Total race volume)
Below the cap this is simply c × your entry. When staked, these tokens increase your share of future jackpots.
7

Next Race Setup

The VRF seed also determines:
  • Next track (Doubloon Downs, Stampede Canyon, Synthwave Strip, or Crown Meadows)
  • Probability permutation for horses
New entry phase begins immediately.

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Key Mechanics

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Pari-Mutuel System

All entries pool together, winners share proportionally:
  • No fixed payout ratios - payouts depend on pool distribution
  • Popular horses = lower returns per SOL
  • Unpopular horses = higher returns per SOL

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Progressive Jackpots

Every race contributes to two jackpot pools: Blazing Hoof (Normal Jackpot):
  • 2% of volume per race
  • Triggers ~4.6 times daily (~every 5.2 hours)
  • Size depends on accumulated volume
King’s Run (Super Jackpot):
  • 2% of volume per race
  • Triggers ~every 21.7 days
  • Size depends on accumulated volume
Only players who backed the winning horse are eligible.

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HORSE Token Economy

  • Emission: volume-linked (c × volume, capped per race) to all players
  • Utility: jackpot share scales with entry × (1 + λ·staked tokens)
  • Burning: winners burn 10% (normal) or 50% (super) of their staked tokens
  • Buyback: 1% of volume buys HORSE from the pool and burns it

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Economic Flow

Where your entry goes: 
100 SOL Entry
    │
    ├─> 60 SOL: 1st Place Winners
    ├─> 20 SOL: 2nd Place Winners
    ├─> 10 SOL: 3rd Place Winners
    ├─> 2 SOL: Blazing Hoof
    ├─> 2 SOL: King's Run
    ├─> 1 SOL: HORSE Buyback-and-Burn
    └─> 5 SOL: Protocol Fee
Return to players: 95% (90% prizes + 4% jackpots + 1% buyback value) Protocol sustainability: 5%

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Verification

Everything is verifiable on-chain:
1

Check VRF Seed

Verify the random seed and its cryptographic proof
2

Verify Winners

Recalculate winner selection using the seed
3

Confirm Payouts

Check that payouts match the pari-mutuel formula
All data is permanently stored on Solana for transparency.

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Why This Design?

High Frequency

576 races daily means constant availability and liquidity

Provably Fair

VRF ensures trustless, verifiable randomness

Self-Balancing

The pari-mutuel pool is self-funding — the protocol never takes a position

Sustainable

5% fee funds development without token inflation

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Next Steps

Track Types

Understand the four track probability profiles

Entry Strategy

Learn optimal entry strategies

Jackpot System

How progressive jackpots work

Quick Start

Start playing in minutes