Gallop Racer is part horse racing simulation, part action/arcade racer.

When choosing horses for your stable, you have to take a lot of factors into account. For instance, is the horse a long or short distance runner? Does it do better on a dry track or a wet track? The factors appear to be endless at first.

After you have your horse, you then get to race it. Unlike several horse racing games from this time, you get to control the horse on the track instead of just watching. Actually, you really control the jockey. The controls basically boil down to hitting the face buttons when you need to get the horse moving; similar to riding the horse in The Ocarina of Time, only without the turning. However, you can't drive the horse on for the entire race, or else it'll tire and you'll be left in the dust.

Once the race is over, you get your cash. Each place earns you a specific amount, which you can then use to improve your ranks of race horses. If you'd rather not spend more money, you can also breed them, creating a "super racing horse" from two exceptional racers. The horse isn't really super, but it will almost certainly have a prolific career.