The Cards

These are just random cards from the game. 52 cards in all. They illustrate some of the strategies that can be used. 

The Neigh Card

Hard to get to the end of the game without getting these in your hand. Use them to cancel card action again you. You can have someone skip a turn and even block a opponent from selecting one of your cards if they land on you. If you happen to turn the one and only "Death" card, you must have one in your hand or you are toast! Just be careful where you play them.

  

 The Horseshoe Card

Good luck to you , bad luck for someone else. If you were in 2nd then it might be more advantageous to send the leader back with the last horse thus becoming the leader anyway. But just when you count on it for the win, it gets "Neighed". So have a backup plan.

  Charley Horse Derby Horseshoe CardCharley Horse Derby Horseshoe Card

 

The Whoa! Card

These cards help sidetrack the competition for a bit. If a player has crossed the finish line then its a good idea to play one of these type of cards on them to send them backward. As soon as someone has crossed the finish line, the final round is invoked and everyone after them gets their final turn.  The card below is played 2 ways. If playing from your hand, you choose who is going back, picking off the deck to be played right away, its against you.

Charley Horse Derby Whoa! CardCharley Horse Derby Whoa! Card

 

The Gait Cards

The Gait cards are great for sliding onto a opponent to steal a card from them. You can also slide onto a "Charley" space on the track where you get to pick up a card off the pile to be played right away. 
Charley Horse Derby Gait CardCharley Horse Derby Gait Card

  

The Giddy Up Card
Pretty handy when you want to separate yourself from the pack. Getting close to the end , good time to play it. It can be "Neighed" though so you never really know if you going to get to use your cards. 

Charley Horse Derby Starhorse Giddy Up CardCharley Horse Derby Giddy Up Card
The Smackdown Cards
Player vs player action. All a little different. For this one, its you and another player, others you can pick the 2 people to fight it out. One strategy is to play these if you entered the bends. If you have taken the outside lane, if you win the roll then great, if not , then you may go back far enough to take a inside lane that is much shorter on your next turn. 
Charley Horse Derby Smackdown CardCharley Horse Derby Smackdown Card

 

The Death Card
There is one death card in the deck. If you are lucky enough to have it in your hand then you can play it on your turn to kill off an opponent. You have to be careful though because if they "Neigh" it , then you yourself are dead. You can kill an opponent after the finish line but they would still win if they are furthest past the finish line at the end of the game. Picking this card off the deck to be played right away, you better have a "Neigh" card or you are dead.
Charley Horse Derby Death Card