Horse racing has seen a major surge in popularity among gamers this year thanks to the global launch of Umamusume: Pretty Derby — which just nabbed a nomination for Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards 2025 — and the Italian development studio Leonardo Productions aims to strike while the iron is hot with Champions Stable: Equestrian Dynasty.

The open-world horse racing management sim is set for a launch on PC and consoles in 2026, combining the excitement of racing events with the relaxing experience of animal care.

Players can either directly control the action by taking the reins on track for the real-time races or completely manage the business from behind the scenes, giving strategic commands to the jockey similar to how players might direct their squad from the sidelines in Football Manager.

From picking the most promising horses for breeding programs, creating training schedules and upgrading facilities, to scouting what rival stables are doing, all aspects of the sport are in the player’s hands.

Created in Unreal Engine, Champions Stable: Equestrian Dynasty features 3D visuals and takes players to several authentically recreated real-world tracks around the globe, including Ascot, Churchill Downs, Flemington, Longchamp, Capannelle, Maydan and Tokyo.

Whenever the pressure of competition gets too much to handle, players can take time relaxing with their animals and ride out into the game’s open world to uncover secrets and easter eggs, which appears to be an element borrowed from other successful sim franchises like Farming Simulator. Paying personal attention to race horses by grooming and caring for them also yields benefits in the form of enhanced performances on the track.

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored his 903rd career NHL goal as the Washington Capitals beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Monday night.

Ovechkin also passed Gordie Howe for the most regular-season goals scored at a single venue in NHL history with his 442nd goal at Capital One Arena.

Matt Roy also scored for the Capitals, who ended a two-game losing skid to gain some traction in the standings.

Anze Kopitar scored for lone goal for the Kings, who had won four straight. It was just their second regulation road loss of the season.

Washington, which has been struggling to finish at 5-on-5, opened the scoring early, as Roy got to the front of the net and tipped Aliaksei Protas‘ point shot past Darcy Kuemper. It was Roy’s first goal in 25 games, dating to last season.

In the second period, Ovechkin crashed the crease and got to the front of the net before burying a behind-the-net feed from Connor McMichael. Ovechkin now has goals in back-to-back games and three of his past four.

Kopitar pulled Los Angeles to within one with his third goal of the season with 6:33 left in the second. He tapped in a backdoor feed from Corey Perry on a power play. Washington has now given up a power-play goal in three straight games and five of the past six.

Despite a rally, the Kings couldn’t beat Charlie Lindgren, who stopped 30 of 31 shots for his second win of the season after losing his previous four starts.

Kuemper stopped 23 of 25 in the defeat.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Los Angeles Kings have signed winger Adrian Kempe to a new eight-year contract worth $10.625 million annually, the team announced Monday.

The Kings viewed it as a priority to re-sign Kempe, especially as they prepare for captain Anze Kopitar to retire at the end of the season. The sides had been negotiating over the past few months, and Kempe, sources said, took a little less money, indicating his desire to stay in Los Angeles, where he believes he can win a Stanley Cup.

The contract runs through the 2033-34 season. The 29-year-old Kempe, a native of Sweden, has played his entire 10-year career with the Kings after being drafted in the first round in 2014.

Kempe, the Kings’ leading scorer in each of the past two seasons, has six goals and 19 points through 19 games this season.

He was arguably the biggest free agent remaining for the summer of 2026. Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov and Martin Necas all re-signed with their respective teams over the past two months.