Is the horse race name picker really random?

Yes. Before the animation starts, the full finishing order is drawn with a cryptographic shuffle (crypto.getRandomValues, Fisher-Yates). The race you watch simply plays out that order, so frame rate, lane position and name length cannot influence the result.

Is my list of names uploaded anywhere?

No. Names stay in your browser. The only thing saved is a local copy so your list is still there next time you open the page on the same device.

Yes, the online picker is free with no account. An optional offline version is available for classrooms without reliable internet.

Horse Race Name Picker

Q: How many names can I enter?

Between 2 and 50 names, one per line. If you paste more than 50 the picker tells you and refuses to start rather than silently dropping anyone.

Q: Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. The race track resizes to your screen and works on iPhone, Android, iPad and any laptop browser. Nothing to install.

Q: Can I pick more than one winner?

Yes. Choose how many winners you need (for example 3 for a raffle with three prizes) and the finishing order highlights exactly that many horses.

Paste your names, press Start race, and let a random horse race pick the winner. Free, no sign-up, and every race is a fair draw. Great for classrooms, raffles, giveaways and office sweepstakes.

Names (one per line, 2–50)

0 horses

Race length

Winners to pick

Sound effects

Add at least two names to race.

What this horse race picker does

It is a random name picker dressed up as a horse race. Each name you enter becomes a numbered horse in its own lane. When you press Start, the full finishing order is drawn by a cryptographic shuffle, and the race you watch plays out that order with lead changes along the way. The finishing order is your result: first place is the winner, and if you asked for three winners the top three are highlighted. While a race is running the list and settings are locked, so what the room sees is exactly what gets drawn.

It is the same idea as spinning a wheel of names, but it builds far more suspense in a room — students cheer for their horse, and a 15-second race gives a raffle host something to show on the big screen.

Who uses it

TeachersPick who answers next, who presents first, or assign the class helper. Paste the register once; it is saved on that device.

Raffles & giveawaysDraw one or several prize winners in front of an audience, then copy the finishing order as proof.

Office sweepstakesDecide the order in which colleagues pick their horse for Derby Day, the Grand National or the Melbourne Cup.

Streamers & hostsRun viewer giveaways on stream with something more fun to watch than a spinning wheel.

How to use it

Type or paste your names in the box, one per line. Anything from 2 to 50 names works.
Choose a race length. Short is best for quick classroom picks; Long builds more suspense for a prize draw.
Set how many winners you need. For a single pick leave it at 1.
Press Start race. The horses run left to right; the first past the post wins.
Use Race again to rerun with the same list, or Remove winners & race again to draw the next prize without repeats.

More scenarios and tips are on the how-to-use page.

Tips from running a lot of races

Use the Fullscreen (projector) button. It puts only the track on screen and scales the lanes and names to the full height of the projector or TV, which is much more readable from the back of a room than the browser's own fullscreen.
Shuffle before an important draw. Lane order does not affect the odds, but shuffling makes it obvious to the audience that nothing is rigged.
Turn sound on for suspense, off for quiet classrooms. The toggle is remembered.
Copy the results straight after a raffle draw so you have a record of the full finishing order.

Frequently asked questions

Is the horse race really random?

Yes. When you press Start, the complete finishing order is drawn by a cryptographic shuffle (crypto.getRandomValues driving a Fisher–Yates shuffle). The animation then plays out that order. Because the draw happens before a single frame is rendered, frame rate, lane position, name length and screen size cannot affect who wins. Every entrant has exactly the same chance.

How many names can I enter?

2 to 50, one per line. Paste more than 50 and the picker says so and will not start — nobody is dropped silently. Each line is its own entrant with a number, so two people called Alex are kept apart.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. The track resizes to your screen and works on iPhone, Android, iPad and any laptop browser. Nothing to install.

Can I pick more than one winner?

Yes. Set Winners to pick to the number of prizes and the finishing order highlights exactly that many horses, in order.

Is my list uploaded anywhere?

No. Names never leave your browser. A copy is kept in your browser's local storage so the list is still there next time you open the page on the same device, and Clear list deletes it.

Is it free?

Yes, the online picker is free and has no account. An offline version for classrooms without reliable internet is coming soon.

Need it offline or ad-free? An offline edition (a single file that runs without internet, ideal for school laptops and projectors) is in preparation. Tell us if you would like to be notified.

About this tool

Horse Race Picker is an independent, single-purpose web tool. It was built because most "fun" name pickers either require an account, bury the race behind adverts, or run only on a phone app. This one loads in a second, needs nothing installed, and keeps your list on your own device. Read more on the about page.