Free · No sign-up · Fair drawHorse Race Name Picker
Paste names, press Start, and a random horse race picks the winner — on a phone or a projector.
Add at least two names to race.
0 horses
One per line. Duplicates are fine — each line is its own numbered horse.
The finishing order is drawn by a cryptographic shuffle before the horses move.
First past the post wins. Copy, download or print the full order, or remove winners and race again.
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
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 help page.
Tips from running a lot of races
- Use the Fullscreen (projector) button. It puts only the track on screen with its own Start and results controls, and scales the lanes to the full height of the projector or TV. Big lists switch to two columns so everyone stays visible.
- 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.
- Download or print 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 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. We count anonymous events (a race was started, a race finished) to see whether the tool is useful — no cookies, no IP addresses, no names. See the privacy page.
Is it free?
Yes, the online picker is free and has no account. A classroom pack for offline use is in preparation.
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.