I really loved the concept. It combines strategy with real-time action, and that's always a very dynamic mix in my opinion.
The art is simple, cohesive, and eye-catching. It communicates the game's ideas very well through its minimalist style, which I really liked. My only minor criticism is that the race backgrounds feel a bit weaker compared to the rest of the visuals.
The music is fantastic and fits the high-speed racing atmosphere perfectly.
The story does its job well. The romantic ending feels a little rushed, but that's completely understandable for a game made within a limited amount of time.
As for the areas that could be improved, I think the balance is a bit too forgiving toward the player. Having three days to prepare, powerful abilities during the races, and very generous resources makes the experience feel quite easy. The real-time abilities are a fantastic mechanic, but because the overall gameplay is so forgiving, they end up feeling overwhelmingly powerful rather than like strategic tools.
On top of that, the three-day preparation phase lets you improve both your abilities and the race conditions in your favor, making the management aspect feel less meaningful. Since I never really struggled with money or influence, I came away feeling that the player has too many advantages.
I think reducing the number of preparation days, lowering the amount of money and influence earned, or adding stricter cooldowns and limitations to the race abilities would create a more engaging balance.
I also think adding obstacles during the races would make the abilities even more interesting. For example, you could use the shooting ability to destroy obstacles, forcing the player to decide whether to save it for the track or use it offensively against another horse with the cooldown in mind. Likewise, using the speed boost too close to an obstacle could leave the player with less time to react, creating more meaningful risk-versus-reward decisions.
Overall, I had a great time with it. It was a really enjoyable game—great job!