Chocobo Races ( Final Fantasy XI ) In " Final Fantasy XI " , the Chocobo Races are a minigame that involves racing chocobos in the Chocobo Circuit . Watching a race . Any player may watch a race by paying 50 gil to enter the grandstands of the Chocobo Circuit . Players in the grandstand area when a race starts will view the race as a cutscene - like event ( the player temporarily loses all control of their character while the viewpoint changes to the race in progress ) . Players may watch as many races as they want , but if they leave the grandstand they will need to pay another 50 gil to get back in . Betting on a race . Any player can bet on a race whether they have a chocobo to race or not . Rewards for betting on a race are limited to gil . Racing one ' s own chocobo . Once the player ' s chocobo is old enough , they may enter it in chocobo races . There is a fee in gil or Chocobucks to participate in each race . Players may pay gil to race in the Free Races to win Chocobucks , pay Chocobucks to race in the Official Races in order to win prizes and advance to new Official Races , re - run Official Races already cleared , or race against other players ' chocobos for fun . Players do not ride or control their own chocobo , which is instead ridden by an NPC chocobo jockey . ( This jockey cannot be chosen by the player and has no influence on the race . ) Players may choose one of three paces for their chocobo : Keep Pace ( keep a consistent speed for the whole race ) , Sprint ( run at top speed right from the start ) , or Final Spurt ( the chocobo will conserve stamina until near the end , where it will make a final all - out dash ) . Players may also give an item to their chocobo to be used automatically during the race for various effects . Finally , in certain races the player may choose a saddle , which will alter their chocobo ' s attributes . During the race , the chocobo ' s stamina depletes based on how fast it is running . Chocobos which have reached the limit of their stamina will begin to tire ; sweat drops will fly from the chocobo , and its speed will drop . Chocobos have a chance ( dependent on their attributes ) to randomly stumble , falling behind . Each chocobo will also use one item during the race . These items can boost a chocobo ' s attributes ( such as the Speed Apple ) , lower opposing chocobos ' attributes ( such as the Gyshal Bomb ) , or alter the weather ( different chocobos have different weather preferences , which affect their performance dependent on the weather ) . Rewards . Rewards depend on the race being run . Certain Official Races yield items such as trophies to be used to decorate one ' s Mog House and costume equipment . Free Races yield Chocobucks , which can be used to participate in Official Races or traded in for prizes . Player reactions . Prior to its official announcement , the ability to raise and race chocobos was a feature that was frequently asked for on the various forums . When the development team finally announced that it was going to be implemented , players were enthusiastic . However , when it was announced that players would not be able to directly control their racing chocobo , skepticism grew and enthusiasm was cooled somewhat . Following the actual implementation of chocobo raising and racing , there was much disappointment for a variety of reasons . The non - interactive nature of the races was the largest factor . Another large factor was the fact that most of the rewards from chocobo racing just helped you get better at chocobo racing , with the remainder being largely cosmetic enhancements such as racing costumes and furniture . Finally , the fact that the best chocobo players could raise ( with much time and some difficulty ) was no faster than the ordinary rental chocobos was the last often - cited complaint about the system . Despite the poor response , chocobo racing received several updates before having development discontinued . Only a few die - hards continue to race chocobos today , most of whom are Japanese players .