Public Class frmRaceEm
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

    Dim racers(3) As Object             ' <--- GLOBAL ARRAY of OBJECTs...

    Private Sub frmRaceEm_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
                               ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        racers(0) = PictureBox1
        racers(1) = PictureBox2
        racers(2) = PictureBox3
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
                          ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim i As Integer
        For i = 0 To 2
            racers(i).top = racers(i).top + i * 10 + 10    ' this race 
                                                           '   is fixed!  :-)
        Next i                                             '      WHY???
    End Sub

End Class

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 The following is another example, completely separate from frmRaceEm above.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Public Class Form2
   Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

   Dim p(3) As Object              ' <-- Global array of objects, again.

   Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
                             ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
       Timer1.Enabled = Not Timer1.Enabled

   End Sub

   Function randomColor() As Color           <----- Study this FUNCTION
      Dim red, green, blue As Integer

      red = Int(Rnd() * 256)
      green = Int(Rnd() * 256)
      blue = Int(Rnd() * 256)

      randomColor = Color.FromArgb(red, green, blue)
   End Function

   Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sdr As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
                                                        Handles Timer1.Tick
      Dim i, randomChoice As Integer

      For i = 0 To 2
          randomChoice = Int(Rnd() * ImageList1.Images.Count)

          p(i).Image = ImageList1.Images(randomChoice)

          If chkColorChanges.Checked Then
              p(i).BackColor = randomColor()
          End If
      Next
   End Sub

   Private Sub Form2_Load(ByVal sender As Object, _
                         ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
      p(0) = PictureBox1
      p(1) = PictureBox2
      p(2) = PictureBox3
   End Sub

   Private Sub chkColorChanges_CheckedChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
                                              ByVal e As System.EventArgs)   _
                                   Handles chkColorChanges.CheckedChanged
        Dim i As Integer

        If Not chkColorChanges.Checked Then
            For i = 0 To 2
                p(i).Backcolor = Me.BackColor
            Next
        End If
   End Sub

End Class