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Economics Professor Marshall Gramm Wins 2020 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge

Making the biggest wagering score of his life, Marshall Gramm, an economics professor at Rhodes College and a racehorse owner from Memphis, Tenn., nailed a cold exacta with Authentic and Improbable for $170,250 in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) to propel him to victory last Saturday in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge.

The 12th annual Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge, Thoroughbred racing's biggest live-money tournament, held Nov. 6-7, featured 430 top horseplayers wagering on the two-day card of the 37th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.

Gramm, 47, finished with a total score of 170,250 points. Combined with his first-place prize of $322,500, Gramm had total winnings of $492,750. That put him ahead of second-place finisher Jonathon Kinchen, NYRA/Fox Sports television handicapper and analyst. Kinchen compiled 161,025.20 points, and combined with his second-place prize of $215,000, he had total winnings of $376,025.20. Dylan Donnelly, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., finished third with 136,200 points and $118,250 in prize money, for total winnings of $254,450.

In this year's BCBC, each player was required to fund a $2,500 buy-in and a $7,500 betting bankroll ($10,000 total). All buy-in monies were applied to the prize pool, making the total prize pool $1,075,000. Players made real wagers (win, place, show, exacta, trifecta and daily double) with their $7,500 bankroll on 22 races over the two days and kept all monies earned from their wagering.

A big sports fan who grew up in Washington, D.C., Gramm loved “numbers and statistics,” and learned the handicapping game by reading books from noted racing journalist and author Andrew Beyer.

Gramm has played in the BCBC five of the last six years, registering his best finish in 2018, taking fifth place. He has been teaching economics at Rhodes College since 2000 and currently chairs the department. Gramm has taught a course at Rhodes called Economics of Racetrack Wagering Markets, which he describes as a class on “decision making, price discovery and probability.” Along with Clay Sanders, he is also co-managing partner of Ten Strike Racing, a stable that has won 338 races, including stakes winners Dot Matrix, Long On Value and Warrior's Charge.

Gramm experienced a range of emotions when he learned that he had won the tournament. “When I hit (the exacta), I was thrilled, my biggest score ever. You know you've had a great day, but it was nerve-racking, and a relief, and I will always be able to say that I am a BCBC Champion.”

In this year's BCBC, Gramm was in contention throughout. On Friday, he cashed a $600 daily-double wager on Vequist in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), followed by Aunt Pearl (IRE) capturing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). Those bets earned him $17,350 and he closed out the first day of competition in seventh place.

On Saturday, Gramm went “all in” on Monomoy Girl winning the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), wagering his $18,165 bankroll and more than doubling his money. After hitting on a minimum show bet in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), Gramm went into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic in 11th place with $36,930. In the climactic race of the World Championships, he made six individual exacta wagers using Authentic, Improbable and Tom's d'Etat. Gramm wagered $7,500 on the Authentic-Improbable combination and won the tournament.

Runner-up Kinchen had nothing but praise for Gramm. “Marshall is a dear friend and I am very happy for him. The BCBC is the Masters of handicapping contests. It's not all about the money, it's about the title. I wanted to win, but there are about three people in the world I am ok running second to, and Marshall is one of them.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions at Keeneland, most of the BCBC tournament play was conducted online at TVG.com, the official Breeders' Cup wagering partner, Xpressbet.com and NYRA Bets. The BCBC was also conducted at designated satellite locations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif., and at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

A list of the top 15 BCBC finishers appears below. Complete tournament results are available here.

Player	Score	Prize Money	Total
1	Marshall Gramm	170,250.00	$322,500.00	492,750.00
2	Jonathon Kinchen	161,025.20	$215,000.00	376,025.20
3	Dylan Donnelly	136,200.00	$118,250.00	254,450.00
4	Matthew Kwiatkowski	133,501.60	$80,625.00	214,126.60
5	Jason Lane	120,000.00	$64,500.00	184,500.00
6	Brendan Fay	107,110.00	$53,750.00	160,860.00
7	Vic Stauffer	77,900.00	$43,000.00	120,900.00
8	Steven Wells	52,980.00	$37,625.00	90,605.00
9	Robert Shoemaker	42,739.40	$32,250.00	74,989.40
10	James Lisowsky	42,634.30	$26,875.00	69,509.30
11	Frank Gryboski	42,201.60	$21,500.00	63,701.60
12	Mike Yurczyk	42,200.05	$18,812.50	61,012.55
13	Matthew Kwiatkowski	40,416.00	$16,125.00	56,541.00
14	Christy Moore	37,067.50	$13,437.50	50,505.00
15	Brent Johnson	36,996.50	$10,750.00	47,746.50

Online qualifying for the 2021 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge begins this Sunday, Nov. 15 on Horseplayers.com. A guaranteed 2021 BCBC berth will be awarded to the winner of the contest, which has a $500 entry fee and a low 1 per 23 ratio. Players can sign up for Sunday's contest here.

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Registration Now Open For 2020 Online Edition Of The Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge

Continuing to draw top horseplayers from around North America for Thoroughbred racing's biggest live-money tournament, registration is now open for the 2020 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC).

Now in its 12th year, the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge will crown the winner with the highest accumulated bankroll at the end of the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held this year at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 6-7.

This year's BCBC total cash prize pool is expected to be $1 million based upon a minimum of 400 players registered.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, players will not be able to participate at Keeneland this year. All BCBC tournament play will be conducted online at TVG.com, the official Breeders' Cup wagering partner, Xpressbet.com, NYRA Bets and at designated satellite locations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., and Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. Additional satellite locations, such as Santa Anita Park and Del Mar in California, will be announced at a later date if they are able to host players.

To register now and to view complete 2020 BCBC rules and information, go to BreedersCup.com/BCBC.

For the 2020 BCBC, a $2,500 buy-in and $7,500 betting bankroll ($10,000 total) are required of each player. All buy-in monies are applied to the prize pool. Players can bet into the Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta and Daily Double pools with their $7,500 bankroll over the two days and keep all monies earned from their betting.

“The excitement and prestige of playing in the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge continues to grow as the ultimate test in live-money Thoroughbred racing tournaments, with horseplayers tackling the large and ultra-competitive fields of the World Championships races,” said Tim Schram, BCBC Tournament Director. “As a bonus, we encourage players of all levels to sign up and play in our online BCBC qualifying tournaments on HorsePlayers.com from now until late October to earn a free entry into the BCBC on Nov. 6-7.”

An exciting feature of the 2020 BCBC is the $3 million National Horseplayer Champion (NHC) Tour bonus that will be awarded to any horseplayer who wins the BCBC and the NTRA Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in January 2021. As part of a reciprocal agreement with the NHC, Thomas Goldsmith, winner of this year's NHC in February, is eligible for a $3 million bonus should he win this year's BCBC.

Players can earn free entry into the BCBC by winning a BCBC Qualifying Tournament. For details on upcoming live and online qualifying tournaments, go to Horseplayers.com.

In the 2019 BCBC, a record 457 players entered the competition and Brad Anderson of Sarasota, Fla., finished on top. Anderson made a $25,900 wager on 9-2 Vino Rosso in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, the final race of the tournament, which vaulted him to victory. Anderson finished with a total score of 145,040 points and, with a first-place prize of $343,000, saw total winnings of $488,040.

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Breeders’ Cup Launches 12th Betting Challenge

Registration for the 12th Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC), which will be held in conjunction with the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Racecourse Nov. 6-7, is now available at www.breedersCup.com/BCBC. This year’s BCBC total cash prize pool is expected to be $1 million based upon a minimum of 400 players registered. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, players will not be able to participate at Keeneland this year. All BCBC tournament play will be conducted online at www.TVG.com, the official Breeders’ Cup wagering partner, www.Xpressbet.com, NYRA Bets and at designated satellite locations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., and Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fl. Additional satellite locations, such as Santa Anita Park and Del Mar in California, will be announced at a later date if they are able to host players.

“The excitement and prestige of playing in the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge continues to grow as the ultimate test in live-money Thoroughbred racing tournaments, with horseplayers tackling the large and ultra-competitive fields of the World Championships races,” said Tim Schram, BCBC Tournament Director.

Additionally, the 2020 BCBC will feature a $3 million National Horseplayer Champion (NHC) Tour bonus that will be awarded to any horseplayer who wins the BCBC and the NTRA Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in January 2021. As part of a reciprocal agreement with the NHC, Thomas Goldsmith, winner of this year’s NHC in February, is eligible for a $3-million bonus should he win this year’s BCBC. Players can earn free entry into the BCBC by winning a BCBC Qualifying Tournament. For details on upcoming live and online qualifying tournaments, go to www.Horseplayers.com.

In the 2019 BCBC, a record 457 players entered the competition and Brad Anderson of Sarasota, Fl. won after making a $25,900 wager on 9-2 Vino Rosso in the Longines GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, the final race of the tournament. Anderson finished with a total score of 145,040 points and, with a first-place prize of $343,000, saw total winnings of $488,040.

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‘Weekend Warrior’ Andy Muhlada Tops Inaugural Kentucky Downs Turf Handicapping Challenge

Andy Muhlada calls himself a “weekend warrior” when it comes to horse-racing handicapping tournaments, working in contest play around his full-time job in Cincinnati. But the 53-year-old from Lawrenceburg, Ind., proved a weekday wonder when it came to the inaugural Kentucky Downs Turf Handicapping Challenge presented by Daily Racing Form this past Tuesday and Wednesday.

The 53-year-old Muhlada, a self-employed manufacturers' rep working with architects in high-end construction, earned the track's title of National Turf Handicapping Champion with a final combined bankroll of $9,211 for the two, separate live-money tournaments. That included the $7,354 Muhlada finished with to top Wednesday's competition.

Muhlada's two-day score comfortably beat out runner-up Robert Swickard, a retired firefighter from Commerce Township, Mich., who accrued $7,965.60, including winning Tuesday's tournament.

“I'm the classic weekend warrior type of guy on these contests,” said Muhlada, whose victory was made possible by hitting big exactas on the final two races of the RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs. “… It's bizarre how it just flowed and worked perfect. There were eight reasons I could have been derailed. Sometimes it's just your day.”

As the overall winner, Muhlada earned $15,000, a seat in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) worth $10,000 and all the fame that comes with being anointed National Turf Handicapping Champ. In addition, he won $7,312 in prize money and a prize package to the 2021 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in Las Vegas as the winner of Wednesday's tournament. And, of course, he kept his Wednesday bankroll, plus the $1,857 he made Tuesday.

Muhlada called the victory a “mental breakthrough.” He now has qualified for the NHC four times and will be in his first BCBC.

“I'm always in these tournaments, and I'm always top 10, top 20 percent. I hold my own, do pretty well,” he said. “But I'd never won a major contest. I've come in third and gone to Vegas. Come in second and won money, but never like, 'I'm it. I'm the winner.' I stamped myself that I belong with these guys. That's how I feel now.”

There were Hall of Fame horseplayers, past NHC and NHC Tour winners among the 182 entries in Tuesday's tournament and 173 Wednesday. The tournament, overseen by Monmouth Park's Brian Skirka, was conducted online through TVG and Xpressbet.

Starting with a $500 bankroll Tuesday (from entrants' $1,000 buy-in) and a $300 bankroll Wednesday (from the $600 buy-in), participants had to wager $50 or more on at least 10 races from Kentucky Downs on Tuesday and on at least six races Wednesday. Contestants could bet win, place, show and exactas.

But at first it didn't look like Muhlada was even going to be able to play.

He had a conflict and couldn't play last Sunday when the first of the two tournaments was supposed to take place. He also was committed to a heavy work schedule on Wednesday afternoon. Players had to compete both days to win the overall prize.

“I thought, 'OK, I'm just going to miss it. No big deal,'” Muhlada said. “When it rained out the Sunday and went to Tuesday, Tuesday was perfect. I literally signed up just for Tuesday, and if I did well enough I was going to decide what to do on Wednesday. I called Brian and he was awesome. He got me in literally an hour and a half before the tournament started on Tuesday and I did well enough that I played on Wednesday.

“But I was in a Zoom meeting from like 2 until 5, with the races on a side screen. Then it left me with a lot of work left to do. I got off the Zoom call with four races left. I didn't really like the race coming up, the seventh race. I didn't have any strong feelings. So I just took a walk to clear my head. I kind of put the plan together as to what I had to do in the eighth, the ninth and the 10th races to get to a money goal I needed to get to.”

Muhlada said he blew in the eighth race and was down to his last $100 with two races left Tuesday. His ninth-race bets included a $10 box on the 8-5 exacta in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes won by 9-1 Guildsman by a neck over 21-1 shot Island Commish.

“There were five horses in the ninth race I identified as live long shots,” he said. “I settled in aggressively on the 5, Island Commish. If he wins, I do even better because I had money to win on him. I started to get less comfortable with the horse as his odds kept going up. But I said, 'I can't just give up on it. I think he's sitting on a good race.' The 8 was the horse I liked the best. I settled in on the 5 and built tickets around him. All that did was give me enough money to have a shot at the last race to win it.”

The 8-5 exacta paid $364 for $2, propelling Muhlada into fourth. (Had the fast-flying 47-1 shot Souper Dormy, another neck back in third, won or split his exacta, we wouldn't be telling this story.)

Muhlada had a $60 exacta box on No. 4 Chop Chop Charlie (an 8-1 shot) and No. 3 Zanesville (7-1) in the meet's final race and also used some combinations with favored Peekacho. “Then at the end, just for security, I put another $100 to win on the 3,” he said. “If the 3 wins but my favorite horse of the day, the 4, isn't there, I cash but we're not talking. Them running 1-2 was the difference.”

The $2 exacta paid $169.80 and Zanesville paid $17 to win.

“The last two races I had live shots that I liked,” Muhlada said. “The ironic thing was they both ran second and I paired them with the right horse to exacta-box my way to a nice day…. I just got lucky playing the whole thing because it fell into my lap when Sunday got canceled.”

Muhlada said he went to the races at Kentucky Downs for the first time last year with his horse-racing buddies.

“It was like 'Wow! How come we haven't been here before?'” he said, saying COVID wrecked plans for a return this year. “Fell in love with it. The course, everything about it was dynamite.”

Muhlada does not consider turf handicapping one of his strengths. But he really likes live-money tournaments because they require not only picking winners but money management. Not surprisingly, he said he loved the format of the Kentucky Downs Turf Handicapping Challenge.

“I enjoy the mental aspect, the mental chess game of trying to figure it out,” he said. “You don't have to be perfect; you just got to be better than the rest of the people.”

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