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Kentucky Downs Staging Pair Of Online Handicapping Tournaments During 2020 Meet

America's most unique racetrack is staging a one-of-a-kind online handicapping tournament twosome during the RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs.

The Kentucky Downs Turf Handicapping Challenge presented by Daily Racing Form, America's only tournament using exclusively grass racing, will award multiple seats at the 2021 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) and the 2020 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) during stand-alone tournaments on Sunday Sept. 13 and Wednesday Sept. 16. The twist is that the player with the highest aggregate two-day total will be crowned the National Turf Handicapping Champion, receiving additional prize money and a BCBC spot, worth $10,000.

The separate online tournaments are live-money events, meaning that entrants use a real bankroll and get to keep whatever they might earn. The competition will be based on Kentucky Downs' all-grass cards, with the Sept. 13 contest also offering the option to play turf races from New Jersey's Monmouth Park. Betting in the tournaments will be conducted through Xpressbet, TVG and 4NJBets online-wagering platforms.

The Sept. 13 tournament has a $1,000 buy-in, with $500 comprising the player's bankroll and the other $500 going to the prize pool. The buy-in is $600 for the Sept. 16 tournament, with $300 going to the prize pool and $300 for the contestant's bankroll. Players must compete in both tournaments to be eligible to earn the distinction of being National Turf Handicapping Champion.

Both contests require entrants to bet a minimum of $50 (win, place, show and/or exacta) on a minimum of 10 races on Sept. 13 and six on Sept. 16. Complete rules will be available soon on kentuckydowns.com. Monmouth Park marketing director Brian Skirka is the tournament director. Players must pre-register with Skirka by emailing bskirka@monmouthpark.com or by calling 732-571-6595.

“We were looking at an online tournament even before we had to make the tough decision to go spectatorless at our live meet because of the COVID surge,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs' senior vice president and general manager. “Our betting product has become so popular across the country that we wanted to let as many people as possible participate, and we wanted to come up with prizes to make it worth their investment in time and money.

“Horseplayers' enthusiasm for our American-best large fields and low takeout has led to a 244-percent increase in wagering on Kentucky Downs since 2015. This is one way of showing our appreciation. We are the nation's turf-racing capital and we want to showcase that by having a National Turf Handicapping Champion.”

Regular tournament player Adam Aiken, who coincidentally is moving from Springfield, Mass., to Nashville in early September, makes a point to bet Kentucky Downs' elite meet and was thrilled to hear about the track's tournaments. He applauds the idea of a two-day overall champion.

“That's an interesting format, kind of a unique and different format that isn't around anywhere else,” Aiken said, adding with a laugh, “It obviously gets you to want to play the second one. You have three chances in a way” to win the big prizes.

Aiken said he'll be firing away on his mobile device to try to be anointed Turf Champion.

“I'll be playing wherever I am,” he said. “I was in a tournament where I finished fourth and 13th and I was at a wedding…. I love turf racing. I love turf sprints. I always play Kentucky Downs. The big fields and low takeout are just the ticket for serious handicappers.”

Based on 100 entries in the Sept. 13 tournament, the total prize pool will be $50,000, including four NHC prize packs (including flight reimbursement up to $400 and hotel) and one BCBC berth. The top five finishers will split $5,000, with $2,500 to the winner and an estimated $2,956 toward the cash awarded to the National Turf Champ. The top 10 finishers also receive a free spot in the Sept. 16 contest.

Prize money paid to the Turf Champ will increase along with the number of entries. At 150 entries, five NHC prize packs and two BCBC berths will be awarded.

Based on 80 entries in the Sept. 16 contest, the total prize pool will be $24,000, with the top three finishers earning an NHC prize pack and splitting $3,000, including $1,500 to the winner, with remaining cash going to the champ. Additional seats could be awarded based on final participation.

“I'm honored that Ted reached out to me to assist with putting on this unique tournament,” Skirka said. “Kentucky Downs is known for some of the biggest fields and best turf racing around, and I'm excited to help make this first-of-its-kind contest a success. From my experience, I think players will really gravitate to a tournament featuring such wide-open, competitive and high-class racing.”

Players must be an NHC Tour member prior to the start of the contest to be eligible for NHC seats.

Horsetourneys.com will stage online feeder tournaments, providing low-priced ways to win spots into both contests.

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Stronach 5: Friday Wager Sees Three Winning Tickets Each Worth $47,117

There were only three winning tickets in Friday's Stronach 5, and each was worth $47,117.10.

The popular wager, with an industry-low 12-percent takeout and $100,000 guaranteed pool, featured races from Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park and Golden Gate Fields, and two of the five races in the Stronach 5 produced $50 winners.

Friday's Stronach 5 started with a bang when Palm Reader, a 24-1 shot, wore down pacesetter Sailingintothewind inside the final 50 yards to win Laurel's seventh race on the turf and return $50.20.

After Alastor ($6.60) won Gulfstream's ninth race, Bunting ($7.40) won Laurel's eighth race and Mayan Queen ($6.40) was triumphant in Laurel's ninth, the sequence ended at Golden Gate Fields and 25-1 longshot Hula King ($53.40) winning the second race

Friday's races and sequence

· Leg One – Laurel Park 7th Race: Palm Reader $50.20

· Leg Two –Gulfstream Park 9th Race: Alastor $6.60

· Leg Three –Laurel Park 8th Race: Bunting $7.40

· Leg Four –Laurel Park 9th Race: Mayan Queen $6.40

· Leg Five –Golden Gate Fields 2nd race: Hula King $53.40

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Gulfstream: Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Pool Guaranteed At $350,000, Late Pick 5 Carryover Of $70,480

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $350,000 Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the sixth racing day in a row Friday, when tickets with five of six winners were each worth $1,390.82.

The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

There will also be a Late Pick 5 carryover of $70,480.23 Saturday. The Late Pick 5 will span Races 7-11.

Saturday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11, including the featured optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up in Race 10. Alshareef Hazzaa Shaker Alabdali's Tatweej has been installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the mile event off a strong maiden score last time out. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Tapit set a pressured pace before drawing off to score by 3 ¾ lengths in a July 25 maiden special weight race at a mile. The late-developing 4-year-old colt, who brought $2.5 million at the 2017 Keeneland September Sale, had previously finished third in his debut. Edgard Zayas has the return mount.

One down and 18 to go for R Private Jet to catch big brother Pay Any Price in the win department.

A well-beaten seventh in his recent debut on turf, R Private Jet ($7.40) showed the way throughout to break his maiden Friday at Gulfstream Park. Although his 10-year-old brother is a multiple-stakes winner on turf, R Private Jet showed a distinct liking for Gulfstream's main track Friday, running six furlongs in 1:10.82 and scoring by 1 ¼ lengths after withstanding a serious bid by ultimate second-place finisher Catch On Emotional.

Purchased by Rich Averill's Averill Racing LLC and CCF Racing Stable for $82,000 at the 2018 OBS October sale, the 3-year-old gelded son of Khozan does have a lot in common with his still-spry brother, who most recently captured the Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint for the third time.

“We bought him two years ago. He was very good looking. We thought there were some good similarities between the two – the way they looked. We kind of paid a little more than we liked, being a little sentimental,” said Averill, who owns Pay Any Price in a partnership with Matties Racing Stable LLC. “He was getting ready to run, but he's a lot like his brother – mentally, he's a mess. He flipped over and hurt himself. We sent him to the farm and brought him back and then he had shins and we had to send him back to the farm. So, it's been a rough go with him. We're glad to see him come in here and win.”

R Private Jet, who was ridden by Edgard Zayas, is likely to remain on dirt for his next start, despite his older brother's longstanding dominance on South Florida turf.

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Saratoga: Sunday Card Features Mandatory Payout Of Empire 6 Wager

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the Sunday, August 23 card at Saratoga Race Course will feature a mandatory payout of the Empire 6, which boasts a jackpot of $442,574 heading into Friday's nine-race card at the Spa.

Live coverage of all the races in the sequence will be available with Saratoga Live on FOX Sports and MSG+. Free Equibase-provided past performances will be available for races that are part of the Saratoga Live broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

Sunday's Empire 6 sequence kicks off in Race 4 at 2:54 p.m. Eastern with a 1 1/16-mile New York-bred maiden claiming route on the inner turf featuring a field of eight led by No Salt, a sophomore son of Tonalist trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

In Race 5 [3:33 p.m. ET], a nine-furlong allowance route for New York-breds, a hard-knocking field of seven features Six Percent for trainer Jimmy Jerkens and last out off-the-turf maiden winner Too Early for conditioner Linda Rice.

A field of eight maiden claiming turf sprinters [and one main-track only entrant] take to the Mellon turf in Race 6 [4:09 p.m. ET] including Mia Bea Star for red-hot trainer David Donk and Silent Empress, a First Samurai bay looking to improve second-time out for conditioner Christophe Clement.

In Race 7 [4:43 p.m. ET], a field of seven sprint six furlongs in an optional-claiming affair on the main track in a wide-open race that includes 11-time winner Pete's Play Call for trainer John Toscano and the Rice-trained multiple stakes placed Mount Travers.

The Grade 1, $500,000 Diana [Race 8, 5:18 p.m. ET], at nine furlongs on the inner turf, will see the Chad Brown-trained Sistercharlie bid for history by becoming the first three-time winner of the historic event in its 82nd running. A salty field of six includes Sistercharlie's five-time Grade 1-winning stablemate Rushing Fall and Canada's reigning Horse of the Year and last-out Grade 2 Ballston Spa champ Starship Jubilee.

Closing out the sequence in Race 9 [5:51 p.m. ET] is a vexing New York-bred maiden claiming route on the Mellon turf as a field of eight looks to graduate at the Spa. Donk and Clement feature again with the Donk-conditioned Ringgood dropping in from restricted maiden special weight company at fifth asking, while the Clement-trained Allied Invasion will look to improve on his 62 Beyer Speed Figure second time out.

The Empire 6 requires the bettor to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. On non-mandatory payout days, if one unique ticket exists, then 100 percent of the net pool, plus the jackpot carryover if applicable, will be paid to the winner. If there is no unique wager selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, then 75 percent of the day's net pool will be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races. The remainder will be added into the jackpot and carried to the next day's Empire 6.

For more information on the Empire 6, please visit http://www.nyrabets.com.

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