Tag: Horseplayers

The Belt is back!

Kentucky Downs will again award the Global Tote King of the Turf Championship Belt, designed to mimic boxing's famous world-championship belts, to the overall winner of the meet's online King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge presented by Daily Racing Form.

This year's tournament competition at the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs will have three stand-alone one-day, online handicapping contests on Thursday Sept. 1 (opening day) and Sundays Sept. 4 and 11. The live-money tournaments have buy-ins of $400, $500 and $800, respectively. Half of the buy-in amount goes to the entrant's live bankroll and the other half goes toward the prizes.

Seats at the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) will be awarded to the top finishers in each tournament, with seats for the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) also up for grabs in the final two contests. The NHC seats include airfare reimbursement up to $400 and hotel. The BCBC seat includes the $10,000 buy-in.

The cumulative winner, who must compete in all three tournaments, will be named King of the Turf: National Turf Handicapping Champion and will receive a BCBC seat and the Global Tote belt at the NHC awards dinner in Las Vegas. The 2023 NHC is set for March 10-12 at Horseshoe Las Vegas (formerly Bally's).

“It's an honor to be back for Kentucky Downs' third King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge,” said tournament director Brian Skirka. “Over the past two seasons, Kentucky Downs' full fields and all-turf cards have proven the ultimate handicapping challenge and I expect nothing less this year.

“Our three individual contests will award seats in the nation's premier championship handicapping events – the NHC and BCBC – plus cash. But it's the unparalleled National Turf Handicapping Champion belt – awarded to the player with the highest three-contest cumulative total – that may be the most coveted prize.”

Players must bet (win, place, show, exacta and/or double) with a specified minimum amount wagered on each of a minimum of five races per contest, with no maximum. All tournaments are based on Kentucky Downs racing that day.

The format has been adjusted from last year, when there were three two-day competitions. As part of that change, the buy-ins also have been lowered, while the minimum amount that must be wagered per race has increased to reflect 10-percent of the buy-in. With live-money tournaments, the contestant keeps any remaining bankroll at the end of the competition.

“We are always striving to make even highly successful ventures better,” said Kentucky Downs Vice President for Racing Ted Nicholson. “Each year our team, led by Brian, weighs player feedback, evaluates the previous year and the upcoming handicapping-tournament terrain and makes adjustments to best fit our dates and to appeal to the greatest number of contest players. Our goal is to have a majority of players compete in all three tournaments.”

Kenny Mollicone, a 47-year-old real-estate developer from Somerset, Mass., earned the first instantly-iconic Global Tote King of the Turf Championship Belt as the 2021 National Turf Handicapping Champion.

“Absolutely, I'm going to defend my crown,” Mollicone said. “I'm not relinquishing it without a fight. It's a mythical crown, but you get a real belt. How many people have that? Everyone loved the belt. My wife bought a case for the belt. I'm actually building a new house and it will be right there up on the wall of my office.

“I like the three one-day tournaments. It's good for a lot of people. Sometimes you can't do all three, and they stagger the buy-in amounts. Fortunately I can do all three. But it gives everybody the opportunity to participate. Kentucky Downs is great. It's unique. Where else do you run up and down the hills? The purses are incredible. The value is there. I love betting turf races anyway, and it's the ultimate bang for your buck. You can't beat it.”

Tournament contestants must play through special TVG/4NBETS or Xpressbet accounts. Contact Brian Skirka at bskirka@monmouthpark.com or call 732-571-6595 to register. Feeder contests are available on horsetourneys.com, providing the opportunity to win fees-paid entries.

Complete rules here.

Here's a summary of the three contests (prizes based on 150 entries per contest):

Thursday Sept. 1: $400 buy-in, $40 minimum bet per race. Projected prizes: three NHC prize packs, $5,000 to the winner down to $400 for 10th.

Sunday Sept. 4: $500 buy-in, $50 minimum bet per race. Projected prizes: One BCBC seat and $10,000 buy-in, two NHC prize packs, $5,800 to the winner down to $450 for 10th.

Sunday Sept. 11: $800 buy-in, $80 minimum bet per race. Projected prizes: Two BCBC seats and $10,000 buy-in, three NHC prize packs, $8,000 to winner down to $550 for 10th.

The post Kentucky Downs’ King Of The Turf Handicapping Challenge Includes Three Tournaments In 2022 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A lone ticket holder who had invested $432 in an Xpressbet ticket on Del Mar's Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot wager Friday hit for a bonanza $555,191 when his 20¢ ticket proved the only one to have all of the winners of the final six races at the seaside track.

Xpressbet is available throughout the country and Del Mar officials could not immediately determine where the winning ticket was sold.

The winning numbers were 4-5-3-1-6-4. Among the boxcar payoffs that drove the large hit was the horse R Doc winning Race 4 for a $76.60 mutuel and Black Storm proving best in Race 6 for a $60.00 payoff.

At first, the Pick 6 Will Pays were incorrect as the late scratch and favorite winning in Race 5 resulted in the displaying of multiple live tickets when in fact there was only one unique serial number ticket on the 8th Race winner Mongolian Kingdom.

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Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks drew a full field of 14 and promises to be an extremely exciting race considering half of the group has won a graded stakes in the U.S. or a group stakes in Europe.

Spendarella posted a pair of wins in the division in March and April when victorious in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes and Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes before a bang-up second at Royal Ascot in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes in June. French-bred Txope, who leads the field in number of races run (12), makes her U.S. debut off a win in the Group 2 German One Thousand Guineas. Irish-bred Bellabel is undefeated in two starts since importing to the U.S. over the winter, the most recent being the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes over the Del Mar turf course.

Cairo Memories won the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes and Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes in succession this spring before a fifth-place effort last month in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational. Great Britain-bred Tezzaray won the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes last fall at Del Mar and hopes to improve off a 10th-place San Clemente effort that followed eight months off. Lady T finished second in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks in June before ending up fourth of 12 in the San Clemente in her first ever try on grass.

Irish-bred Island of Love won the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes in May before second- and third-place efforts in similar stakes so is yet another likely to be competitive in this field. Irish-bred Lucky Girl won the Lady Shamrock Stakes and China Doll Stakes this winter on the Santa Anita turf but has only managed a trio of fifth-place efforts since. Irish-bred Sixteen Arches was running in a stakes for the first time when closing fast from 11th to second behind Bellabel in the San Clemente and adds more depth to the field. Ballet Dancing finished third in the Honeymoon before dropping down to allowance company and flying home from 10th to second last month. That race was won by Gracelund Gray, who was returning from nearly three months off and is another who could be a factor. Irish-bred Rhea Moon rallied for third in that race and could be another filly with improving to do. Similarly, Great Britain-bred Lady Clementine finished second or third in all four starts in England before making her U.S. debut a winning one over the course just three weeks ago and although stepping up from the maiden ranks into Grade 1 competition is a big ask, she might also have what it takes to compete. Gold Dragon Queen rounds out the field, her best recent efforts were a third-place finish in the Providencia Stakes before sixth- and 12th-place efforts.

Analysis and main contenders:

Spendarella has always been cut out to be an exceptional horse on the grass, being a daughter of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Karakontie. She won the first three races of her career, one month apart in February, March and April of this year, the latter two stakes races in which she earned 104 and 102 Equibase Speed Figures, which are exceptional for a 3-year-old filly that early in the year.

In the first of the two stakes wins Spendarella led from start to finish beating 10 other horses in the Herecomesthebride Stakes, then one month later she relaxed off the pace to draw off late in the Appalachian Stakes. Sent to England for the prestigious Coronation Stakes, Spendarella wasn't disgraced one bit when second behind the strong four-length winner, gamely holding second by a nose and earning a field high 112 figure. She's been working very well since her return and jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard for the Appalachian, has the mount so we can expect a top effort good enough to win.

Txope is the biggest threat to Spendarella based on her race when last seen (in June) winning the German One Thousand Guineas and earning a 111 figure right there with the 112 Spendarella earned in the Coronation Stakes. She's now run 12 times, finishing first or second in eight of those, the last eight being stakes races as well. In training with John Sadler at Del Mar since the end of July, Txope has put in three consistent workouts on the Del Mar turf and appears to be handling it well. As such, she should be in a great position in the last quarter mile and has a big shot to add to her record in this year's Del Mar Oaks.

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Ballet Dancing (94), Bellabel (95), Cairo Memories (108), Gold Dragon Queen (97), Gracelund Gray (98), Island of Love (99), Lady T (97), Lady Clementine (101), Lucky Girl (102), Rhea Moon (95), Sixteen Arches(95) and Tezzaray (88).

Top Win Contenders:

Spendarella

Txope (FR)

Del Mar Oaks – Grade 1
Race 8 at Del Mar
Saturday, August 20 – Post Time 8:30 PM E.T.
Fillies, 3-Year-Olds
1 1/8 Miles on Turf
Purse: $300,000

Ellis Starr is National Racing Analyst for Equibase

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Friday's program at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., will be bolstered by a Pick 6 carryover of $167,611 after the multi-race wager went unsolved on Thursday's 10-race card.

The $1 Pick 6 returned $2,093 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 winners correctly.

The sequence kicked off in Race 5 with Clear the Deck [No. 5, $7.30] graduating at fourth asking under Julien Leparoux for trainer Kenny McPeek. Hall of Famer Bill Mott saddled Sequel Racing and Cypress Creek Equine's Recognize [No. 4, $6.80] to victory in Race 6. The son of Bolt d'Oro won at third asking against fellow New York-breds under jockey Jose Lezcano.

Newtownanner Stud Farm's Immortalization [No. 7, $4.60] provided the shortest price of the sequence in Race 7, earning his third lifetime victory for trainer Michelle Hemingway. Hector Diaz, Jr. engineered the winning trip aboard the Honor Code gelding.

Trainer Phil Bauer sent out his fourth winner in seven starts on the Saratoga meet with Rigney Racing's Warrior Johny [No. 5, $7.60], who defeated winners under Junior Alvarado in Race 8 – a nine-furlong main track allowance event for 3-year-olds and upward.

Jose Gomez piloted Golden Rocket [No. 1, $63.50] to victory in the $150,000 NYSSS Statue of Liberty [Race 9] for trainer Patricia Farro and owners Chad Anshelewitz and Robert Lambe.

With only four horses uncovered in the final leg, the Gary Sciacca-trained Sell Something [No. 4, $54.50] secured the carryover by breaking his maiden in his ninth attempt for a $40,000 tag. Trevor McCarthy piloted the son of Laoban to victory.

Friday's Pick 6 will kick off in Race 5 [3:21 p.m. Eastern] and include the $135,000 Summer Colony in Race 8 and the $150,000 Skidmore in Race 10. First post for the 10-race card, is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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