From a Monmouth Park release
Monmouth Park Racetrack will host its biggest-ever handicapping contest in 2016 – a $2,000, live-money event that will allow players to select their prizes from a list consisting of nine seats in the 2017 DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC), two seats in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and $50,000 cash, based on 100 entries.
Should the event reach 150 entries, prizes will consist of 15 NHC seats, four BCBC seats and $60,000. The 15 NHC seats would match the $10,000 BCBC for most ever offered at an on-track contest.
The inaugural ‘Pick Your Prize’ Handicapping Challenge will take place Saturday, June 4 in Monmouth Park’s Turf Club.
“In our continuing attempt to put on the best handicapping contests in the country, we’re always listening to our players and brainstorming new ideas,” said Brian Skirka, Marketing Manager and contest director at Monmouth Park. “Over the years, I’ve heard players who prefer the NHC, players who prefer the BCBC, and players who prefer cash. So this contest will give the winners a choice as to which prize or prizes they take home. These prizes will be among some of the best ever awarded at an on-track handicapping contest.”
Of the $2,000 buy-in, $1,000 will go toward the prize pool and $1,000 will be deposited onto a betting card for contest wagers. Players must bet a minimum of 10 races with a $100 minimum bet per race. Wagers can be win, place, show or exacta and there is no maximum on the number of races or amount bet.
Based on 100 entries, the prize pool will be $100,000 – broken down to include nine NHC seats, two BCBC seats and $50,000. A percentage of the cash will be distributed amongst the contest’s first five finishers with the rest divided into seven cash prize amounts that, when combined with the NHC and BCBC seats, will create a prize board consisting of 18 total prizes.
At the end of the contest, the first three finishers, in order of finish, will pick two prizes from the board. Players who finish 4th thru 15th will pick one prize in order of finish until all prizes are off the board.
In the event of a 150-entry contest, the first five finishers will pick two prizes while finishers 6-20 get one selection.
The ‘Pick Your Prize’ Handicapping Challenge will cement Monmouth Park’s 2016 handicapping contest schedule in which over 25 NHC seats will be awarded over the course of the year. For each of the past two years, no racetrack in the country has awarded more NHC seats than Monmouth Park – 22 in 2014 and 27 in 2015.
