Before we take a look at this weekend’s action, we want to send out special good luck wishes to the 17 HorseTourneys qualfiers who will be competing this weekend at the Keeneland NHC/BCBC Challenge and the 21 HorseTourneys winners who will do battle at the Orleans Fall Classic. Nothing would make us happier than to see HorseTourneys graduates take first place in both events.
We also send best wishes for a successful event to Jim Goodman at Keeneland and Debbie Flaig at The Orleans. We know that players, as usual, will be in very good hands with Jim and Debbie.
On to the upcoming HorseTourneys action!
Friday will once again feature our exciting $5,000 guaranteed game, which sold out last week. Be sure to get your entries in early because people really seem to love these Friday games when Keeneland is involved. This one is again a Pick & Pray (we know many of you have to work on Fridays…or will be traveling to Vegas or Lexington!) with contest races set as Belmont’s 6th through 8th; Keeneland’s 6th through 9th; and Laurel’s 7th and 8th (10 races in all). Because it is a guaranteed game, full prizes will be paid down to 4th place regardless of participation, and the winner gets $2,500. Entry fee is $185.
Saturday is topped by a 2-package-guaranteed NHC direct qualifier. This is our second of eight consecutive weekly NHC qualifiers. Last week’s 2-seat-guaranteed affair sold out so we added a third seat. This week, we are again guaranteeing two spots, but we will offer up to four if we can hit 280 entries. Packages, of course, include NHC entry, four nights’ hotel at Treasure Island plus $1,000 in additional travel expenses. Entry for Saturday’s direct qualifier is just $160.
We also have an entry-only Horse Player World Series qualifier on Saturday for $87. One in 20 will earn an entry into next year’s $1,500-to-play event.
And cash gamers will be interested in our low-takout $12,500 guaranteed contest. This one pays down to 6th place and will bew a Pick & Pray. There is $6,250 on reserve for the winner with entries (at $195 each) limited to 71. This, too, will pay full prizes no matter how many take part. Don’t get shut out of this one.
Here’s a visual of our top Saturday tourneys:
Sunday represents your first chance to qualify for the November 25-26 Hawthorne Fall NHC Super Qualifier. Hawthorne will run two separate single-day tourneys costing $350 each day. A win in a HorseTourneys direct qualifier gains you your entry fees for both days ($700 total) plus another $500 in travel. Entry for our first Hawthorne Fall direct qualifier is $93 with one of every 15 moving on to Cicero-Stickney, Illinois (the city so great they had to name it twice) in late November.
Also on tap Sunday are qualifiers for the Del Mar Fall Classic ($4,500 value) for $212 and the Twin Spires Online Championship ($750 value) for $58. Both are Pick & Prays.
Another Sunday Pick & Pray is our $7,500 guaranteed cash game where you could win $3,750 for a $190 entry fee.
One of our few live-format tourneys on Sunday is our $1,500 guaranteed exacta box game. (We feel that these exacta games operate more smoothly in live format. With everyone picking three horses per race, scratches can wreak more havoc.) Our $1,500 exacta tourney costs $54, pays to 5th and offers $600 to the winner. Lest we forget to mention…it’s also a lot of fun.
Here’s a look at the Sunday highlights:
Whether you’re focusing on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or all three, keep in mind that low-cost feeders are available every day when you could win your way into any of the aforementioned tourneys at a fraction of the game-day cost. These feeders are also a good way to sharpen your contest play just a tad in advance of the bigger games to come.
Wherever you are playing, we wish all of you a winning weekend!