Horseplayer Florine Sima walked home with $67,240 on Sunday at Santa Anita, the result of winning the track’s two-day Santa Anita Preakness Challenge. A resident of Burbank, Calif.,Sima, who was accompanied by his wife Maria over the weekend in Santa Anita’s Eddie Logan Suite, ended up with a bankroll of $27,240, which earned him top prize money of $40,000.
“Florine and his wife Maria are great customers and loyal supporters of Santa Anita,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita Vice President, Marketing. “They are regular visitors in our Eddie Logan Suite and we wish him the best of luck in the National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas next year, as well as going for a $1 million Santa Anita bonus at the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge this November.”
Newby also noted the growing importance of handicapping tournaments such as the one just conducted this past weekend.
“Santa Anita hosts more live money handicapping contests than any other track in the country,” he said. “They are a great way to drive on-track handle while offering solid value to the core player and the opportunity for a life changing score.
“In addition to big tournaments like this one, we also offer a $40 handicapping contest every weekend. This gives players a chance to qualify for the bigger cash tournaments and gain contest experience for a relatively small investment.”
In addition to winning the Santa Anita Preakness Challenge, Sima, who also picked up a $10,000 entry into the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, to be Nov. 3 and 4 is also eligible to take down a $1 million bonus for winning both the Santa Anita Preakness Challenge and the BCBC.
With Mr. Sima finishing first, here are the remaining top five finishers from the Santa Anita Preakness Challenge: 2.) Tony Zhou, final bankroll $21,283. 3.) Jim Meeks, final bankroll $17,136. 4.) David Watts, final bankroll $15,678. 5.) Dennis Decauwer, final bankroll $14,961. The total prize pool exceeded $110,000 with $70,000 in cash prizes plus the top five finishers all qualified for the 2018 NHC and the top two finishers received BCBC entries.
Fans are encouraged to visit santaanita.com com and register now for the $500 Summer Handicapping Challenge at Santa Anita on June 17. Complete Santa Anita Preakness Challenge contest results are available at http://www.santaanita.com/events/2016-santa-anita-preakness-challenge.