A big-money, high-profile onsite handicapping tournament will again be taking place during the last weekend of January next year. But—for the first time in about 15 years—it won’t be the NHC.
For 2018, the NHC has been moved from the weekend prior to the Super Bowl to the weekend after it (February 9-11). And into the pre-Super Bowl breach steps the new Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship on January 26-27, live from the Sport of Kings Theatre at Gulfstream Park.
The event calls for a $12,000 buy-in—all of which goes to one’s live bankroll…there are no entry fees to those who participate at Gulfstream. Players may also play from Laurel, Santa Anita or Golden Gate, though players at those “satellite” locations must put up a $1,000 fee that will go into the prize pool.
Players must bet at least $12,000 over the course of the two days. At least $4,000 must be wagered on Friday (Day 1) and at least $3,000 must be bet on the weekend’s featured race, the Pegasus World Cup. Only Gulfstream races will be part of the contest menu and players may play win, place, show, exacta and or trifecta wagers.
The top 10 finishers will collect a percentage of the prize pool–guaranteed at $350,000, but estimated at $500,000–in addition to keeping the final amounts in their live betting bankrolls. In addition, the first-place finisher will receive both an NHC and a Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge berth. The second through fifth place finishers each receive an NHC berth. And the Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship winner will earn a $1 million bonus should he or she go on to win either the 2018 NHC or the 2018 BCBC.
Where is that prize pool coming from given that the majority of players (those onsite at Gulfstream) are paying no entry fees?
The Stronach Group will fund $100,000 of the prize pool. Another $100,000 will be funded by Xpressbet. And the remainder will be funded from a percentage of ontrack contest handle based on a formula available at the Gulfstream Park Pegasus World Cup webpage.
HorseTourneys will offer a series of direct qualifiers to the Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship, with the first one (entry fee: $480) taking place on Sunday, July 23. Additionally, $107 Round Two feeders will be offered in advance of each direct qualifier, and economical $24 feeders will precede the Round Two competitions.
For additional information on the Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship, click here.