We have so many cash tourneys on Breeders’ Cup Friday and Saturday—between two-day games, single-day full-card events and early/late card competitions—that you can really tailor your play to which races you like the most.
This space can’t really do all of the offerings justice—you’ll want to peruse the extensive menu yourself. However, we CAN try and do justice to the big-money tests that offer guaranteed sums ranging from $10,000 to $80,000 in each one.
Breeders’ Cup calls its first day “Future Stars Friday.” We think of it as something of a “Fantastic Riches Friday” because we offer three cash games worth at least $95,000 in guaranteed money.
Friday’s richest event is our two-day, Live-format $50,000 Guaranteed tourney. It’s a 14-race contest consisting of just the Breeders’ Cup Championship races (five on Friday and nine on Saturday). The entry fee is $495.
There are also not one but two HT Tour events on Friday. One is our $25,000 Guaranteed Live-format game and the other is a $20,000 Guaranteed Pick & Pray. These two tourneys will be contested on Friday’s full 10-race program at Del Mar. The $25,000 Guaranteed game costs $395 to enter, while the $20,000 Pick & Pray has a price tag of $260.
There’s also a 12-race, multi-track qualifier on Friday to the $250,000 Guaranteed Flo-Cal Faceoff here on January 15-16. One of every 15 entries, at $118 per entry will earn a $1,500 seat to the Faceoff. Contest races for this one are the 8th through 10th from Gulfstream, the 8th through 10th at Belmont and races 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 from Del Mar.
As if this weekend isn’t already big enough, the NTRA is offering a free, two-day NHC qualifier at HorsePlayers that starts out on Friday.
The way this works is that those who finish in the top 10 percent of the field on Friday move on to compete in another 15-race mind-bender on Saturday when the top five finishers will each earn seats to the 2022 NHC. Keep in mind that you must be a 2021 NHC Tour member in order to play and win. If you’re not a member, you can become one quickly and easily at NTRA.com for a $50 membership fee.
The 15 races that will determine who advances to Saturday are: the 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th from Belmont; races 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 at Del Mar; and the 8th through 10th from Gulfstream.
On Saturday, the Breeders’ Cup cash tourneys get even larger with at least another $140,000 on the line.
The richest game of the weekend is an $80,000 Guaranteed Live-format game on the full Saturday card from Del Mar. Also on tap is a $50,000 Guaranteed Pick & Pray—also on the full, 12-race Del Mar program. And, again, both of these are HT Tour events, so points and possible multiple-win bonuses will be at stake on top of the outsized purses. The entry fee for the $80,000 game is $495, while $395 will get you into the $50,000 Pick & Pray.
There’s also a $10,000 Guaranteed Big Bucks Pick & Pray on the full Saturday Del Mar card. It’s an up-to-$20,000 game with an entry fee of $1,150 and payoffs going only to the top three finishers on a 70/20/10-percent basis.
Also contested on the full Breeders’ Cup Saturday card will be our Flo-Cal Faceoff qualifier. It’s a Pick & Pray with the entry fee again set at $118, and the winning ratio established at 1-in-15.
The $15 Pick 4 Jackpot game will have a carryover of $635 heading into Saturday. The four races to solve on Saturday will be the 8th and 11th at Woodbine and the 11th and 12th (BC Turf and BC Classic) at Del Mar.
And, of course, HorsePlayers will host Day 2 of the free NHC qualifier on Saturday for those lucky enough to make it there. If you are wondering what the 15 contest races will be for “Part II”, they are the 5th through 12th on Breeders’ Cup Saturday at Del Mar; the 8th and 9th from Belmont; the 9th and 10th at Gulfstream; and races 7, 8 and 11 from Woodbine.
Sunday is a deceptively excellent day to play around here—only because so many annually take the day after the Breeders’ Cup off. Their fatigue can be your reward in a number of Sunday features—including a guaranteed NHC qualifier.
It’s a Live-format, $165 play-in with two 2022 spots guaranteed to be won. Don’t be caught napping…while others are napping!
Our third consecutive Flo-Cal Faceoff qualifier of the weekend is another $118 Pick & Pray. Winners compete for at least a quarter of million dollars here in January.
Sunday’s HT Tour event is our $20,000 Guaranteed, No Limit Pick & Pray. Entries cost $195 each.
The Sunday Big Bucks tourney is always run in Live format. It’s an up-to-$20,000 affair with $7,500 Guaranteed and an entry fee of $1,150. Entries are limited to 20, and payouts go only to the first three finishers.
Our other Sunday feature here at HorseTourneys is the $15 Pick 4 Jackpot tourney (always a Pick & Pray). The Jackpot amount will depend on how many played in the Saturday Pick 4 Jackpot tourney—and whether anyone hit the Jackpot. Check our website or our Twitter feed starting on Saturday night for updates.
Breeders’ Cups are always fun—and they are even more memorable when you back a winner. Here’s hoping that feeling hits you many times over this weekend. Good luck to all!