With the Exacta Extravaganza in the books, it’s time to square our sights on the $250,000 Guaranteed Flo-Cal Faceoff (the first leg of the 2023 Tourney Triple) now just barely more than a month away. We’ll have a qualifier a day for the Flo-Cal this weekend—and the same holds true for the 2023 NHC.
The weekend fun—and the Flo-Cal and NHC qualfiiers—get underway on Friday.
It’s a Pick & Pray weekend at HorseTourneys this week so most of our marquee games—including all three on Friday—will be “set-it-and-forget-it” deals.
One of those is Friday’s HT Tour event, a $15,000 Guaranteed, No Limit Pick & Pray. The doorman will ask you for $190 on your way in.
The weekend’s first of three consecutive Flo-Cal Faceoff qualifiers is a $118, 1-per-15 Pick & Pray. Winners earn a $1,500 entry for January 14-15.
Friday’s feature at HorsePlayers is—what else?—a $75 NHC qualifier.
Two seats are certain to be awarded in this Pick & Pray that carries a winning ratio of 1-per-143. Entries are limited to three per person. Remember—you must be a 2022 NHC Tour member, prior to the start of the contest, in order to be eligible for an NHC package in this or any other NHC qualifier. If you’re not a member, you can become one quickly and easily at NTRA.com for a $50 membership fee.
Contest races for the Friday featured tourneys are the 6ththrough 9th from Gulfstream; the 6th through 9th at Aqueduct; and the 7th and 8th from Tampa Bay Downs—10 races in all.
On Saturday, we host our richest competition of the week.
It’s our $30,000 Guaranteed, No Limit Pick & Pray. The entry fee is $350 and the game serves as the day’s HT Tour event.
Also on tap is the weekend’s second Flo-Cal Faceoff qualifier. It’s another $118, 1-per-15 Pick & Pray.
An expenditure of $384 will buy you a 1-in-20 chance in our first of two Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship during the weekend. Winners of this Pick & Pray receive a $6,500 package ($6,000 entry plus $500 for travel) that is playable on-track or at Xpressbet on January 28.
For the highest of high-end players, there’s Saturday’s Big Bucks Pick & Pray. It’s an “up-to-$20,000” battle with a purse guarantee of $10,000. Entries—at $1,150 each—are limited to 20, and payouts go just to the top three finishers. The winner collects 70 percent of the net pool, the runner up gets 20 percent, and the third-place finisher picks up the remaining 10 percent.
At HorsePlayers, the Saturday co-features are a Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge qualifier and an NHC play-in.
The Live-format BCBC qualifier costs $179 to play. The winning ratio is 1-per-65 and at least one $10,000 seat is will be awarded regardless of how many take part.
The NHC qualifier will also be operated in Live format. It’s a “regular,” $165 play-in. At least two spots are guaranteed here, and the winning ratio is 1-per-65.
The 12 Saturday contest races are the 6th through 10th from Gulfstream; the 6th through 8th at Aqueduct; and the 7th through 10th from Tampa Bay Downs.
Sunday is our busiest day of the week with nine featured tourneys, including three brand new ones.
The three newcomers are qualifiers to the December 26 Santa Anita Opening Weekend Challenge, the January 29 Hialeah NHC qualifier and the February 11 Tampa Bay Downs First Chance/Last Chance NHC qualifier.
The Santa Anita qualifier is a $118, 1-per-15 Pick & Pray with winners picking up $1,500 entries that are playable on-track or at Xpressbet on December 26.
The Hialeah NHC qualifier is an on-track event. This Sunday’s qualifier for it is a $59, 1-per-10 Pick & Pray with winners grabbing $500 entries.
The Tampa Bay Downs qualifier is an $80, 1-per-15 affair with successful participants earning $1,000 entries into the on-track, Super Bowl Eve contest in Oldsmar, Fla.
More familiar to our Sunday HorseTourneys regulars might be our $20,000 Guaranteed, No Limit Pick & Pray. You can play for $250.
For $384, you can compete in another Pegasus World Cup qualifier. Winners garner a $6,500 package playable either at Gulfstream or Xpressbet.
For the third straight day, you can take a swing at a $1,500 Flo-Cal Faceoff entry. The entry fee is again $118, and the format will again be Pick & Pray. The winning ratio is 1-per-15 here.
In Live format is the Sunday Big Bucks tourney—an up-to-$20,000 test with a purse guaranteed at $7,000. Total entries are limited to 20 (at $1,150 per entry), and payouts go solely to the top three scorers.
The NHC and the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge share the featured-tourney spotlight once more on Sunday at HorsePlayers.
The NHC qualifier is a Live-format game restricted to those who have yet to nail down a 2023 NHC seat. Since it’s restricted, this contest will offer no NHC Tour points. One seat is guaranteed, and the entry fee is $165.
The BCBC play-in is a Low Ratio Pick & Pray. The entry fee is $500; the winning ratio is 1-per-23; and at least one $10,000 seat is certain.
Whether you’ll be trying on a new qualifier this weekend or sticking with our comfy, already-broken-in ones, we’re confident that you’ll find a good fit or two somewhere. Good luck!