It’s Opening Weekend at Del Mar…and Haskell Day on Saturday at Monmouth. Those two developments, by themselves, set an exciting table for weekend fun. Throw in the fact, though, that the clock is running out on chances to qualify for important contests at both tracks, and a delicious measure of pressure suddenly gets added to the mix.
The weekend fun—and pressure—get underway here on Friday.
Friday is your absolute last day in which to land a $1,000 seat for the following day’s Haskell Challenge. One of every 15 entrants, at $79 per entry, will suddenly have a wonderfully busy Saturday.
Due to the opening of Del Mar—and due to the fact that the Del Mar Summer Challenge takes place on July 29-30—we are offering qualifiers every day this weekend for the popular, live-bankroll competition. You can test your skill for $384, and one in 20 will earn a $6,000 entry plus $500 for travel to the on-track contest. Friday’s qualifier is a Pick & Pray.
Also on tap each day of the weekend are qualifiers to the $400,000 Guaranteed Spa & Surf Showdown here on August 5-6 and the Saratoga Challenge on August 12.
The Spa & Surf Showdown is the final leg of the 2023 Tourney Triple and play-ins to it carry an entry fee of $147, with one of every 20 entrants receiving a $2,500 berth. In the Spa & Surf Showdown, contestants make mythical $2 win-and-place selection on every race at Saratoga and Del Mar on August 5-6.
Friday’s qualifier to the Saratoga Challenge requires an upfront investment of $79, and winners get a $1,000 entry playable on-track at Saratoga or online at NYRABets. The Saratoga Challenge will be held on August 12 and can be played either on-track at Saratoga or online at NYRABets.
For those who prefer playing for the immediate gratification of cold, hard cash, there’s Friday’s HT Tour competition—our $15,000 Guaranteed, No Limit Pick & Pray. You can take part for $190.
At HorsePlayers on Friday, two “old reliables” are on the schedule.
One is a $75 NHC qualifier that guarantees two seats to the March 2024 contest in Vegas. The winning ratio in this Pick & Pray is 1-per-143.
For $500, you compete in a Low Ratio Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge Pick & Pray. The winning ratio here works out to 1-per-23, but at least one $10,000 seat will be awarded even if fewer than 23 show up.
The 10 featured-tourney races on Friday are the 7th through 10th from Saratoga; the 6th and 8th at Horseshoe Indianapolis; and the first four races on the opening day program at Del Mar.
Seven of Saturday’s eight featured events will be contested in Live format, including the weekend’s richest tourney.
That tourney is Saturday’s $30,000 Guaranteed No Limit game. You can play upon remittance of $350. This one is the day’s HT Tour battle.
The day’s other cash feature is the only Pick & Pray of the day—our $10,000 Guaranteed Big Bucks tourney, which has an entry fee of $1,150. Total entries are capped at 20, with the winner earning 70 percent of the net pool, the runner up getting 20 percent, and the third-place contestant grabbing the remaining 10 percent. If we happen to reach the maximum entry count of 20, the total purse will top $20,000.
Saturday is the first of two weekend opportunities to qualify for the August 20 King’s Plate Challenge. One of every 15 entrants, at $79 per entry, will bag a $1,000 entry for the new contest that can be played at either Xpressbet, HPI or 4NJBets.
As noted earlier, we’ll have qualifiers on Saturday for the Spa & Surf Showdown, the Del Mar Summer Challenge and the Saratoga Challenge The same entry fees and winning ratios in place for Friday apply here as well. Note, however, that all three of these will run in Live format on Saturday.
There are two NHC qualifying opportunities on Saturday—one here and one at HorsePlayers. The one here is a “regular,” $165 Pick & Pray with two spots guaranteed. The winning ratio is 1-per-65.
On Saturday at HorsePlayers, there are Live-format play-ins to both the NHC and the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge.
The NHC game at HorsePlayers is a “regular” $165 qualifier with two seats guaranteed. The winning ratio is 1-per-65.
The same winning ratio applies to Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, which costs $179 to play. At least one $10,000 entry is certain to be awarded in this one.
The 12 contest races for Saturday will be the 9th through 12th (all graded stakes) from the Haskell Day card at Monmouth; the 8th, 10th and 11th at Saratoga; and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th from Del Mar. Closing time is scheduled to be 4:05 pm ET.
Nine marquee games come your way on Sunday. All will be hosted in Live-format.
On Sundays, we offer our weekly guaranteed qualifier to the October 21-22 The BIG One at Laurel Park. The BIG One features an all-cash prize pool in 2024. The winner of Sunday’s play-in earns a spot in October’s small-field, big-money contest, which will have no more than 57 entries (each playing just one entry). Our qualifier winner also receives hotel, welcome party, track transfers and full food and open-bar amenities at the track…plus $500 for travel. The entry fee is $500, and the runner up in the qualifier gets a $500 consolation refund.
Sunday’s HT Tour skirmish is our $20,000 Guaranteed tourney. Entries will set you back $250 each.
The other Sunday cash feature is our $7,000 Guaranteed Big Bucks event. Payouts go just to the top three finishers on a 70/20/10 basis. A maximum of 20 entries (at $1,150 each) will be accepted—and if we get that many, the purse will exceed $20,000.
HorseTourneys is the place for your Sunday NHC qualifying option. It comes in the form of another $165, 1-per-65 play-in. Two seats are guaranteed to be handed out.
For the second straight day, you can participate in a $79 qualifier to the Woodbine King’s Plate Challenge on August 20.
For the third straight day, you can attempt to earn a spot in the $400,000 Guaranteed Spa & Surf Showdown, the Del Mar Summer Challenge and the Saratoga Challenge.
At HorsePlayers, the sole feature on Sunday is a Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge Low Ratio qualifier.
The entry fee is $500; the winning ratio is 1-per-23, and at least one $10,000 seat will be headed out the door regardless of participation.
The NHC tilt is a $165 Pick & Pray with a winning ratio of 1-per-65 and two seats certain.
Enjoy all of the great racing ahead this weekend—including opening weekend at Del Mar—and good luck to all of the HorseTourneys qualifiers who will be playing on Saturday in the Haskell Challenge.