No matter how you like to attack the Breeders’ Cup—Live, Pick & Pray, one day at a time or one big two-day tourney—there’s a lucrative marquee game to suit your tastes this weekend during the 40th Breeders’ Cup on Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita Park.
A total of $304,000 in guaranteed money will be up for grabs during the Friday-Saturday-Sunday period, and, not to worry, there will also be some NHC and Del Mar qualifiers in the mix as well. So buckle up, sharpen your handicapping pencil and get ready for one of the most exciting handicapping weekends of any year.
On Friday, there are three rich cash games (and HT Tour events) at HorseTourneys, plus the always-popular $75 NHC qualifier at HorsePlayers.
For those who prefer to put their “all” into the 14 Breeders’ Cup Championship races on Friday and Saturday, there’s our two-day, $75,000 Guaranteed, No Limit tourney. It is a Live-format game consisting of the five Breeders’ Cup races on Friday and the nine such heats on Saturday. (Undercard races are not included.) The entry fee is $495. And in case you are wondering…this two-day tourney counts as a Friday HT Tour event for bonus purposes.
There are also two rich single-day tourneys (both of them HT Tour events as well) contested on the full, 10-race card from Santa Anita on Friday.
One is a $30,000 Guaranteed, No Limit game that will be contested in Live format. The cost of admission is $390.
The other is a $260 Pick & Pray with a guaranteed pot of $20,000. It, too, is a No Limit affair, which means there is no limit as to how high the purse can grow. The more that play, the more we pay.
The other Friday feature is over at HorsePlayers. It’s a $75 NHC Pick & Pray with two March 2024 spots guaranteed. The winning ratio is 1-per-143.
On Breeders’ Cup Saturday, we will crown a champion in our two-day contest, and also kick off five new featured tourneys.
Those who like to examine post parades, toteboards and leaderboards before making a selection should enjoy Saturday’s $85,000 Guaranteed tourney. It’s a No Limit game (and an HT Tour event) that carries an entry fee of $495. The full, 12-race Saturday card at Santa Anita will decide the outcome of this game and all of our other featured tourneys.
An upfront investment of $395 will get you into Saturday’s $60,000 No Limit Pick & Pray.
We also have a $7,000 Guaranteed Big Bucks Pick & Pray slated. It’s an “up-to-$20,000” game with a maximum of 20 entries and a high-end entry fee of $1,150. If we do reach 20 entries, the pot will slightly exceed that $20,000 mark. (And if we do reach 20 entries, and you hope to sign up after that point, you’re out of luck!) As always, our Big Bucks tourneys pay out only to the top three spots—on a 70/20/10 percent basis.
Of course, contests—like life—are about more than just money. We at HorseTourneys like to keep things in perspective. That’s why, on Breeders’ Cup Saturday, we offer qualifiers in addition to cash games!
One of those Saturday qualifiers is pegged to the NHC. Two guaranteed seats to the March 2024 big dance are at stake in this $165 Pick & Pray. The winning ratio is 1-per-65.
The other Saturday play-in is that for the November 25th Del Mar Fall Handicapping Challenge (playable on-track or at TVG.com). One of every 15 entrants, at $236 per entry, will earn a $3,000 “DMFC” seat in this Pick & Pray.
I’ve said it before in this space, and I’ll say it again. There’s a lot of hoopla attached to Breeders’ Cup weekend—and with good reason. However, if you’re looking for an edge, the best day of the weekend to play here might be Sunday. Many of our players will have a “Breeders’ Cup hangover.” Others will be traveling home from having attended the Breeders’ Cup. It’s a good day to try and catch the competition napping (in some cases, literally)…or to pounce on guaranteed games that may not reach their guarantee.
Enough of the annual sales pitch…here’s what we have going on this Sunday.
Sunday’s HT Tour event is our $20,000 Guaranteed No Limit Pick & Pray. The doorman will ask you for $250 before allowing you in.
The Sunday Big Bucks game again guarantees a pot of $7,000, but this one (unlike Saturday’s) will be run in Live format, as per our weekly custom. Again, payouts go just to the three best performers.
There will also be another $236, 1-per-15 qualifier to the Del Mar Fall Handicapping Challenge. It’s a Pick & Pray.
The Sunday feature at HorsePlayers is an NHC qualifier that is restricted to those who have yet to earn a 2024 seat.
This one is a 1-per-65 Pick & Pray that guarantees one spot. The entry fee is $165, and due to the restricted nature of this particular competition, no NHC Tour points will be offered.
We wish you good luck—and safe travels if you are heading to California. May your Cup runneth over!