2016 NHC champ reaches UBC

Familiar names topped Sunday’s events on DRF Tournaments, with Kevin Costello winning a $7,000 seat to Del Mar’s big summer contest and Ryan Scharnowske and Paul Matties Jr. punching their tickets to the Ultimate Betting Challenge.

The prior weekend on DRFT, Costello nearly won both a Keeneland Grade One Gamble seat and a seat to the Wynn Challenge (he was bubbled in the latter). Now, the third-year contest player is set for another major tourney run based on his romp Sunday. He tallied $92.80, more than $35 clear of his nearest competitor. He cashed in seven contest races, with his longest price being Ender ($22) in Gulfstream’s ninth race.

Scharnowske burst onto the contest scene last year, finishing third, worth $125,000, at the National Handicapping Championship. He finished best with $83.80 in his Sunday contest. Late in the contest, he had a stretch of four double-digit payouts in five races, the largest of which was All i do is dream of you ($15.60) in Oaklawn’s eighth.

Matties, of course, won the 2016 NHC, where he also made handicapping-contest history as the first player to legally wager on himself. In addition to the $800,000 he received for first, he cashed an extra $10,000 by placing a $100 bet on his own number at 100-1 at the Treasure Island sportsbook.

Matties started off poorly in Sunday’s contest, collecting only place points through the first five races. From there, he collected points in five straight races to put himself in qualifying position and held on despite missing the last two legs (though 15-1 Harlan’s Girl in the anchor leg appeared to be a defensive pick).

On Saturday, three players won their way into the Horse Player World Series, with its expected seven-figure prize pool: Matthew Parsons ($82.40), John Malone ($76.40), and Alvin Thumlert ($74.40).

Parsons overcame an icy start – zero points in the first third of the contest – to win impressively. He picked Honorable Duty ($17.80 win-place combined) in Fair Grounds’s eighth, the Mineshaft Handicap, to get on the board. Two small collections followed as he crept up the leaderboard, eventually seizing control with Enterprising ($11.80) in the Fair Grounds Handicap, Girvin ($26.80) in the Risen Star, and wrapping things up with Regal Kitten in the anchor leg, Gulfstream’s 13th.

Malone took a different path to qualification. He got off the blocks well, connecting with King of Diamonds ($12.80) right off the bat. He collected in eight of the 12 races, including six in a row. His biggest prices were Cash Prize ($25) in Santa Anita’s fourth and Farrell ($14.40) in the Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds.

Thumlert also started cold before picking himself up in the middle of the contest. In one stretch, he had four doubledigit collections: Honorable Duty, Cash Prize, Morticia ($10.40) in the Melody of Colors at Gulfstream, and Dahlia Azul ($18.20) in Santa Anita’s fifth.

Also on Saturday, two players won their way into the Keeneland Grade One Gamble in a sold-out DRFT event: Robert Masterton and Chris Larmey.

Masterton was best, blowing the field out of the water with a score of $125. As it turned out, the $86.80 he had halfway through the contest would have been enough to get him a seat even if he’d blanked the whole second half. But he kept going, and by the contest’s quarter pole, he was in great shape with $107.80. He closed it out in style by connecting with Regal Kitten in the anchor leg.

Larmey ended up second with $84.40. He managed just four collections but made them count: G.I. Girl ($31.20) in Tampa’s ninth, place points on International Star ($8.60) in the Mineshaft, Dahlia Azul, and Girvin.

Contest action returns to DRFT on Wednesday with a full slate of feeders, credit builders, and matchup events for major tournaments. This weekend’s headliners are qualifiers for Keeneland, Monmouth, and the Wynn on Saturday and the Horse Player World Series and Ultimate Betting Challenge on Sunday. For all the information, go to tournaments.drf.com.