Tournament focus shifts East

In the East, it’s finally feeling a little bit like summer. That means it’s only logical that a horseplayer’s mind will turn to two important summer meets: Monmouth and Saratoga. Those two ovals will both have positions of prominence in this weekend’s DRF Tournaments lineup.

On Saturday, there is a $410 buy-in contest in which one in 10 entries will win a $3,500 package to the Saratoga Handicapping Challenge. Winning packages include entries to the Friday, Aug. 9, $1,000 buy-in live-bank event, $2,000 entries to the Saturday, Aug. 10, livebank event, and $500 in travel. This contest will utilize the live format, where picks can be changed up to the scheduled post time of each contest race.

This will be the first year that Saratoga has held its main contest over a weekend, and interest is expected to grow as a result.

On Sunday, seats for Monmouth’s Pick Your Prize contest will be offered. Players must put up $126, with one $2,500 package awarded for every 23 entries. These include the $2,000 to play in Monmouth’s contest, plus $500 in travel. This is the third year for the Pick Your Prize contest, which awards cash as well as seats to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and the National Handicapping Championship. Participation has been very strong and 2018 should see another strong showing, with horseplayers shipping in from around the country. Sunday’s qualifier will feature the all-in format, where all picks must be in before the scheduled post time of the contest’s first race.

World Horseplayers’ Tour/ Santa Anita Preakness

Each weekend day DRFT will feature an opportunity to win into next weekend’s Preakness contest at Santa Anita, where the prize pool will be fully added and the World Horseplayers’ Tour will be filming a television pilot. It’s a two-day affair, with a traditional live-bank contest on Saturday in which the top eight will advance to a final table on Sunday. There will also be a $1,500 consolation contest Sunday. For more details on the unique WHT/SA format, check out: http://www.drf.com/news/ new-event-unveiled-preaknessweekend.

Saturday’s contest will cost $458 to play, with one in 12 entries winning their $5,000 buy-ins for next weekend. There is no entry fee. That entire amount will act as a live bankroll. Saturday’s qualifier will use the live format.

On Sunday, players have a chance to compete in the bigmoney, last-chance WHT/SA game. The price tag goes up, but the ratio of entries to winners improves. The big-money game costs $1,090 to play, but one in five entries will go forward, meaning you have to beat only four players to take your shot next weekend at the Great Race Place.

For a full list of all the games available at DRF Tournaments, go to tournaments.drf.com.