Del Mar Challenge joins lineup

There’s a new addition to the DRF Tournaments inventory that contest players should pay attention to: Del Mar’s Fall Challenge. The Fall Challenge is a two-day, $4,500 buy-in, livebank event at Del Mar on Nov. 10-11. Players can buy-in now, but also have the opportunity to qualify via DRFT through various options.

This weekend’s feeders will come in two sizes. There will be Round 1 games that cost $95, where one in seven entries will automatically advance to the Del Mar qualifier on Sat., Sept. 29.

There’s also a way to get involved for just $24. In these contests, one in five entries will advance to a future Round 1 game (usually the next day, but check the contest description to make sure). Just to remind newer players, in contest terminology, a qualifier is a contest in which you win-in directly to a big contest; a feeder gives you a chance to win-in to a bigger game, be it a higher-level feeder or a qualifier itself. Essentially, feeders give you a chance to qualify for the qualifiers.

Saturday’s featured game on DRF offers players a chance to win into the World Championship of Handicapping. Contest players are eagerly anticipating the announcement of the date for the 2019 event, but we do know this: It will take place online and there will be no takeout in the finals. For Saturday’s qualifier, players put up $580, and one in 10 will win their $5,000 buy-ins.

Also on Saturday, there will be a Round 1 event for the Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship, a two-day live-bank event at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25-26. All the prize money for the Pegasus will be added – players have to put up $12,000 in bankroll to compete. It’s a highroller game for sure, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity for players. Saturday’s Round 1 game costs $220 and one in five will receive a $960 entry to the direct qualifier on Sat., Sept. 29. From that online tournament, one in 15 will win their $12,000 bankrolls and $500 in travel.

On Sunday, the Keeneland Challenge takes center stage. Players put up $410 and one in 10 entries will receive a $3,000 contest seat plus $500 in travel money. The contest itself takes place Sunday, Oct. 14. Keeneland also offers a lower buy-in event the day before, making that an enticing weekend for players to visit Lexington, which is always a good idea for horseplayers anyway.

Finally, Sunday will see a qualifier for the Orleans Fall Classic qualifier, a three-day, mythical-money event at the Orleans Las Vegas from Oct. 11-13. For Sunday’s qualifier, players will put up $120, and one in 10 entries will receive a prize package worth $1,000: a $500 berth in the Fall Classic, plus $500 in travel.

For a full list of all the games happening at DRF Tournaments this weekend, go to tournaments.drf.com. Other options include feeders, credit-builders, winner-take-alls, and matchups, in which players compete against just one other player. A day of wagering for a controlled cost is just a few clicks away.