Chance to score package for Del Mar Challenge

It’s a busy Saturday of action on DRF Tournaments with four featured tournaments, including chances to win into major upcoming tournaments at Del Mar, Keeneland, Saratoga, and even online.

Let’s start with the biggest prize from a monetary perspective – an $8,500 package connected to the Del Mar Challenge. The Del Mar Challenge, which takes place at the Skyroom at the seaside oval on July 28-29, is a two-day, livebankroll handicapping contest. The contest itself requires an $8,000 buy-in. Of that money, $6,000 will act as a live bankroll to be wagered at the races at Del Mar over the two days. The remaining $2,000 will fuel the prize pool, which Del Mar estimates will be $300,000, including cash and seats to both the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and National Handicapping Championship. That prize pool is based on 150 entries and could swell up or shrink depending on participation.

While you can certainly buy-in directly – contact Chris Bahr at chris@dmtc.com if interested – you also have the option of winning your way in through Saturday’s DRF Tournaments qualifier. For the qualifier, players put up $495 and one in 20 will win their buy-ins plus $500 in travel.

Del Mar is the next important event on many contest players’ calendars, but the Saratoga Betting Challenges aren’t far behind. They will comprise two separate one-day events: a $1,000 live-bank contest on Friday, Aug. 10, and the $2,000 Fourstardave Challenge on Saturday, Aug. 11.

Saturday’s DRFT game will award seats to both of those plus $500 in travel money – a total prize worth $3,500. To play, you must put up $410 and one in 10 will get the money.

Also on Saturday, there is a Grade 1 qualifier for the World Championship of Handicapping. Players put up $580 and one in 10 will win their $5,000 buy-ins to the no-takeout finals. The prize pool in the finals will be up to $1 million depending on the total number of entries. The event is scheduled to take place at an unspecified date in 2019.

The final featured game is a Round 1 feeder for the Keeneland Challenge. Saturday’s game costs $95 to play and one in five will win their $410 entry for next weekend’s qualifier.

For more details, including the races that will be part of these contests, go to tournaments.drf.com.