2019/11/01 13:37
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BCBC Winners

Read about past champions of the BCBC tournament and find recaps and final standings from previous years.

Marshall Gramm

$492,750 IN WINNINGS

 

Where are you from?
Memphis, Tennessee
 
How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer?
A big sports fan growing in Washington, D.C. Avid reader. Numbers guy, I read Andy Beyer’s books on handicapping. Loved numbers and statistics.
 
The Winning BCBC Wager:
A cold exacta with Authentic and Improbable for $170,250 in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Fun Fact:
Gramm has been teaching economics at Rhodes College since 2000 and currently chairs the department. Gramm has taught a course at Rhodes called Economics of Racetrack Wagering Markets, which he describes as a class on “decision making, price discovery and probability.”

Horse Owner:
Along with Clay Sanders, he is also co-managing partner of Ten Strike Racing, a stable that has won 338 races, including stakes winners Dot Matrix, Long On Value and Warrior’s Charge.

106472
See More Winners

2020 RECAP

 

Making the biggest wagering score of his life, Marshall Gramm, an economics professor at Rhodes College and a racehorse owner from Memphis, Tenn., nailed a cold exacta with Authentic and Improbable for $170,250 in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) to propel him to victory last Saturday in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge.

 

The 12th annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, Thoroughbred racing’s biggest live-money tournament, held Nov. 6-7, featured 430 top horseplayers wagering on the two-day card of the 37th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.

 

Gramm, 47, finished with a total score of 170,250 points. Combined with his first-place prize of $322,500, Gramm had total winnings of $492,750. That put him ahead of second-place finisher Jonathon Kinchen, NYRA/Fox Sports television handicapper and analyst. Kinchen compiled 161,025.20 points, and combined with his second-place prize of $215,000, he had total winnings of $376,025.20. Dylan Donnelly, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., finished third with 136,200 points and $118,250 in prize money, for total winnings of $254,450.

 

A big sports fan who grew up in Washington, D.C, Gramm loved “numbers and statistics,” and learned the handicapping game by reading books from noted racing journalist and author Andrew Beyer.

 

Gramm has played in the BCBC five of the last six years, registering his best finish in 2018, taking fifth place. He has been teaching economics at Rhodes College since 2000 and currently chairs the department. Gramm has taught a course at Rhodes called Economics of Racetrack Wagering Markets, which he describes as a class on “decision making, price discovery and probability.” Along with Clay Sanders, he is also co-managing partner of Ten Strike Racing, a stable that has won 338 races, including stakes winners Dot Matrix, Long on Value and Warrior’s Charge.

 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions at Keeneland, most of the BCBC tournament play was conducted online at TVG.com, the official Breeders’ Cup wagering partner, Xpressbet.com and NYRA Bets. The BCBC was also conducted at designated satellite locations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif, and at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
 

Marshall Gramm

$492,750 IN WINNINGS

 

Where are you from?
Memphis, Tennessee
 
How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer?
A big sports fan growing in Washington, D.C. Avid reader. Numbers guy, I read Andy Beyer’s books on handicapping. Loved numbers and statistics.
 
The Winning BCBC Wager:
A cold exacta with Authentic and Improbable for $170,250 in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Fun Fact:
Gramm has been teaching economics at Rhodes College since 2000 and currently chairs the department. Gramm has taught a course at Rhodes called Economics of Racetrack Wagering Markets, which he describes as a class on “decision making, price discovery and probability.”

Horse Owner:
Along with Clay Sanders, he is also co-managing partner of Ten Strike Racing, a stable that has won 338 races, including stakes winners Dot Matrix, Long On Value and Warrior’s Charge.

106472
See More Winners

2020 RECAP

 

Making the biggest wagering score of his life, Marshall Gramm, an economics professor at Rhodes College and a racehorse owner from Memphis, Tenn., nailed a cold exacta with Authentic and Improbable for $170,250 in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) to propel him to victory last Saturday in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge.

 

The 12th annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, Thoroughbred racing’s biggest live-money tournament, held Nov. 6-7, featured 430 top horseplayers wagering on the two-day card of the 37th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.

 

Gramm, 47, finished with a total score of 170,250 points. Combined with his first-place prize of $322,500, Gramm had total winnings of $492,750. That put him ahead of second-place finisher Jonathon Kinchen, NYRA/Fox Sports television handicapper and analyst. Kinchen compiled 161,025.20 points, and combined with his second-place prize of $215,000, he had total winnings of $376,025.20. Dylan Donnelly, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., finished third with 136,200 points and $118,250 in prize money, for total winnings of $254,450.

 

A big sports fan who grew up in Washington, D.C, Gramm loved “numbers and statistics,” and learned the handicapping game by reading books from noted racing journalist and author Andrew Beyer.

 

Gramm has played in the BCBC five of the last six years, registering his best finish in 2018, taking fifth place. He has been teaching economics at Rhodes College since 2000 and currently chairs the department. Gramm has taught a course at Rhodes called Economics of Racetrack Wagering Markets, which he describes as a class on “decision making, price discovery and probability.” Along with Clay Sanders, he is also co-managing partner of Ten Strike Racing, a stable that has won 338 races, including stakes winners Dot Matrix, Long on Value and Warrior’s Charge.

 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions at Keeneland, most of the BCBC tournament play was conducted online at TVG.com, the official Breeders’ Cup wagering partner, Xpressbet.com and NYRA Bets. The BCBC was also conducted at designated satellite locations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif, and at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
 

Previous Years

Brad Anderson

$488,040 IN WINNINGS

 

Where are you from?
Libertyville, Illinois
 
How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer?
I did not become a serious player until I entered an NHC tournament at Arlington Park in 2016.
 
The Winning BCBC Wager:
$25,900 on Vino Rosso at 9-2 in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Fun Fact:
“I remember my mom would put me and my sister in front of the TV to watch the 1973 Kentucky Derby and she asked us who we liked, and I said Secretariat.”

Favorite All-Time Horse:
"Secretariat is my favorite horse, my first love, but now Vino Ross is high on my list.”

118673

2019 RECAP

 

Sticking to a simple betting strategy against the top horseplayers in the game, Brad Anderson of Sarasota, Florida turned a 9-2 win bet on Vino Rosso in the Breeders’ Cup Classic into a spectacular victory in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge at last week’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

 

The 11th annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, Thoroughbred racing’s biggest live-money tournament, was held November 1-2 at Santa Anita Park and featured a record 457 entries from around North America.

 

In addition to those playing at Santa Anita, individuals also participated from official satellite locations at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey and Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Entrants also played online at TVG.com, the Official Wagering Partner of the Breeders’ Cup, and on Xpressbet.com.

 

Anderson finished with a total score of 145,040 points and, with a first place prize of $343,000, had total winnings of $488,040. That put him ahead of second-place finisher Bill Chenvert of The Villages, Florida, who had 137,750 points and combined with his second-place prize of $229,000 had total winnings of $366,750. Dick Jerardi, former racing writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, finished a close third with 137,420 points and $126,000 in prize money, for total winnings of $263,420.

Brad Anderson

$488,040 IN WINNINGS

 

Where are you from?
Libertyville, Illinois
 
How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer?
I did not become a serious player until I entered an NHC tournament at Arlington Park in 2016.
 
The Winning BCBC Wager:
$25,900 on Vino Rosso at 9-2 in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Fun Fact:
“I remember my mom would put me and my sister in front of the TV to watch the 1973 Kentucky Derby and she asked us who we liked, and I said Secretariat.”

Favorite All-Time Horse:
"Secretariat is my favorite horse, my first love, but now Vino Ross is high on my list.”

118673

2019 RECAP

 

Sticking to a simple betting strategy against the top horseplayers in the game, Brad Anderson of Sarasota, Florida turned a 9-2 win bet on Vino Rosso in the Breeders’ Cup Classic into a spectacular victory in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge at last week’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

 

The 11th annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, Thoroughbred racing’s biggest live-money tournament, was held November 1-2 at Santa Anita Park and featured a record 457 entries from around North America.

 

In addition to those playing at Santa Anita, individuals also participated from official satellite locations at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey and Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Entrants also played online at TVG.com, the Official Wagering Partner of the Breeders’ Cup, and on Xpressbet.com.

 

Anderson finished with a total score of 145,040 points and, with a first place prize of $343,000, had total winnings of $488,040. That put him ahead of second-place finisher Bill Chenvert of The Villages, Florida, who had 137,750 points and combined with his second-place prize of $229,000 had total winnings of $366,750. Dick Jerardi, former racing writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, finished a close third with 137,420 points and $126,000 in prize money, for total winnings of $263,420.

Charles Grubbs

$394,020 IN WINNINGS

 

Where are you from?
“I was born in Springfield, Ohio. Raised in Grove City, Ohio.”

 

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer?
“I was raised in the Standardbred industry and made my first bet in the 6th grade and was hooked from then until now.”

 

The Winning BCBC Wager:
“Breeders’ Cup Classic $40 Trifecta Accelerate with Gunnevera with all for 3rd.”

 

Fun Fact:
“I was 15 years old sitting at a Harness track with $6 to my name it was pouring rain and I bet $2-win place show on a 99-1 shot with no regard of eating with my last $6 he was wide the entire mile and passed every horse in the stretch to return me over $300. I thought I had hit mega millions I was so happy.”

 

Favorite All-Time Horse:
"It would be a harness horse; Stringtowner I claimed him for 12,000 and made around $500,000.”

 

117757

2018 RECAP

Saving his best for last, Chuck Grubbs of Georgetown, Kentucky, cashed more than $87,000 in winning wagers on the Breeders’ Cup Classic, jumping from 31st place to the top of the leaderboard to win the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC).
 
Grubbs finished with a total score of 94,020 and with a first place prize of $300,000, had total winnings of $394,020, besting second-place finisher Ed Abel of West Des Moines, Iowa, who had 86,330 points and combined with his second-place prize of $200,000 had total winnings of 286,330.
 
“You always dream about winning but this tournament is so hard,” said Grubbs, 51, a Standard-bred owner, who grew up in Grove City, Ohio betting harness races at Scioto Downs and Lebanon Raceway outside Columbus, and was playing in his sixth BCBC. “There are 391 entrants and you’ve got to beat 390 of them - the best of the best - and I have so much respect for all of these guys. So to beat them on the biggest stage is quite an accomplishment.”

Going into the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, the final race of the BCBC, Grubbs was in 31st place with a $15,000 bankroll. He strategized that Accelerate and Gunnevera were going to be his key horses, starting with a $6,080 win bet on Accelerate. “In my mind I knew Accelerate was the best horse on paper, but thought he would be 7-5 or 8-5, not 5-2,” Grubbs recalled about the Classic favorite. “People may have shied away from him because Sadler (Accelerate’s trainer, John Sadler) had never won a Breeders’ Cup race. But I thought he was an overlay at 5-2 so I took advantage of that price.”

Accelerate paid $7.40 to win.

Grubbs also made two $40 Trifecta wagers using Accelerate and Gunnevera and Accelerate and Mind Your Biscuits in the first two positions. “Gunnevera was very consistent, not in winning, but he was always in the money,” said Grubbs. “I thought he would make a strong run in the stretch and he did.” Gunnevera finished one length behind Accelerate for second. Thunder Snow completed the trifecta, and Grubbs earned $64,000. Combined with win bet on Accelerate, he pushed his bankroll to $94,020 and the BCBC title.

“I was sitting in the Jockey Club Suites (at Churchill Downs), and when I found out I had the top score the place went crazy”, Grubbs recalled. “The thrill of celebrating with loved ones is something I wish all horseplayers could feel. I thought of my dad, who I lost 20 years ago. He would say to me about playing the races, ‘Boy you need to get a real job.’ And I would say, ‘But dad, I’m good at this job.’”

Grubb’s outstanding handicapping acumen spearheaded $2,487,670 or 12.52% of the on track handle wagered at Churchill Downs during Breeders’ Cup weekend.

Charles Grubbs

$394,020 IN WINNINGS

 

Where are you from?
“I was born in Springfield, Ohio. Raised in Grove City, Ohio.”

 

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer?
“I was raised in the Standardbred industry and made my first bet in the 6th grade and was hooked from then until now.”

 

The Winning BCBC Wager:
“Breeders’ Cup Classic $40 Trifecta Accelerate with Gunnevera with all for 3rd.”

 

Fun Fact:
“I was 15 years old sitting at a Harness track with $6 to my name it was pouring rain and I bet $2-win place show on a 99-1 shot with no regard of eating with my last $6 he was wide the entire mile and passed every horse in the stretch to return me over $300. I thought I had hit mega millions I was so happy.”

 

Favorite All-Time Horse:
"It would be a harness horse; Stringtowner I claimed him for 12,000 and made around $500,000.”

 

117757

2018 RECAP

Saving his best for last, Chuck Grubbs of Georgetown, Kentucky, cashed more than $87,000 in winning wagers on the Breeders’ Cup Classic, jumping from 31st place to the top of the leaderboard to win the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC).
 
Grubbs finished with a total score of 94,020 and with a first place prize of $300,000, had total winnings of $394,020, besting second-place finisher Ed Abel of West Des Moines, Iowa, who had 86,330 points and combined with his second-place prize of $200,000 had total winnings of 286,330.
 
“You always dream about winning but this tournament is so hard,” said Grubbs, 51, a Standard-bred owner, who grew up in Grove City, Ohio betting harness races at Scioto Downs and Lebanon Raceway outside Columbus, and was playing in his sixth BCBC. “There are 391 entrants and you’ve got to beat 390 of them - the best of the best - and I have so much respect for all of these guys. So to beat them on the biggest stage is quite an accomplishment.”

Going into the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, the final race of the BCBC, Grubbs was in 31st place with a $15,000 bankroll. He strategized that Accelerate and Gunnevera were going to be his key horses, starting with a $6,080 win bet on Accelerate. “In my mind I knew Accelerate was the best horse on paper, but thought he would be 7-5 or 8-5, not 5-2,” Grubbs recalled about the Classic favorite. “People may have shied away from him because Sadler (Accelerate’s trainer, John Sadler) had never won a Breeders’ Cup race. But I thought he was an overlay at 5-2 so I took advantage of that price.”

Accelerate paid $7.40 to win.

Grubbs also made two $40 Trifecta wagers using Accelerate and Gunnevera and Accelerate and Mind Your Biscuits in the first two positions. “Gunnevera was very consistent, not in winning, but he was always in the money,” said Grubbs. “I thought he would make a strong run in the stretch and he did.” Gunnevera finished one length behind Accelerate for second. Thunder Snow completed the trifecta, and Grubbs earned $64,000. Combined with win bet on Accelerate, he pushed his bankroll to $94,020 and the BCBC title.

“I was sitting in the Jockey Club Suites (at Churchill Downs), and when I found out I had the top score the place went crazy”, Grubbs recalled. “The thrill of celebrating with loved ones is something I wish all horseplayers could feel. I thought of my dad, who I lost 20 years ago. He would say to me about playing the races, ‘Boy you need to get a real job.’ And I would say, ‘But dad, I’m good at this job.’”

Grubb’s outstanding handicapping acumen spearheaded $2,487,670 or 12.52% of the on track handle wagered at Churchill Downs during Breeders’ Cup weekend.

Nisan Gabbay

$526,000 IN WINNINGS

 

Who got you interested in becoming a horseplayer? James Quinn taught a handicapping class at Del Mar many years ago that got me interested, but it was a maiden named Ribot Land that got me hooked when he won my friends and I over $4,000 on a pick three wager that cost $12.  It was the most thrilling finish to three consecutive races and felt like a well-earned fortune to a teenager who was used to making $4 per hour back then! 


The BCBC Winning Wager: A $3,000-win bet in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on the French import Talismanic at 14-1 odds, which got my score to $50,000.  I then bet large exactas in the Classic keying Gun Runner on top and playing against Arrogate in 2nd.

 
Fun Fact: “There are a lot to choose from! I won one of the first, if not the first, live money tournaments at Santa Anita about 20 years ago when I was still in college due in large part to a 50-1 longshot called Ruffaffair who won a bottom-level claimer.  The horse had like 5 or 6 bad trips in a row, but that day he got a perfect trip.  It was greatly satisfying to see my work following a claimer like Ruffaffair pay off big.”


Favorite Horse: “Toss-up between Beholder and Free House.  I saw both of their very first starts as 2 year olds, recognized they had tremendous talent right away, made lots of money betting on each, and followed their careers to their final starts.  I will never forget how great Free House looked in the paddock before he won the Pacific Classic and how much fatter he got as a stallion when I visited him at the breeding farm!”

116351

2017 RECAP

Local boy made really good in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge last weekend as Torrey Pines native Nisan Gabbay parlayed big scores in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf and the Breeders’ Cup Classic to win racing’s biggest live-money tournament with a total record bankroll of $537,000, including at $350,000 first prize.

 

New participation records were set in the ninth annual BCBC with a record 439 players wagering on site at Del Mar, at satellite locations at Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park, and online through TwinSpires.com and Xpressbet.com.

 

Gabbay’s $537,000 tally is the largest-ever total earned by a champion in history of the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge.

 

“It’s always special to win, but to win it at home is extra special,” said Gabbay, 40, who works in software development and now lives in San Francisco, but started going to the races at Del Mar as a teenager.

 

Gabbay made his boldest moves starting with the Breeders’ Cup Turf, when he wagered $4,000 of the $7,500 allotment, most of it on Talismanic to win. The wager returned $52,000, which moved Gabbay into the Top 10 in the standings going into the Classic.

 

“I liked Gun Runner best of all,” said Gabbay on his betting strategy for the Classic. “I was originally planning to bet it all on him but with the odds fluctuation, I wasn’t clear if a win bet on him would win the tournament.”

 

So instead, Gabbay spread out the $52,000 earned from the Turf into four wagers in the Classic, three of them being exacta bets with Gun Runner on top over Collected, Gunnevera and West Coast. His $11,000 exacta score on Gun Runner-Collected netted $187,000, and the tournament title.

Nisan Gabbay

$526,000 IN WINNINGS

 

Who got you interested in becoming a horseplayer? James Quinn taught a handicapping class at Del Mar many years ago that got me interested, but it was a maiden named Ribot Land that got me hooked when he won my friends and I over $4,000 on a pick three wager that cost $12.  It was the most thrilling finish to three consecutive races and felt like a well-earned fortune to a teenager who was used to making $4 per hour back then! 


The BCBC Winning Wager: A $3,000-win bet in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on the French import Talismanic at 14-1 odds, which got my score to $50,000.  I then bet large exactas in the Classic keying Gun Runner on top and playing against Arrogate in 2nd.

 
Fun Fact: “There are a lot to choose from! I won one of the first, if not the first, live money tournaments at Santa Anita about 20 years ago when I was still in college due in large part to a 50-1 longshot called Ruffaffair who won a bottom-level claimer.  The horse had like 5 or 6 bad trips in a row, but that day he got a perfect trip.  It was greatly satisfying to see my work following a claimer like Ruffaffair pay off big.”


Favorite Horse: “Toss-up between Beholder and Free House.  I saw both of their very first starts as 2 year olds, recognized they had tremendous talent right away, made lots of money betting on each, and followed their careers to their final starts.  I will never forget how great Free House looked in the paddock before he won the Pacific Classic and how much fatter he got as a stallion when I visited him at the breeding farm!”

116351

2017 RECAP

Local boy made really good in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge last weekend as Torrey Pines native Nisan Gabbay parlayed big scores in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf and the Breeders’ Cup Classic to win racing’s biggest live-money tournament with a total record bankroll of $537,000, including at $350,000 first prize.

 

New participation records were set in the ninth annual BCBC with a record 439 players wagering on site at Del Mar, at satellite locations at Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park, and online through TwinSpires.com and Xpressbet.com.

 

Gabbay’s $537,000 tally is the largest-ever total earned by a champion in history of the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge.

 

“It’s always special to win, but to win it at home is extra special,” said Gabbay, 40, who works in software development and now lives in San Francisco, but started going to the races at Del Mar as a teenager.

 

Gabbay made his boldest moves starting with the Breeders’ Cup Turf, when he wagered $4,000 of the $7,500 allotment, most of it on Talismanic to win. The wager returned $52,000, which moved Gabbay into the Top 10 in the standings going into the Classic.

 

“I liked Gun Runner best of all,” said Gabbay on his betting strategy for the Classic. “I was originally planning to bet it all on him but with the odds fluctuation, I wasn’t clear if a win bet on him would win the tournament.”

 

So instead, Gabbay spread out the $52,000 earned from the Turf into four wagers in the Classic, three of them being exacta bets with Gun Runner on top over Collected, Gunnevera and West Coast. His $11,000 exacta score on Gun Runner-Collected netted $187,000, and the tournament title.

Joe Appelbaum

$364,000 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: New York, NY
“Born and bred on the mean streets of the Upper East Side.”

 

Who got you interested in becoming a horseplayer? In college, I had a group of older friends who would take me to Belmont and Saratoga during the summer.

 

BCBC Winning Wager: The main play of the Arrogate-California Chrome cold exacta, but Beholder’s win (Distaff) by a nose was critical as well.

 

Fun Fact: My best memory was when Dr Kashnikow stormed home to win the Fourstardave (2001), keying a 100k+ Pick 6 win for a group of six of us in the backyard. It’s fun to win, but better to win with friends.

 

Favorite Horse: Tom The River Rat

116358

2016 RECAP

 

Joe Appelbaum of New York City zoomed from 47th place to first with a big exacta score in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge with 396 players participating on site at Santa Anita Park, at satellite locations Aqueduct, Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park, and online through TwinSpires.com.

 

Going into the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, Appelbaum had to adjust his strategy to get to the top of the heap. “I was originally going to make a win bet on Arrogate, but when I saw his odds drop to 8-5, I had to change those plans,” said Appelbaum, who was playing in his fourth BCBC.

 

Instead of the win bet, Appelbaum bet a $13,000 exacta of Arrogate and California Chrome, which resulted in a $65,000 payout (less a $1,000 penalty), taking him from 47th place to first, surpassing Charlie Davis, who finished second with a score $61,505.

 

“I was thrilled to win it,” said Appelbaum, who took home $364,000 from the tournament. “It’s the largest live money tournament and to prevail here I feel incredibly fortunate.”

 

The 396 tournament entries resulted in a 23% player participation increase over 2015 when 322 played. Total handle in BCBC from all locations was $5,404,000 compared to $4,250,000 in 2015, a 27% increase. The Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge on-track handle at Santa Anita Park was $3,500,000 or 17% of on-track handle during Breeders’ Cup weekend.

Joe Appelbaum

$364,000 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: New York, NY
“Born and bred on the mean streets of the Upper East Side.”

 

Who got you interested in becoming a horseplayer? In college, I had a group of older friends who would take me to Belmont and Saratoga during the summer.

 

BCBC Winning Wager: The main play of the Arrogate-California Chrome cold exacta, but Beholder’s win (Distaff) by a nose was critical as well.

 

Fun Fact: My best memory was when Dr Kashnikow stormed home to win the Fourstardave (2001), keying a 100k+ Pick 6 win for a group of six of us in the backyard. It’s fun to win, but better to win with friends.

 

Favorite Horse: Tom The River Rat

116358

2016 RECAP

 

Joe Appelbaum of New York City zoomed from 47th place to first with a big exacta score in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge with 396 players participating on site at Santa Anita Park, at satellite locations Aqueduct, Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park, and online through TwinSpires.com.

 

Going into the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, Appelbaum had to adjust his strategy to get to the top of the heap. “I was originally going to make a win bet on Arrogate, but when I saw his odds drop to 8-5, I had to change those plans,” said Appelbaum, who was playing in his fourth BCBC.

 

Instead of the win bet, Appelbaum bet a $13,000 exacta of Arrogate and California Chrome, which resulted in a $65,000 payout (less a $1,000 penalty), taking him from 47th place to first, surpassing Charlie Davis, who finished second with a score $61,505.

 

“I was thrilled to win it,” said Appelbaum, who took home $364,000 from the tournament. “It’s the largest live money tournament and to prevail here I feel incredibly fortunate.”

 

The 396 tournament entries resulted in a 23% player participation increase over 2015 when 322 played. Total handle in BCBC from all locations was $5,404,000 compared to $4,250,000 in 2015, a 27% increase. The Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge on-track handle at Santa Anita Park was $3,500,000 or 17% of on-track handle during Breeders’ Cup weekend.

Tommy Massis

$320,682 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

 

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer? My uncle Chris

 

The BCBC Winning Wager: $4000 exacta of Found and Golden Horn in the Turf.

 

Fun Fact: Too many scores to mention, so I guess the angels that fly around me when I walk into Keeneland.

 

Favorite Horse: Ontario-bred stakes winner Dancer’s Bo Jin

116360

2015 RECAP

 

The seventh Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) presented by West Point Thoroughbreds brought top horseplayers to Keeneland Race Course and four satellite sites to compete in the biggest live money handicapping contest in the world. Tommy Massis of Toronto outdistanced the BCBC field of 322 competitors to grab the Championship. Once again, the BCBC set a record in player participation with 222 players at Keeneland and another 100 entering the BCBC from satellite locations at Belmont Park, Del Mar, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park. This represented a 12% increase in player participation from 2014. The cash prize pool was also a record at $805,000.

 

“I’m back to normal today, trying to maintain an even keel,” said Massis, 52, a longtime horseplayer who got started by playing the races at Woodbine. “I had qualified three of the last four years, so I got it right this time.”

 

Massis showed that he likes Keeneland, having earned a BCBC spot in a live tournament back in April. Returning to the Bluegrass last Friday, Massis built his starting bankroll of $7,500 into $90,682, and when combined with the $230,000 first-place prize, Massis total winnings were $320,682 in cash.

 

Massis’s biggest score came in Saturday’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, where he accumulated $85,000 on the Found-Golden Horn exacta ($42.80).

Tommy Massis

$320,682 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

 

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer? My uncle Chris

 

The BCBC Winning Wager: $4000 exacta of Found and Golden Horn in the Turf.

 

Fun Fact: Too many scores to mention, so I guess the angels that fly around me when I walk into Keeneland.

 

Favorite Horse: Ontario-bred stakes winner Dancer’s Bo Jin

116360

2015 RECAP

 

The seventh Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) presented by West Point Thoroughbreds brought top horseplayers to Keeneland Race Course and four satellite sites to compete in the biggest live money handicapping contest in the world. Tommy Massis of Toronto outdistanced the BCBC field of 322 competitors to grab the Championship. Once again, the BCBC set a record in player participation with 222 players at Keeneland and another 100 entering the BCBC from satellite locations at Belmont Park, Del Mar, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park. This represented a 12% increase in player participation from 2014. The cash prize pool was also a record at $805,000.

 

“I’m back to normal today, trying to maintain an even keel,” said Massis, 52, a longtime horseplayer who got started by playing the races at Woodbine. “I had qualified three of the last four years, so I got it right this time.”

 

Massis showed that he likes Keeneland, having earned a BCBC spot in a live tournament back in April. Returning to the Bluegrass last Friday, Massis built his starting bankroll of $7,500 into $90,682, and when combined with the $230,000 first-place prize, Massis total winnings were $320,682 in cash.

 

Massis’s biggest score came in Saturday’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, where he accumulated $85,000 on the Found-Golden Horn exacta ($42.80).

Bob Traynor

$301,000 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: Oceanside, CA

 

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer? It was the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. It is a very tough game but very rewarding when you make the right decisions.

 

The BCBC Winning Wager: $10,000 Win Wager on Bayern in Breeders Classic, went all in on last race of BCBC. 

 

Fun Fact: Would have to say that same Breeders Classic race with Bayern and having to wait out the inquiry, and thinking that still wouldn't be enough to win the BCBC but turned out it was. 

 

Who is your all-time favorite horse? Arazi

116357

2014 RECAP

 

For the second consecutive year, a horseplayer has turned a $110 online qualifying spot into over $300,000 in the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. Robert Traynor of Oceanside, Calif., scored big when his selection of Bayern in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic led wire to wire to catapult Traynor to first place, collecting $301,000 in Thoroughbred racing’s biggest live money event. Traynor wagered his entire remaining bankroll ($10,000) on Bayern to win - and after nervously waiting out a stewards’ inquiry-- collected $71,000 for his winning wager but also netted $230,000 for first place prize money over an all-star cast of the nation’s top handicappers betting on the 13 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races at Santa Anita Park.

 

The sixth Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge set new records for participation, as 287 players competed for $730,000 in prize money at the Championships, and for the first time, included players at satellite locations at Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky and Aqueduct Racetrack in New York.

 

Traynor, 54, a regular player at Santa Anita had only started playing in contests over the past few years. As many players did, Traynor won his full $10,000 entry in a qualifying contest.

 

Reflecting on the moment, Traynor said, the Classic was his biggest wagering moment, and “and having to wait out the inquiry, and thinking that still wouldn't be enough to win the BCBC but turned out that it was.” 

Bob Traynor

$301,000 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: Oceanside, CA

 

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer? It was the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. It is a very tough game but very rewarding when you make the right decisions.

 

The BCBC Winning Wager: $10,000 Win Wager on Bayern in Breeders Classic, went all in on last race of BCBC. 

 

Fun Fact: Would have to say that same Breeders Classic race with Bayern and having to wait out the inquiry, and thinking that still wouldn't be enough to win the BCBC but turned out it was. 

 

Who is your all-time favorite horse? Arazi

116357

2014 RECAP

 

For the second consecutive year, a horseplayer has turned a $110 online qualifying spot into over $300,000 in the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. Robert Traynor of Oceanside, Calif., scored big when his selection of Bayern in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic led wire to wire to catapult Traynor to first place, collecting $301,000 in Thoroughbred racing’s biggest live money event. Traynor wagered his entire remaining bankroll ($10,000) on Bayern to win - and after nervously waiting out a stewards’ inquiry-- collected $71,000 for his winning wager but also netted $230,000 for first place prize money over an all-star cast of the nation’s top handicappers betting on the 13 Breeders’ Cup World Championships races at Santa Anita Park.

 

The sixth Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge set new records for participation, as 287 players competed for $730,000 in prize money at the Championships, and for the first time, included players at satellite locations at Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky and Aqueduct Racetrack in New York.

 

Traynor, 54, a regular player at Santa Anita had only started playing in contests over the past few years. As many players did, Traynor won his full $10,000 entry in a qualifying contest.

 

Reflecting on the moment, Traynor said, the Classic was his biggest wagering moment, and “and having to wait out the inquiry, and thinking that still wouldn't be enough to win the BCBC but turned out that it was.” 

Peter Behr

$324,115 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: London, Ontario

 

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer? I was 12 years old and my buddy Rick and I were at the neighborhood snack bar one summer afternoon. The owner of the snack bar had a friend who was a Standardbred horse trainer and happened to be there. That friend was telling anyone who would listen that he had a horse racing that night that "for sure" was going to be first or second. Although I probably could not tell you the name of one horse I bet yesterday, I do remember the "tipped" horse that day was named was Brother Hy. The snack bar owner was going to the races that night so Rick and I each gave him a dollar to make a 2-dollar place bet for us on the "sure thing." The track was walking distance from where we lived so Rick and I walked there and watched the races from the infield between the parked cars....indeed the "sure thing" came in second and paid $4.40. That was $1.20 profit for each of us and it seemed just about the easiest way to make money either of us had ever experienced. It sure got me interested in being a horseplayer. However, some 50 plus years later of tips and all those horses who could not lose Brother Hy was the only "sure thing" I can say with certainty came in.

 

The Winning BCBC Wager: The wager that put me over the top in the BCBC was a $3000-win bet on a filly named Ria Antonia. She went off at about 35-1 and actually finished second. I needed a little help from the Santa Anita stewards to get her to first. I remember thinking, while the inquiry was going on, that there was no way they would take down the winner in a million-dollar race...but they did.

 

Fun Fact: Long before the internet or off track betting all the wagering was through mutual clerks, most of whom were female. I think I was still a teenager and was in line to make a trifecta bet. My usual bet was a $1.00 part wheel, taking 2 horses for first and second and 3 horses for third...that cost $6.00.I got to the front of the line and was greeted by a very pretty blonde clerk who literally took my breath away. I could remember the first 2 horses I wanted to bet but was now completely blank on the 3 horses I wanted for third. After standing there for what seemed to me to be an eternity she sweetly offered "all", to which I dumbly nodded. My $6.00 ticket was now $18.00 but my memory lapse turned out for the best when my first 2 horses ran 1-2 and a horse I would never have picked but for the "all" suggestion came up for third. 

 

Who is your all-time favorite horse? Ria Antonia.

116356

2013 RECAP

 

At the fifth Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge at Santa Anita Park, Peter Behr of London, Ontario, landed a score to remember when he parlayed a $110 buy in from an online qualifying tournament into $324,115 and became a BCBC champion.

 

Down in 28th place after the first day with $12,063, Behr climbed back into the mix in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with longshot Ria Antonia, which finished second but was moved to first on the disqualification of She’s a Tiger. Behr won $96,000, and zoomed into first place, now holding more than $120,000. Still by the time the Classic loomed, Behr was in second place, trailing leader Kevin McFarland by $18,472. In a case of less being more, Behr bet just $4000 on the final race, while McFarland wagered $26,850.

 

Both players came up empty.

 

Still, McFarland’s bet was large enough that he ended up finishing behind Behr into second place, while Behr won it all with a final bankroll of $124,115.

 

Participation rose in the BCBC from 138 individual players in 2012 to 182 in 2013.

Peter Behr

$324,115 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: London, Ontario

 

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer? I was 12 years old and my buddy Rick and I were at the neighborhood snack bar one summer afternoon. The owner of the snack bar had a friend who was a Standardbred horse trainer and happened to be there. That friend was telling anyone who would listen that he had a horse racing that night that "for sure" was going to be first or second. Although I probably could not tell you the name of one horse I bet yesterday, I do remember the "tipped" horse that day was named was Brother Hy. The snack bar owner was going to the races that night so Rick and I each gave him a dollar to make a 2-dollar place bet for us on the "sure thing." The track was walking distance from where we lived so Rick and I walked there and watched the races from the infield between the parked cars....indeed the "sure thing" came in second and paid $4.40. That was $1.20 profit for each of us and it seemed just about the easiest way to make money either of us had ever experienced. It sure got me interested in being a horseplayer. However, some 50 plus years later of tips and all those horses who could not lose Brother Hy was the only "sure thing" I can say with certainty came in.

 

The Winning BCBC Wager: The wager that put me over the top in the BCBC was a $3000-win bet on a filly named Ria Antonia. She went off at about 35-1 and actually finished second. I needed a little help from the Santa Anita stewards to get her to first. I remember thinking, while the inquiry was going on, that there was no way they would take down the winner in a million-dollar race...but they did.

 

Fun Fact: Long before the internet or off track betting all the wagering was through mutual clerks, most of whom were female. I think I was still a teenager and was in line to make a trifecta bet. My usual bet was a $1.00 part wheel, taking 2 horses for first and second and 3 horses for third...that cost $6.00.I got to the front of the line and was greeted by a very pretty blonde clerk who literally took my breath away. I could remember the first 2 horses I wanted to bet but was now completely blank on the 3 horses I wanted for third. After standing there for what seemed to me to be an eternity she sweetly offered "all", to which I dumbly nodded. My $6.00 ticket was now $18.00 but my memory lapse turned out for the best when my first 2 horses ran 1-2 and a horse I would never have picked but for the "all" suggestion came up for third. 

 

Who is your all-time favorite horse? Ria Antonia.

116356

2013 RECAP

 

At the fifth Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge at Santa Anita Park, Peter Behr of London, Ontario, landed a score to remember when he parlayed a $110 buy in from an online qualifying tournament into $324,115 and became a BCBC champion.

 

Down in 28th place after the first day with $12,063, Behr climbed back into the mix in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with longshot Ria Antonia, which finished second but was moved to first on the disqualification of She’s a Tiger. Behr won $96,000, and zoomed into first place, now holding more than $120,000. Still by the time the Classic loomed, Behr was in second place, trailing leader Kevin McFarland by $18,472. In a case of less being more, Behr bet just $4000 on the final race, while McFarland wagered $26,850.

 

Both players came up empty.

 

Still, McFarland’s bet was large enough that he ended up finishing behind Behr into second place, while Behr won it all with a final bankroll of $124,115.

 

Participation rose in the BCBC from 138 individual players in 2012 to 182 in 2013.

Patrick McGoey

$255,341 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: New Orleans

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer? My older brother Frank

The BCBC Winning Wager: In 2011 it was a $7,000 to win on Drosselmeyer, and 2012: $7,000 to win on Fort Larned, with a $200 exacta over Mucho Macho Man.

Fun Fact: My best track memory is always my last score. In this years’ KDBC (Kentucky Derby Betting Championship) I bet $25,000 on Justify (win, place and exactas), and cashed for $99,000 to win the 2018 KDBC and its $100,000 prize pool.

Who is your all-time favorite horse? Arrogate. The Dubai World Cup was the most impressive race that I have ever seen.
 

114572

2012 RECAP

 

History repeated itself in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge as Patrick McGoey became the first back-to-back winner of the racing’s biggest live money event. Like his 2011 triumph, McGoey used a large final-race wager to edge runner-up Christian Hellmers to win the tournament, and earned $255,341.

 

McGoey found himself in exactly the same position he was in 2011, trailing tourney leader Christian Hellmers of Del Mar, Calif., with one race remaining. McGoey again bet his entire bankroll in the Breeders' Cup Classic and his winning wagers totaled more than $85,000, enough to secure the title.

 

Hellmers had dominated the 2012 contest in similar fashion to 2011, building his bankroll to $75,000 heading into the second-to-last race of the day, the Breeders' Cup Mile. McGoey was down to $3,000 and he went all-in on Wise Dan at 9-5, turning his bankroll from $3,000 to $8,700. Still trailing by almost $60,000, McGoey's $7,000-win bet on Fort Larned in the Classic and $200 cold exacta with Mucho Macho Man (for second) netted $85,000 in winnings and enough to propel him past Hellmers.

 

The 2012 BCBC boasted a record 138 players in the field, which required a $10,000 buy-in and featured $370,000 in prize money, with $170,000 to the winner.

 

McGoey’s back to back BCBC wins has earned him over $525,000.

Patrick McGoey

$255,341 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: New Orleans

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer? My older brother Frank

The BCBC Winning Wager: In 2011 it was a $7,000 to win on Drosselmeyer, and 2012: $7,000 to win on Fort Larned, with a $200 exacta over Mucho Macho Man.

Fun Fact: My best track memory is always my last score. In this years’ KDBC (Kentucky Derby Betting Championship) I bet $25,000 on Justify (win, place and exactas), and cashed for $99,000 to win the 2018 KDBC and its $100,000 prize pool.

Who is your all-time favorite horse? Arrogate. The Dubai World Cup was the most impressive race that I have ever seen.
 

114572

2012 RECAP

 

History repeated itself in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge as Patrick McGoey became the first back-to-back winner of the racing’s biggest live money event. Like his 2011 triumph, McGoey used a large final-race wager to edge runner-up Christian Hellmers to win the tournament, and earned $255,341.

 

McGoey found himself in exactly the same position he was in 2011, trailing tourney leader Christian Hellmers of Del Mar, Calif., with one race remaining. McGoey again bet his entire bankroll in the Breeders' Cup Classic and his winning wagers totaled more than $85,000, enough to secure the title.

 

Hellmers had dominated the 2012 contest in similar fashion to 2011, building his bankroll to $75,000 heading into the second-to-last race of the day, the Breeders' Cup Mile. McGoey was down to $3,000 and he went all-in on Wise Dan at 9-5, turning his bankroll from $3,000 to $8,700. Still trailing by almost $60,000, McGoey's $7,000-win bet on Fort Larned in the Classic and $200 cold exacta with Mucho Macho Man (for second) netted $85,000 in winnings and enough to propel him past Hellmers.

 

The 2012 BCBC boasted a record 138 players in the field, which required a $10,000 buy-in and featured $370,000 in prize money, with $170,000 to the winner.

 

McGoey’s back to back BCBC wins has earned him over $525,000.

Patrick McGoey

$270,600 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: New Orleans

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer? My older brother Frank

The BCBC Winning Wager: In 2011 it was a $7,000 to win on Drosselmeyer, and 2012: $7,000 to win on Fort Larned, with a $200 exacta over Mucho Macho Man.

Fun Fact: My best track memory is always my last score. In this years’ KDBC (Kentucky Derby Betting Championship) I bet $25,000 on Justify (win, place and exactas), and cashed for $99,000 to win the 2018 KDBC and its $100,000 prize pool.

Who is your all-time favorite horse? Arrogate. The Dubai World Cup was the most impressive race that I have ever seen.
 

114572

2011 RECAP

 

After two days of improbable upsets and some of the highest payouts in Breeders' Cup history, perhaps none was more so unlikely than the victory by Patrick McGoey in the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge at Churchill Downs. In its third year, the BCBC attracted 115 of the country's best horseplayers to face-off in a mega-stakes, live money $10,000 buy-in betting tournament.

 

McGoey finished first in a dramatic come-from-behind effort in the last race of the contest by wagering $7,000 to win on Drosselmeyer in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Drosselmeyer's victory at odds of $14.80-to-1 resulted in McGoey's $7,000-win bet, which returned $110,600.  Combined with the first place winnings of $160,000, McGoey took home $270,600.

 

McGoey, of New Orleans, had earned his spot in the BCBC in May by defeating 90 other players in a $100 online qualifying event for the Challenge. Elated by his victory McGoey said, “Everything fell into place perfectly to be in a position to make the bet on Drosselmeyer and watching his closing kick coming down the Churchill Downs stretch was tremendous. Knowing that I turned a $100 online qualifying spot into $270,000 is a fantastic feeling.”

 

Christian Hellmers of Los Angeles California finished in second place, winning $121,700. Hellmers held the contest's lead over the last four races until Drosselmeyer's and McGoey's last race theatrics.

Patrick McGoey

$270,600 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: New Orleans

How did you get interested in becoming a horseplayer? My older brother Frank

The BCBC Winning Wager: In 2011 it was a $7,000 to win on Drosselmeyer, and 2012: $7,000 to win on Fort Larned, with a $200 exacta over Mucho Macho Man.

Fun Fact: My best track memory is always my last score. In this years’ KDBC (Kentucky Derby Betting Championship) I bet $25,000 on Justify (win, place and exactas), and cashed for $99,000 to win the 2018 KDBC and its $100,000 prize pool.

Who is your all-time favorite horse? Arrogate. The Dubai World Cup was the most impressive race that I have ever seen.
 

114572

2011 RECAP

 

After two days of improbable upsets and some of the highest payouts in Breeders' Cup history, perhaps none was more so unlikely than the victory by Patrick McGoey in the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge at Churchill Downs. In its third year, the BCBC attracted 115 of the country's best horseplayers to face-off in a mega-stakes, live money $10,000 buy-in betting tournament.

 

McGoey finished first in a dramatic come-from-behind effort in the last race of the contest by wagering $7,000 to win on Drosselmeyer in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Drosselmeyer's victory at odds of $14.80-to-1 resulted in McGoey's $7,000-win bet, which returned $110,600.  Combined with the first place winnings of $160,000, McGoey took home $270,600.

 

McGoey, of New Orleans, had earned his spot in the BCBC in May by defeating 90 other players in a $100 online qualifying event for the Challenge. Elated by his victory McGoey said, “Everything fell into place perfectly to be in a position to make the bet on Drosselmeyer and watching his closing kick coming down the Churchill Downs stretch was tremendous. Knowing that I turned a $100 online qualifying spot into $270,000 is a fantastic feeling.”

 

Christian Hellmers of Los Angeles California finished in second place, winning $121,700. Hellmers held the contest's lead over the last four races until Drosselmeyer's and McGoey's last race theatrics.

Bob Hansan

$181,863 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: McLean, VA

Who got you interested in becoming a horseplayer? My parents used to take me to harness racing track as a kid.  I fell in love with horses and of course the challenge to pick winners.  Sometime after college I started to focus more on Thoroughbreds and love it still to this day.

The BCBC Winning Wager: I believed Blame would be a significant overlay with Zenyatta in the Classic, and if you add the prize pool into the calculations, a bet on Blame would deliver about a 25-1 return.  After some initial second guessing, I ended up placing the entire bankroll on Blame to win.  

Fun Fact: Kate, my fiancé, entered her first tournament a few years back in Saratoga. Her big play that day was Spicer Cub. I showed her some replays of the remarkable race where he runs between the rail and gate in hopes of trying to convince her otherwise. But, of course, that just made her like that horse even more. While I don't remember the odds, he was a significant price horse and of course he goes on to win. After day 1 she was in 2nd place and I was nowhere close.

Favorite Horse: Ruffian is probably my favorite all time. I was 10 when she got her last win. I will never forget what a majestic and brilliant horse she was.

116354

2010 RECAP

 

Year Two of the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge saw increases in participation and in overall prize money. At total of 95 player gathered at Churchill Downs to compete over the two days of the Championships for $267,00 in total prize money. - Robert Hansan of Reston, Virginia, made the winning moves in capturing tournament, collecting $137,000 for first place prize money, along with another $44,863 in cash winnings – for a total of $181,863. Hansan went ‘all-in’ on the Classic when he bet his entire remaining bankroll of $7,236 to win on Blame. That bet paid $44,863 in cash and earned him another $135,000 for first place.

 

“It was quite thrilling to be part of this and I’m ecstatic about winning the event, which has become the most prestigious live money tournament in the country,” said Hansan. “It’s wonderful to be able to take in the atmosphere surrounding the Breeders’ Cup and witness the Championships in person. Finishing in 2nd and 3rd were well respected handicappers James Henry and Dennis Decauwer."

Bob Hansan

$181,863 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: McLean, VA

Who got you interested in becoming a horseplayer? My parents used to take me to harness racing track as a kid.  I fell in love with horses and of course the challenge to pick winners.  Sometime after college I started to focus more on Thoroughbreds and love it still to this day.

The BCBC Winning Wager: I believed Blame would be a significant overlay with Zenyatta in the Classic, and if you add the prize pool into the calculations, a bet on Blame would deliver about a 25-1 return.  After some initial second guessing, I ended up placing the entire bankroll on Blame to win.  

Fun Fact: Kate, my fiancé, entered her first tournament a few years back in Saratoga. Her big play that day was Spicer Cub. I showed her some replays of the remarkable race where he runs between the rail and gate in hopes of trying to convince her otherwise. But, of course, that just made her like that horse even more. While I don't remember the odds, he was a significant price horse and of course he goes on to win. After day 1 she was in 2nd place and I was nowhere close.

Favorite Horse: Ruffian is probably my favorite all time. I was 10 when she got her last win. I will never forget what a majestic and brilliant horse she was.

116354

2010 RECAP

 

Year Two of the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge saw increases in participation and in overall prize money. At total of 95 player gathered at Churchill Downs to compete over the two days of the Championships for $267,00 in total prize money. - Robert Hansan of Reston, Virginia, made the winning moves in capturing tournament, collecting $137,000 for first place prize money, along with another $44,863 in cash winnings – for a total of $181,863. Hansan went ‘all-in’ on the Classic when he bet his entire remaining bankroll of $7,236 to win on Blame. That bet paid $44,863 in cash and earned him another $135,000 for first place.

 

“It was quite thrilling to be part of this and I’m ecstatic about winning the event, which has become the most prestigious live money tournament in the country,” said Hansan. “It’s wonderful to be able to take in the atmosphere surrounding the Breeders’ Cup and witness the Championships in person. Finishing in 2nd and 3rd were well respected handicappers James Henry and Dennis Decauwer."

David Wilkenfeld

$166,125 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: New York, NY. Originally from Long Island not far from Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack 

What got you interested in becoming a horseplayer? Going to the races as a teenager just fell in love with it.

The BCBC Winning Wager: Zenyatta winning the BC Classic and having exacta and trifecta  as I like to say 'came from last to first’ just like her.

Fun Fact: Hitting the pick six at Santa Anita for $3.3 million while at Meadowlands Racetrack simulcast. It was the only bet I made all day and had about $20 left in my pocket after the wager.

Favorite horse: Vyjack, my first two- year old purchase named after my parents.

116353

2009 RECAP

 

The inaugural Betting Challenge featured 75 players at Santa Anita Park, who each paid a $10,000 entry fee and competed for $225,000 in total prize money, which immediately made the new event the richest “live money” tournament in horse racing. Instead of being limited to playing Win and Place only, horseplayers could bet also Exactas and Trifectas in the tournament. The first BCBC winner was David Wilkenfeld, from New York City, who won the contest “coming from last to first” in the final race, the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Wilkenfeld nailed the trifecta of Zenyatta/Gio Ponti/Twice Over, which netted him $40,000. Finishing 2nd was Steven Hartshorn and up for the show position was Brian Herrity.

David Wilkenfeld

$166,125 IN WINNINGS

Hometown: New York, NY. Originally from Long Island not far from Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack 

What got you interested in becoming a horseplayer? Going to the races as a teenager just fell in love with it.

The BCBC Winning Wager: Zenyatta winning the BC Classic and having exacta and trifecta  as I like to say 'came from last to first’ just like her.

Fun Fact: Hitting the pick six at Santa Anita for $3.3 million while at Meadowlands Racetrack simulcast. It was the only bet I made all day and had about $20 left in my pocket after the wager.

Favorite horse: Vyjack, my first two- year old purchase named after my parents.

116353

2009 RECAP

 

The inaugural Betting Challenge featured 75 players at Santa Anita Park, who each paid a $10,000 entry fee and competed for $225,000 in total prize money, which immediately made the new event the richest “live money” tournament in horse racing. Instead of being limited to playing Win and Place only, horseplayers could bet also Exactas and Trifectas in the tournament. The first BCBC winner was David Wilkenfeld, from New York City, who won the contest “coming from last to first” in the final race, the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Wilkenfeld nailed the trifecta of Zenyatta/Gio Ponti/Twice Over, which netted him $40,000. Finishing 2nd was Steven Hartshorn and up for the show position was Brian Herrity.

2019 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 Brad Anderson $145,040 $343,000 $488,040
2 Bill Chenvert $137,750 $229,000 $366,750
3 Dick Jerardi $137,420 $126,000 $263,420
4 Brandon Moran $121,618 $86,000 $207,618
5 Rick Kueber $77,620 $69,000 $146,620
6 David Wilkenfeld $70,724 $57,500 $128,224
7 Dennis Montoro $64,911 $46,000 $110,911
8 Thomas Coleman $60,670 $40,000 $100,670
9 Nisan Gabbay $40,337 $34,500 $74,837
10 Blake Courtney $39,400 $29,000 $68,400
11 Bob Hansan $38,400 $23,000 $61,400
12 Paul Cush $35,521 $20,000 $55,521
13 Jim Atwell $35,288 $17,500 $52,788
14 Mark Stanton $33,800 $14,500 $48,300
15 Allan Schaffer $31,495 $11,500 $42,995

2018 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 Charles Grubbs $94,020 $300,000 $394,020
2 Ed Able $86,330 $200,000 $286,330
3 Monte Engler $84,097 $100,000 $184,097
4 Ryan Mueller $71,085 $75,000 $146,085
5 Marshall Gramm $52,320 $60,000 $112,320
6 Jim Meeks $49,230 $50,000 $99,230
7 Allen Harberg $43,025 $40,000 $83,025
8 Rich Pawlowski $41,380 $32,000 $73,380
9 Blake Jessee $41,160 $27,000 $68,160
10 Ron Bowden $34,852 $22,500 $57,352
11 Brent Johnson $32,714 $19,000 $51,714
12 Doug Nachman $32,612 $16,000 $48,612
13 Nicholas Tammaro $29,666 $14,000 $43,666
14 Kenneth King $28,790 $12,000 $40,790
15 Terry Cook $27,222 $10,000 $37,222

2017 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 Nisan Gabbay $176,000 $350,000 $526,000
2 Ronald Ferrise $142,697 $225,000 $367,697
3 Ed Peters $97,200 $125,000 $222,200
4 Lisa Herrity $87,183 $82,500 $169,683
5 Justin Mustari $84,610 $60,000 $144,610
6 Eric Troelstra $70,253 $50,000 $120,253
7 Michael Doheny $58,028 $40,000 $98,028
8 Eric Israel $56,610 $35,000 $91,610
9 Victor Stauffer $51,000 $30,000 $81,000
10 Craig Bernick $47,725 $20,000 $67,725
11 Paul Hughes $47,620 $17,500 $65,120
12 Charles Grubbs $47,400 $15,000 $62,400
13 Matthew Miller $44,580 $12,500 $57,080
14 Scott Johnson $44,466 $10,000 $54,466

2016 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 Joe Appelbaum $64,000 $300,000 $364,000
2 Charlie Davis $61,505 $200,000 $261,505
3 Allen Harberg $59,830 $110,000 $169,830
4 Blaise Brucato $58,042 $75,000 $133,042
5 Robert Traynor $49,800 $60,000 $109,800
6 David Gutfruend $45,050 $50,000 $95,050
7 Robert Mathews $44,010 $40,000 $84,010
8 Steve Jaffe $41,225 $35,000 $76,225
9 Lee Searing $40,831 $30,000 $70,831
10 Al Sirica $40,080 $25,000 $65,080
11 Garett Skiba $40,074 $20,000 $60,074
12 Paul Weizer $38,121 $17,500 $55,621
13 Sam Alipio $37,300 $15,000 $52,300
14 Victor Stauffer $37,300 $12,500 $49,800
15 Jack Jenkins $35,030 $10,000 $45,030

2015 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 Tommy Massis $90,682 $230,000 $320,682
2 David Kramer $71,735 $165,000 $236,735
3 John Gamane $42,755 $122,000 $154,755
4 David Bajorek $40,874 $75,000 $115,874
5 Gary West $38,844 $45,000 $83,844
6 Damian Roncevich $28,963 $35,000 $63,963
7 John Hewitt $26,320 $30,000 $56,320
8 David Wolff $25,917 $20,000 $45,917
9 Eric Moomey $25,873 $18,000 $43,873
10 Joeseph Cirone $24,872 $15,000 $39,872
11 Jim Sebes $24,440 $14,000 $38,440
12 Sean Espino $22,305 $13,000 $35,305
13 Paul Viskovich $20,838 $12,000 $32,838
14 Kevin Cox $17,190 $11,000 $28,190
15 Patrick Gianforte $16,835 $10,000 $26,835

2014 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 Bob Traynor $71,000 $230,000 $301,000
2 Paul Weizer $54,770 $130,000 $184,770
3 John Conte $44,958 $80,000 $124,958
4 Nicholas Tammaro $44,674 $60,000 $104,674
5 $39,071 $45,000 $84,071
6 Matt Bernier $38,154 $35,000 $73,154
7 Gordon D'Angelo $33,126 $30,000 $63,126
8 Ed Briggs $31,950 $25,000 $56,950
9 Kenny Mayne $31,833 $20,000 $51,833
10 Anthony Acierno $31,211 $15,000 $46,211
11 Jose Raphael $29,769 $14,000 $43,769
12 Mark Myrick $29,415 $13,000 $42,415
13 Jeff Komins $29,260 $12,000 $41,260
14 Harry Fry $28,297 $11,000 $39,297
15 Curtis Meyer $27,083 $10,000 $37,083

2013 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 Peter Behr $124,115 $200,000 $324,115
2 $119,737 $100,000 $219,737
3 Garett Skiba $40,278 $60,000 $100,278
4 Tom Noone $38,716 $40,000 $78,716
5 George Howard $35,609 $20,000 $55,609
6 Harry Fry $34,402 $16,000 $50,402
7 Michelle Mcsweeney $30,258 $14,000 $44,258
8 Charles Grubbs $28,793 $12,000 $40,793
9 Frank McGoey $28,063 $10,000 $38,063
10 Louis Constan $25,613 $8,000 $33,613
11 John Hewitt $25,396 $0 $25,396
12 Wendy Long $24,122 $0 $24,122
13 Mark Mcguire $23,260 $0 $23,260
14 John Fisher $21,520 $0 $21,520
15 Paul Adkins $21,326 $0 $21,326

2012 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 Patrick McGoey $85,341 $170,000 $255,341
2 Christian Hellmers $74,525 $80,000 $154,525
3 Dustin Moore $62,400 $40,000 $102,400
4 Duke Matties $52,000 $25,000 $77,000
5 Wendy Long $45,603 $15,000 $60,603
6 Alicia Teresi $41,655 $10,000 $51,655
7 Alan Hoffman $36,170 $9,000 $45,170
8 Tommy Massis $29,811 $8,000 $37,811
9 $26,745 $7,000 $33,745
10 $23,719 $6,000 $29,719
11 Robbie Rosette $19,316 $0 $19,316
12 Joseph Johnson $17,517 $0 $17,517
13 Gene Cahalan $16,121 $0 $16,121
14 Harold Wafer $15,858 $0 $15,858
15 Gary West $15,345 $0 $15,345

2011 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 Patrick McGoey $110,600 $160,000 $270,600
2 Christian Hellmers $61,700 $60,000 $121,700
3 John Allunario $48,480 $30,000 $78,480
4 Donald Mcniel $31,600 $20,000 $51,600
5 Tracey Hauth $29,168 $12,000 $41,169
6 Daniel Slattery $27,951 $8,000 $35,951
7 Ross Gallo $22,612 $7,000 $29,612
8 Cary Fotias $20,170 $6,000 $26,170
9 Durwood Ashcroft $18,082 $6,000 $24,082
10 Lee Field $17,949 $6,000 $23,949
11 Stephen Thompson $16,525 $0 $16,525
12 Ron Bowden $13,878 $0 $13,878
13 Linda Spears $13,525 $0 $13,525
14 Anthony Bartolo $13,194 $0 $13,194
15 Steve Andersen $12,190 $0 $12,190

2010 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 Bob Hansan $44,863 $137,000 $181,863
2 James Henry $30,010 $48,000 $78,010
3 Dennis Decauwer $24,893 $24,000 $48,893
4 Michael Moran $23,536 $15,000 $38,536
5 Brian Bingham $19,324 $11,000 $30,324
6 Kenneth Hopkins $18,600 $5,500 $24,100
7 Daniel Slattery $18,543 $5,500 $24,043
8 Ron Bowden $18,385 $5,500 $23,885
9 Bryan Wagner $17,694 $5,500 $23,194
10 David Flanzbaum $17,363 $5,500 $22,863
11 Nick Cosato $17,338 $0 $17,338
12 Michael Laurato $17,259 $0 $17,259
13 Randy Scholz $16,126 $0 $16,126
14 George Howard $15,140 $0 $15,140
15 Steven Wecker $12,121 $0 $12,121

2009 FINAL STANDINGS

Name Score Prize Total Winnings
1 David Wilkenfeld $41,125 $125,000 $166,125
2 Brian Herrity $32,418 $40,000 $72,419
3 Steven Hartshorn $20,954 $20,000 $40,955
4 David Flanzbaum $20,146 $12,000 $32,146
5 Gene Cahalan $19,933 $8,000 $27,934
6 O'Connell Benjamin $19,300 $4,000 $23,300
7 John Hewitt $18,000 $4,000 $22,000
8 Steve Wolfson Sr. $17,740 $4,000 $21,741
9 Chris Larmey $17,405 $4,000 $21,405
10 Dan Shugar $14,776 $4,000 $18,776
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