narrow miss

[Neil]

I participated in my first handicapping contest today, a DRF-sponsored event at Hoosier Park. With three races to go, I was in first place... but the last three races we had to do were at Hawthorne, a track I've never played before. 3rd race - strike one. 4th race - strike two. 5th race - there was a claiming horse trained by Tommy Castillo, and I thought of "our" namesake, but played another critter instead... one that came up on HTR as a class edge, and that was going off at slightly higher odds than the T.C. trained horse. With that one race to go, I was in second place, down $1. My horse dueled for the lead, and faded, finishing out. the Castillo horse won. Final result of contest - 2nd place, by $1. So, I guess I won't be joining you qualifiers in Las Vegas... but I did go home $500 to the good! Thanks, Ken!

Neil

[Ken Massa]

Great post Neil ! -- that is too funny about 'trainer Tommy Castillo' winning the contest race. I'll email the 'real' Tommy Castillo and tell him to read your story here - he is in Cleveland for the TDN contest - maybe MikeDee can fill us in on that result. Solid handicapping effort on your part, bummer you just missed the top spot by a buck. thanks --

[hurrikane]

Nice showing Neil. First contest too. What was the format? Tough to get nosed out by $1. Nice work though. Keep it up.

[MikeDee]

Had a great time this weekend with TC at the TDN tourney There were only around 125 entrants and the top 4 qualified for Vegas so it was a very good event to try and qualify. There were a number of big name players besides TC at the event. The winner of last years NTRA tourney was there, David Gutfreund and a few other notable tourney players from Vegas and other parts of the country.

This was my first NTRA qualifier but according to TC the format for this one was very different then other events. You had a big race card at your assigned seat and you had to post your race card with your pick on a hook above your position 5 min before the race went off so that the public and the officials could see your selection for each race. This made playing long shots real hard although it didn’t really matter as you will see as you read on. Didn’t care to much for this rule.

All of the results for each player were posted on 2 large boards and the top 5 contenders were identified so throughout the tourney you could see what you needed to do to qualify. I liked this part as in other events I have been in at Vegas you never really knew where you stood.

They gave you a $1000 bank roll and you could bet any amount you wanted win place, show and you had to bet a min of $2 on each race. One player wagered the entire $1000 in the first race lost and was out of the tourney. Another wagered it all won and lead the event up to about the 3rd race in the second day.

Another unique rule was that in the last three races of the tourney you could only wager 10% of your bank roll on each of these races. There was a lot of concern by the tourney officials, becasue of the small pools at TDN that someone would make a pick and then go and make a big wager to influence their odds. This made the 4th race on the second day a jumping off point you needed to be within striking distance of the leaders because of the 10% rule, you could not make a big wager on a long shot and circle the field down the stretch.

TDN famous, for short fields and few long shots, did not disappoint. The longest price was 9.60 for the entire tourney and we were up to our elbows in $3, $4 and $5 winners. This was a bridge jumpers heaven and hindsight would say that the only way to play here was to make big wagers on low priced favorites.

I made my last stand in the 4th race on the second day by putting my entire remaining bankroll on a runner that was no. 1 late, down in class (if there is such a thing at TDN) and one of top jockeys on board. Most of runners that showed any early speed where hammered at the windows both days. The horse went off at 5-1. If he would have won, it would have been the longest price in the tourney up that point and put me in the lead at that time by about $1200 or so. My horse never challenged and the race winner paid a whopping $7.00. It was time for me to go home and watch the incredible finish of the Browns Bears game. Now if I could have got just one of the lucky breaks like the 3 that the Bears got....oh well.

In TDNs’ defense they did have this contest scheduled for the weekend after 9/11/01 and did have some good races and decent fields lined up, but the contest was postponed. Many of the horses at TDN have already headed south and the field size and types of races carded were really disappointing.

In spite of everything I really enjoyed the event and I’m looking forward to entering more contests.

[Glen]

Great stories guys. Sam Houston has a tourney this week and I might have to make the trip. Also FG is having one Dec 1. I'm looking forward to having my *ss handed to me again!

[MikeDee]

I'm going to look for those contests where 4 places qualify for Vegas. I think it is a real shame that Neil did so well, just missed, and doesn't get to go Vegas. It appears the prize money varies as well. Don't know what 2nd place paid at TDN but pretty sure it was more then $500.

[Glen]

Here is the link:
http://www.ntra.com/calendar/handicapsched01.html

[Ken Massa]

Mike:
thanks for the informative post, interesting contest format. btw: how did Tommy C finish? And did you get unlimited free drinks by sitting with him?

Neil:
you must have been drinkin heavy at HOO contest, trainer name at HAW is Tommy Tomilo! But thats close enough - and your funny story started a very good thread - any time we hear mention of our man Tommy Castillo, it gets everyone's attention --- and usually a good laugh! Nice effort on your maiden try in the tourney - almost won it as an FTS. Maybe you have a win early pedigree - get to another contest asap!

[hdcper]

Hi Everyone,

If any of you plan on attending the Tup Contest(not sure of the exact date), please let me know. Would like to touch base and maybe we could have dinner together if time permits. I doubt I will play in the contest but would like to say hi.

Do believe the contest has a early bird fee which saves you $100 and think it must be in by December 1st if I remember right.

Hdcper

[tommyc]

Neil...the trainer "name" thing was great for a few laughs but the really impressive fact was your great shot at the win and a most impressive finish.

CONGRATULATIONS ! Keep firing at 'em.

tommyc

[MikeDee]

Ken, lets just say that Tommy was able to leave Cleveland a little earlier then he had planned:)

and when I told him what you said about providing the dirinks....he just laughed!!

[MikeDee]

The prize money at TDN was 9k for first, 3k for second 1500 for 3rd and 1050 for 4th.

From TDn press release:

North Randall, OH - Thistledown hosted its Best of the Midwest Handicappers Challenge Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 3 & 4) and qualified four winners out of 120 contestants to the finals in Las Vegas. Charles Ron Yoder (Las Vegas), Paul Sabatino (Mayfield Village), Lisa Kreymborg (Shaker Heights) and Robert Wright (Cleveland Heights) will represent Team Thistledown in the 2002 NTRA/DRF Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas in January.

Wright has won the Penn national contest and Yoder is a contest regular in Vegas (I think)

[Donnie]

Nice job Neil...keep after 'em!!

[ronnie h]

keeneland is going to have another on dec1

[Neil]

Sorry for the delay - back on the road (heading towards Aiken, SC this time, and then on to Gulfstream Park for the winter).

The Hoosier Park format couldn't have been more different than what Mike described at Tdn. The one at Hoo (and I believe Ellis Park and the OTBs in Indiana) was very highly structured. We were told in advance the four tracks we'd play (viz, CD, CRC, Aqu, and Haw) - the first five races at each of these. Had to make a $2 win/place bet on each race, one horse only (no dutching). Results were posted frequently. It cost $60 to enter. I think there were about 35 contestants on Sunday. Just the one winner/qualifier to DRF tourney (he also drove up from Kentucky, and apparently participates in Hoosier Park tournaments frequently).

Sorry for getting the name wrong, Tommy. I tried to have a drink post-tourney... they gave us $5 in concession vouchers as part of our entry, but sadly that didn't cover the bar!

My biggest "score" was in the first at Aqu - a Perez horse coming back off a layoff. I'd noticed the trainer seemed to win far more frequently off a layoff than otherwise, and also this was a first-time gelding. And he looked sensational on the track. I always try to get visual cues, and was surprised when some of the players turned in all of their selections right away (i.e., without even knowing what the odds would be).

Neil

link is here: http://www.hoosierpark.com/bet_the_races/racing_news/hoosier_dates.html