DT'er CUP HEROICS: Dayatthespa.. NTamm.. PWeizer..

[Arletta]

Originally Posted by Benny

Well done guys. Quite an accomplishment.

I see that Matt Bernierof DRF came in high too and he is donating all his winnings,from his blog -

Not only is this weekend the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, but it’s also the annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. In addition to contributing to our DRF Live coverage this weekend at Santa Anita, I’ll be participating in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, where 100 percent of my winnings will be donated to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

http://www.drf.com/blogs/drf-handica...hallenge-picks

Matt is unable to accept the package because he now works for DRF.
It looks like Todd Urbina gets Matt's winnings.

[Pants II]

So did DRF cover his entry?

[OldDog]

Congratulations, guys. Very impressive work!

[jms62]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

First time I've logged in since Friday, so thanks to everyone for the kind words. It was a hell of a day and Paul and I were very close to being in the exacta. Paul's score highlights what is so great about live money contests. It was also great seeing Dan Kovalesky.

As far as how my plays differed from my selections posted with Saratoga Bets, I can assure you that every race I hit was via a trifecta. I made no other types of wager and the 3 that paid the most involved keying horses that I picked either on top or second, with price and other factors being the variables. The Breeders' Cup is a succession of such highly competitive races, I can't possibly do justice to that with just 3 picks in each race.

Rest assured, I bet every horse that I had picked on top, sometimes to my own detriment!

Nick would you be so kind to share your big hits and your bet in the classic with us.

[Arletta]

Originally Posted by Arletta

Matt is unable to accept the package because he now works for DRF.
It looks like Todd Urbina gets Matt's winnings.

It looks like he can accept his winnings but not a seat at the NHC Championships. Well that's a bummer, but at least he can still give his money away.

[VOL JACK]

I loathe your avatar Pants!
What a tool, that guy.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by VOL JACK

I loathe your avatar Pants!
What a tool, that guy.

Who is it?

At first I thought it was Horatio Kane from CSI: Miami.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by jms62

Nick would you be so kind to share your big hits and your bet in the classic with us.

Sure. I had a horrible day Friday and had just over 4.2k of the original 7.5k going into Saturday. Didn't cash one ticket on the card, and was really not even close. The strategy for Saturday, which was determined by my partners in the endeavor and I, was to try and hit something before the races where we had to play $900 per race. That really couldn't be tried with the first three being so unappealing from a wagering perspective.

So, my approach in the Juv Fillies was to play the race to collapse on the front end. The ability to bet outside of one's normal bankroll allows you to cautiously cover more bases. I structured a trifecta play in the Juv Fillies using Top Decile, Majestic Presence and Wonder Gal that allowed two of them to finish in the money and still cash. So, Take Charge Brandi holding on was OK as long as two of that trio finished 2nd and 3rd. With Wonder Gal winning the photo, we had $2 on the trifecta.

After a minor hit in the FM Turf, we were in position to maximize a strong opinion, which was that Judy the Beauty was strictly the horse to beat and that longshots were viable for underneath slots. One of those was Better Lucky, who filled out the exacta, and the all spot in 3rd facilitated having Thank You Marylou. We ended up with $11 on the trifecta.

The Mile was a race we planned on passing, but being in 4th overall going into that race, something had to be tried. We had agreed beforehand that the Euros held a huge advantage here and were unfazed by their lack of success up to that point. Thus, a trifecta was structured that included Karakontie, Anodin, Veda, Mustajeeb and Trade Storm. When three of that group of five made up the trifecta, it gave us $4 on it.

My opinion in the Classic was bad. I loved Tonalist, felt like Bayern would not be able to stay, and wanted to try and use longshots underneath. That obviously did not come to fruition and we ended up losing about 15% of what we had going into that race. We could have sat on our hands there and tried to leapfrog by simply standing pat. That goes against my grain, so we made a play. While it did not work out and we actually lost two spots in the standings, it did not in any way take away from the entire experience of the day.

What contests like the BCBC remind you of is the superiority of live money tournaments. I have had success in $2 WP formats, but have far too often been left frustrated when a seemingly hopeless longshot that someone would have never actually bet galloped home and allowed those "stabbers" to take full advantage. Nothing against their approach, but it seldom feels like "handicapping." Having to back up your opinions with wagers levels the playing field, at least for me.

I look forward to the NHC and hopefully one of the DT contingent doing well!

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Sure. I had a horrible day Friday and had just over 4.2k of the original 7.5k going into Saturday. Didn't cash one ticket on the card, and was really not even close. The strategy for Saturday, which was determined by my partners in the endeavor and I, was to try and hit something before the races where we had to play $900 per race. That really couldn't be tried with the first three being so unappealing from a wagering perspective.

So, my approach in the Juv Fillies was to play the race to collapse on the front end. The ability to bet outside of one's normal bankroll allows you to cautiously cover more bases. I structured a trifecta play in the Juv Fillies using Top Decile, Majestic Presence and Wonder Gal that allowed two of them to finish in the money and still cash. So, Take Charge Brandi holding on was OK as long as two of that trio finished 2nd and 3rd. With Wonder Gal winning the photo, we had $2 on the trifecta.

After a minor hit in the FM Turf, we were in position to maximize a strong opinion, which was that Judy the Beauty was strictly the horse to beat and that longshots were viable for underneath slots. One of those was Better Lucky, who filled out the exacta, and the all spot in 3rd facilitated having Thank You Marylou. We ended up with $11 on the trifecta.

The Mile was a race we planned on passing, but being in 4th overall going into that race, something had to be tried. We had agreed beforehand that the Euros held a huge advantage here and were unfazed by their lack of success up to that point. Thus, a trifecta was structured that included Karakontie, Anodin, Veda, Mustajeeb and Trade Storm. When three of that group of five made up the trifecta, it gave us $4 on it.

My opinion in the Classic was bad. I loved Tonalist, felt like Bayern would not be able to stay, and wanted to try and use longshots underneath. That obviously did not come to fruition and we ended up losing about 15% of what we had going into that race. We could have sat on our hands there and tried to leapfrog by simply standing pat. That goes against my grain, so we made a play. While it did not work out and we actually lost two spots in the standings, it did not in any way take away from the entire experience of the day.

What contests like the BCBC remind you of is the superiority of live money tournaments. I have had success in $2 WP formats, but have far too often been left frustrated when a seemingly hopeless longshot that someone would have never actually bet galloped home and allowed those "stabbers" to take full advantage. Nothing against their approach, but it seldom feels like "handicapping." Having to back up your opinions with wagers levels the playing field, at least for me.

I look forward to the NHC and hopefully one of the DT contingent doing well!

Good read and congrats. Great accomplishment.....

[VOL JACK]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Who is it?

At first I thought it was Horatio Kane from CSI: Miami.

Lane Kiffin

[philcski]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Sure. I had a horrible day Friday and had just over 4.2k of the original 7.5k going into Saturday. Didn't cash one ticket on the card, and was really not even close. The strategy for Saturday, which was determined by my partners in the endeavor and I, was to try and hit something before the races where we had to play $900 per race. That really couldn't be tried with the first three being so unappealing from a wagering perspective.

So, my approach in the Juv Fillies was to play the race to collapse on the front end. The ability to bet outside of one's normal bankroll allows you to cautiously cover more bases. I structured a trifecta play in the Juv Fillies using Top Decile, Majestic Presence and Wonder Gal that allowed two of them to finish in the money and still cash. So, Take Charge Brandi holding on was OK as long as two of that trio finished 2nd and 3rd. With Wonder Gal winning the photo, we had $2 on the trifecta.

After a minor hit in the FM Turf, we were in position to maximize a strong opinion, which was that Judy the Beauty was strictly the horse to beat and that longshots were viable for underneath slots. One of those was Better Lucky, who filled out the exacta, and the all spot in 3rd facilitated having Thank You Marylou. We ended up with $11 on the trifecta.

The Mile was a race we planned on passing, but being in 4th overall going into that race, something had to be tried. We had agreed beforehand that the Euros held a huge advantage here and were unfazed by their lack of success up to that point. Thus, a trifecta was structured that included Karakontie, Anodin, Veda, Mustajeeb and Trade Storm. When three of that group of five made up the trifecta, it gave us $4 on it.

My opinion in the Classic was bad. I loved Tonalist, felt like Bayern would not be able to stay, and wanted to try and use longshots underneath. That obviously did not come to fruition and we ended up losing about 15% of what we had going into that race. We could have sat on our hands there and tried to leapfrog by simply standing pat. That goes against my grain, so we made a play. While it did not work out and we actually lost two spots in the standings, it did not in any way take away from the entire experience of the day.

What contests like the BCBC remind you of is the superiority of live money tournaments. I have had success in $2 WP formats, but have far too often been left frustrated when a seemingly hopeless longshot that someone would have never actually bet galloped home and allowed those "stabbers" to take full advantage. Nothing against their approach, but it seldom feels like "handicapping." Having to back up your opinions with wagers levels the playing field, at least for me.

I look forward to the NHC and hopefully one of the DT contingent doing well!

Agree 100% with this sentiment. Live money is the new wave in contests, for good reason. And on top of it, with large buy in events, it's a handle bonus for the host! There was probably $8-10 million bet by the people in this contest.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

I look forward to the NHC and hopefully one of the DT contingent doing well!

Every single one of you gentlemen who made it has a great chance.

Congrats to you and to Paul!

[tywizard]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Sure. I had a horrible day Friday and had just over 4.2k of the original 7.5k going into Saturday. Didn't cash one ticket on the card, and was really not even close. The strategy for Saturday, which was determined by my partners in the endeavor and I, was to try and hit something before the races where we had to play $900 per race. That really couldn't be tried with the first three being so unappealing from a wagering perspective.

So, my approach in the Juv Fillies was to play the race to collapse on the front end. The ability to bet outside of one's normal bankroll allows you to cautiously cover more bases. I structured a trifecta play in the Juv Fillies using Top Decile, Majestic Presence and Wonder Gal that allowed two of them to finish in the money and still cash. So, Take Charge Brandi holding on was OK as long as two of that trio finished 2nd and 3rd. With Wonder Gal winning the photo, we had $2 on the trifecta.

After a minor hit in the FM Turf, we were in position to maximize a strong opinion, which was that Judy the Beauty was strictly the horse to beat and that longshots were viable for underneath slots. One of those was Better Lucky, who filled out the exacta, and the all spot in 3rd facilitated having Thank You Marylou. We ended up with $11 on the trifecta.

The Mile was a race we planned on passing, but being in 4th overall going into that race, something had to be tried. We had agreed beforehand that the Euros held a huge advantage here and were unfazed by their lack of success up to that point. Thus, a trifecta was structured that included Karakontie, Anodin, Veda, Mustajeeb and Trade Storm. When three of that group of five made up the trifecta, it gave us $4 on it.

My opinion in the Classic was bad. I loved Tonalist, felt like Bayern would not be able to stay, and wanted to try and use longshots underneath. That obviously did not come to fruition and we ended up losing about 15% of what we had going into that race. We could have sat on our hands there and tried to leapfrog by simply standing pat. That goes against my grain, so we made a play. While it did not work out and we actually lost two spots in the standings, it did not in any way take away from the entire experience of the day.

What contests like the BCBC remind you of is the superiority of live money tournaments. I have had success in $2 WP formats, but have far too often been left frustrated when a seemingly hopeless longshot that someone would have never actually bet galloped home and allowed those "stabbers" to take full advantage. Nothing against their approach, but it seldom feels like "handicapping." Having to back up your opinions with wagers levels the playing field, at least for me.

I look forward to the NHC and hopefully one of the DT contingent doing well!

Nick - Congratulations and thanks for posting this...And also your willingness to help via PM/email.

I also agree with your sentiments on live bankroll contests...

My one complaint with the BCBC is that the BCQualify method is not a reflection of the ultimate contest. I wish that format could somehow incorporate something beyond the WP wagering format.

I also wonder if it's possible to link the top 25 or so to the method used to qualify...I wonder if those that have success in the BCBC final contest are more frequently coming from live tournaments as opposed to BCQualify.

[Arletta]

http://www.horseracingnation.com/new...ing_Challenge#

[Arletta]

Nick on Derby Wars ~ Horse Racing Nation

(He's having trouble with his Skype )

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/horseracingnation