King Of The Bluegrass

by Ed Meyer

posted on July 24, 2009 in General Discussion | No Comments >>

I love to play in contests.  Point blank…. I have no complaints about any.. If I don’t like the rules, then I don’t play. That doesn’t happen much for me, as I adapt to most formats. Here is an idea for contest enthusiasts.

Let’s have a mega contest…. Let us use Kentucky as an example. Each player will be asked to enter for $1000. You may use the $2 to win and place format with a cap of $42 and $22.. You will accumulate a bankroll which will accumulate from contest t0 contest. There will be a total of seven contests. This is an average of around $143 per contest. This is not bad for many players to pony up.

Here is the idea. We’ll call it the “The King of the Bluegrass.” There will be seven wagering contests.  The best part about this contest is that you can play at any Kentucky track, or online with a special hub to take wagers on the contest only. This will allow out of state players (where wagering is allowed) to play from the comfort of their own home. This keeps players focused on the Kentucky product, and should increase handle quite a bit for the host track running it. It only makes sense that players who sign up and play a contest make some cash wagers as well.. Sound good so far?

We will start at Turfway Park. All of the seven tracks can use the $2 win and place format. The entry fee once again is $1000. There will be an automatic fee of 10% of the entry money going to the finals.  With online players, and being able to play at the closest Kentucky track, this should be able to draw 1000 players. There will be $900,000 in the pot, and with the 10% finals deduction, this leaves $100,000 to send players to Vegas.

TurfwayKeenlandChurchillEllis TurfwayKeeneland and the finals to be held on the Churchill contest. The finals will be determined by the accumulated score. The top ten will go on to the NTRA contest in Vegas, and the next ten will go to The Orleans for the “World Series of Handicapping.” This will come out of the $100,000.

This is unique as many may play from home, or for those who prefer to be at the track, in Kentucky.  This keeps everyone focused on the host track running for each leg of the contest. This should boost handle, and allow contest players to take a shot at a large pool and send many to Vegas. By switching tracks, you level the playing field by allowing entrants a variety to wager.

You can tweak out the contest by allowing players to wager by phone if you like, or lowering the level of entry. The idea is to keep focus on one state who is racing, and present a neat contest for those who enjoy them.  I like to keep my mind and options open. If this doesn’t work for you, then get with your oval and let them know your thoughts. I think they will listen to your ideas, and before you know it change will happen…