Too Much To Play

by Ed Meyer

posted on October 25, 2009 in Breeders Cup, General Discussion | No Comments >>

On Breeders’ Cup Day, there will be a HUGE handicapping contest at Santa Anita. It cost $10,000 to enter, and that is a little steep.  The contest is $2,500 to the pot, and $7,500 goes towards a live bankroll. They have quite a few money people across the pond who ponied up to be there. But, think about this before you make a final decision. They are capping this at 80 entries, and there are 8 left if you have the jack to enter….

Back to the big contest. If they have 80 people @ $2,500 per person, it comes out to $200,000 to play for. Now, submit this for your approval. Since the B/C goes around the globe, make it a $200 entry contest. All can play online, or make your wagers at your local track. Let’s be kind and say that there would be 2,000 around the globe who would play… That gives it a nice pool of $400,000 prize money. Make it the same rules as the NTRA contest. First, take 20% of the prize money and use it to send those to the finals in Vegas… That is $80,000 to send players. How many seats do you think would be available?  This does not make it a rich player’s game. It opens it up to everyone in the game. The contest would be available to everyone at a reduced price for more money…. There would be NO money taken out by Santa Anita. This would be a nice way of rewarding players. As far as creating handle, don’t you think that the players who enter would be making wagers on the biggest day of the year? Open the doors to everyone… Don’t have 80 people dressed to the nines in a private room. Open it up to the world. They still bet through the same hub. No problem there, so why not take a try?

Oh, I guess it is easy to sit back and play couch quarterback… But, when you make the mistake of not opening up the biggest days to the everyday people, you create problems. Do you think the 80 people in the “Gold Room” will bet more than every outlet in the world? I think not, and the idea is good. But not on the biggest day of racing… Open the gates, and let them play. Invest in the future and let everyone in… Everyone wins…. Oh, that 2,000 person estimate is low… I see 500 or better play in an online contest in November that qualifies 25 players. This would be the world’s biggest, and what better day than on the biggest day of racing… I would play for sure… I know many others that would as well….