Portland Meadows is pleased to announce that it is bringing back its popular handicapping contest after a several year hiatus. The Portland Meadows Preakness Handicapping Contest will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2008 in our Turf Club and will feature a complimentary brunch buffet.
While formats varied over previous contest held here at Portland Meadows, the Preakness Handicapping Contest will feature a live bankroll betting card for the first time. This means that the Handicapping Contest participant with the highest balance on his/her ‘betting card’ at the end of the contest will be deemed the winner. Also, all participants get to keep all pari-mutuel winnings.
Participants must pay a total of $100 with registration which will be comprised of a $50 live bankroll betting card and a $50 entry fee. 100% of entry fees will be paid out to participants in the form of prize money.
Participants will be required to make win and/or place wagers on a minimum of ten races up to a maximum of 15 races which are comprised of mandatory play races and selected play races from six different tracks including Pimlico. The Preakness Stakes from Pimlico will be the last race of contest and will be a mandatory play race. There is a $5 minimum bet per contest race and no maximum.
Handicapping Contest Director Jerry Kohls feels this format will be a fair and true test to bring out the top handicapper of the day. “We’ve looked at handicapping tournaments throughout the country and felt that this would be a good format to go with,” Kohls said. “The live bankroll tournaments seem to be growing in popularity. They are a true test because one could surmise that a contest participant may wager differently if they were using a mythical bankroll versus a live bankroll. Plus, each participant gets to keep all their pari-mutuel winnings for the day in addition to winning any prize money.
“Without a maximum dollar amount on each wager per race, the contest should set up for an interesting day. A participant could seemingly go all-in with their $50 betting card in the very first contest race and go bust or build a substantial lead that others will have to chase,” added Kohls. “Each person’s strategy regarding how much they wager and whether they wager on a selected race or not will play a big role on how successful they are. It isn’t just about picking horses!”
“We’ve selected fifteen races from the most popular tracks around the country for the participants to handicap and bet including five mandatory races which everyone has to play from Pimlico including the Preakness Stakes. The other ten races are two each from Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Golden Gate Fields, Hollywood Park and Emerald Downs. They must play at least five of those selected races and can play as many as ten. We think it will be a fun and exciting day and we’re looking forward to offering many more handicapping contests including several during the Portland Meadows live season.”
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