It’s Flo-Cal Faceoff time!

For the fifth consecutive year, some of the nation’s best handicappers will do battle against each other by making making mythical $2.00 win-and-place selections on every race of the Saturday and Sunday cards from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla., and Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

The entry fee for the Live-format Flo-Cal Faceoff is $1,500, and entries may be purchased right up until post time (12:10 pm ET) for Saturday’s 1st race at Gulfstream. There is a limit of two entries per person.

Meanwhile, $118, 1-per-15 qualifiers to the $250,000 Gtd. Faceoff will continue to be offered right through Friday. 

In addition to the lucrative prize money at stake, the top 100 finishers in the Flo-Cal Faceoff will earn points in the new, 2024 HorseTourneys Grand Slam series.

At the end of the series, the top points scorer will earn paid entries to all four HorseTourneys Grand Slam events in 2024. The runner up receives seats to any two of the four, and the third-place finisher gets his or her choice of a seat to any one Grand Slam tourney in 2024. Please note that, should a player place two entries in the top 100 in any Grand Slam competition, only a player’s top score will count for Grand Slam bonus points purposes.

As noted earlier, this is the fifth edition of the Flo-Cal Faceoff. Here’s who won the first four:

While the Flo-Cal Faceoff is the undisputed headliner of the upcoming weekend, it is by no means the only featured-tourney being offered this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here’s what else is going on, starting with Friday:

There’s a Multi-track Last Chance qualifier for the Flo-Cal Faceoff on Friday (and be on the lookout in case we add any single-track Flo-Cal qualifiers as well during the afternoon and/or the evening.

Our first HT Tour event of the weekend is Friday’s $15,000 Guaranteed No Limit Pick & Pray. It’s $190 to enter.

A week from Saturday is the Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship. You can play it either on track at Gulfstream or at Xpressbet. And you can get a $6,500 package for it if you win Friday’s $384 Pick & Pray.

Also on the Friday menu are Pick & Pray qualifiers to the NHC Last Chance/First Chance contest and the Tampa Bay Downs Last Chance/First Opportunity tournament. It matters not whether you prefer the word “chance” or “opportunity”. It only matters that you have $59 in your account if you want to play the NHC game and $80 if you wish to participate in its Tampa Bay Downs counterpart.

There’s featured-tourney action at HorsePlayers too on Friday.

It’s a $75 NHC qualifier with two seats guaranteed—and plenty of NHC Tour points up for grabs.

The 10 featured-tourney contest races on Friday are the 6th through 9th at Gulfstream, the same races (6 through 9) at Tampa Bay Downs and the 8th and 9th from Laurel Park.

Saturday is Day 1 of the $250,000 Guaranteed Flo-Cal Faceoff. There are six other marquee games that day, however, for your handicapping consideration.

The Flo-Cal Faceoff is a 2024 HT Tour event…and so is Saturday’s $15,000 Guaranteed, No Limit Pick & Pray. You can play in exchange for an upfront investment of $350.

Saturday’s NHC qualifying opportunity is here at HorseTourneys…in the form of a $165 Pick & Pray with two spots certain.

For the second consecutive day, Pick & Pray qualifiers to the Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship and the NHC Last Chance/First Chance tournament are on the menu.

Sam Houston joins the featured-tourney fun on Saturday with a play-in to its Houston Racing Festival Handicapping Contest. One of every 15 entrants, at $79 per entry, will pick up a $1,000 starting bankroll to use at Sam Houston on January 27.

The Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge has the floor to itself on Saturday at HorsePlayers.

It’s a $179 qualifier with a winning ratio of $165 and one $10,000 seat for November guaranteed.

There are 12 contest races for our Saturday features (other than the Flo-Cal Faceoff). They are the 6th through 11th from Gulfstream; the 5th through 8th at Tampa; and races 5 and 6 at Santa Anita. Closing time is slated for 2:39 pm ET.

On Sunday we will crown a 2024 Flo-Cal Faceoff champion. Winners will also be crowned that day in six other featured tourneys.

The day’s featured cash game—and HT Tour event—is Sunday’s $10,000 Gtd. No Limit Pick & Pray. The price of admission is $250.

Once again, there are qualifiers on tap for the January 27 Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship and the same day’s Houston Racing Festival Handicapping Contest.

A play-in to the Tampa Bay Downs Last Chance/First Opportunity tournament rejoins the featured-tourney fray on Friday.

The Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and NHC share the spotlight on Sunday at HorsePlayers.

The BCBC game is a $500 Low Ratio Pick & Pray with one spot certain.

The NHC qualifier guarantees two seats. It’s a “regular,” $165 Pick & Pray.

We wish all of you “Faceoffers” well in your quest for a six-figure payday this weekend. And even if you will be hunting smaller game, we wish you good luck as well!