It may just be March, but it’s time to start thinking about Saratoga. That’s because our very first qualifier for the 2018 Saratoga Challenge (to be held for the first time on a Friday-Saturday) is this Sunday. This is by far the earliest that we’ve ever offered Saratoga qualifiers, but as far as we’re concerned, it’s never too early to begin thinking “Spa.”
Triple Crown prep season is always one of the most exciting times on the racing calendar—and this year, even more so as the time coincides with several new contests and developments here at HorseTourneys. With so much new going on over a relatively short period of time, it seems like a good time to run it all down for you.
We’re back in the saddle after a post-Horseplayer World Series week of R&R. Though, having spent that week primarily in Las Vegas, it was actually more a week of B&B—betting and beveraging.
Last weekend’s top players at HorseTourneys were obviously more focused on the horses than on March Madness or St. Patrick’s Day frivolity (though we know that many are more than capable of multitasking).
Riding the strength of a great third day–and fighting off the weakness of a cold that had sapped his energy–Bob Montgomery won the 2018 Horseplayer World Series (HPWS) crown. The victory over his 427 opponents was worth $231,120, plus a Day 3 bonus of $3,852 for his second-best-of-all Saturday score.
After a tournament-best Day 1 total of 1526 points, Roberto Ruiz added a more modest total of 428 points on Day 2–but that was sufficient for the North Middletown, N.J., resident to retain first place after two days of the three-day Horseplayer World Series (HPWS) at The Orleans hotel and casino in Las Vegas.
Roberto Ruuiz, a resident of North Middletown, N.J., took the lead midway through Day 1, and held it safe the rest of the day–finishing with a final Thursday score of 1,526 points–to earn a $7,704 daily prize in this weekend’s $577,800 Horseplayer World Series at The Orleans in Las Vegas.
Perhaps you noted last week that the NTRA has developed a new system by which NHC Tour members will now receive a rating of somewhere between 2 and 10, based on their play in the NHC and NHC qualifying events during the current year and over the past four years.
Fountain of Youth Day was a big one for many. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode five winners, including the day’s biggest, Promises Fulfilled. Dale Romans not only trained Promises Fulfilled—thereby insuring a Derby start as long as the horse stays healthy—he scratched the more highly fancied Free Drop Billy from the Gulfstream headliner to run him instead in this Saturday’s Gotham. It’s questionable, however, whether Ortiz and Romans were happier at the end of the day than HorseTourneys player Mark Thomason.
Last week we bemoaned the lack of Kentucky Derby preps. This Saturday we have a good one—the Fountain of Youth from Gulfstream featuring the 2018 debut of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Good Magic. The Gulfstream card on Saturday is loaded with stakes. To pump up the day further, we are offering an up-to-$75,000 Pick & Pray with $50,000 Guaranteed. More on that in a bit.
According to the Horse Player World Series page on the website of The Orleans Hotel and Casino (www.orleanscasino.com), eligible contest tracks for the March 8-10 Horse Player World Series have been announced.
