Player Credits Late Father for $25,000 Contest Win
Some contest players will reflect on their in-game strategies following a big score. Others may pound their chest and enjoy the moment. Then you have Tom Strowe (Orsec), who couldn't have been more humble and grateful during the days that followed his $25,000 Saturday Contest score on July 23.
"Winning this contest was one of the biggest thrills I have ever had in horse racing and I will be the first to admit that you absolutely have to be lucky but at the same time you have to have faith in the picks that you make," Strowe said.
Besides making a visit to the winners' circle where he collected a top cash prize of $7,800 and an entry into the $250K game, the victory also sent Strowe for a trip down memory lane.
Strowe talked about the special bond he had with his father at the race track, up until the time he passed away a few years ago.
"I want to tip my cap to you Dad, for without you I could not have won this tournament," he said.
"If you are going to succeed in these tournaments you need at least two of what I call 'cap' winners to put your score up in the $100 range," Strowe explained.
For Strowe, his Saturday success was a carryover from a solid effort he put together the day before in a $25K qualifier which he also finished first. Overall, Strowe has elevated his online tournament presence over the last year by building confidence in smaller winner-take-all contests before chasing the bigger tournaments.
"As time went by, I would look at those bigger tournaments and wondered if I could play at that level" he said. "I would see some of the same names over and over and I would study their scores and it kind of gave me some insight as to what type of score you would have to have to take the bigger pots."
Tournaments in general have renewed the passion for horse racing for Strowe, who explained that he was at a crossroads with betting horses three years ago.
"I really scaled down my play as I was not happy with the short prices and the late tote changes," he said. "I just felt as if it was getting more difficult to end a year in positive territory."
He stressed the point that online tournaments offer a lot of value and a chance for a "score of a lifetime."
Lockdowns initially lured Strowe to DerbyWars because he enjoyed the fact that he could study the races and make selections without having to stay in front of his computer the entire time.
Once again, Strowe finds himself enjoying horses like the days he and his Dad spent following the NYRA circuit.
"I want all DerbyWars players to know that if I can win one of these tournaments, you can too," he said.
--- By Dustin Haluska
Get In The Game at DerbyWars.com!