Esquire's "Horseplayers" Inspire DerbyWars $15,000 Game Winner

The Esquire network's "Horseplayers" show recruited at least one handicapper to contest play - all the way to win DerbyWars' $15,000 Saturday Game!

Anthony Trezza of Denville, New Jersey, closed like Zenyatta with some smart picks at Del Mar to take down the $6,000 First Prize and qualify for Labor Day's $100,000 Game.

"I have been knocking on the door in these bigger tournaments and the door finally opened," Trezza said of his big contest win.

 

"As far as DerbyWars, my interest peaked after watching the show "Horseplayers" on Esquire TV," he said.  "I consider myself a pretty good 'game' player and have taken down some top prizes in fantasy football competitions and have raced virtual horses as well. When the concept of having a contest combining game skill with handicapping skills, I said, 'that's it, I'm in'."

Trezza, who goes by "youare2020" on the gameboard, excelled in the Del Mar contest races for a final score of $114.60. 

"I knew if I would 'hang around' I had my two best bets of the day running late at Del Mar," he explained. "I was sitting in 8th with two races to go and a horse named RED BUTTON was running. This horse came out of a race that I had circled a few weeks back against a horse named Bad Read Sanchez, and was flying late despite getting off horribly slow. I figured he would go off at 6 or 8-1. Shockingly he went off 15-1 and more shockingly nobody in front of me picked him. I knew if he won, I would make it to the top spot with one play left, my best play of the day. Red Button came flying late as predicted and Tyler Baze picked horses off one by one and nailed the 4-5 favorite Homer Matt to launch me into first. My best play BIG CASANOVA won handily in the final race and the rest was history."

 

Trezza has advice for those honing their gameplay in contests. "I have been on DerbyWars since May 10th and have pretty much focused on how some of the top earners have won. My method involves trying to take advantage of the qualifying rounds so that I would have multiple entries into the bigger games. Any advantage is key, because some of these folks in DerbyWars can flat out pick 'em."

For Trezza, his interest in horse racing goes back to his childhood. "My father, Tom, was a horse lover and premier handicapper in his day. He used to take the family to Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga for outings and expose us to those great athletes," he said. "I was reading the Racing Form in second or third grade.  My father took handicapping to a different level and before the internet, he was a source for vital information. I remember him making friends with jockeys and trainers and they would ask him for advice. He and my brother Tom, Jr. owned several standard bred horses and raced them on the east coast. They owned a great one named Carlspur. So I have always been around the horse industry, but those guys were the brains."

Trezzo has shown he has a mind for contest play, and he will get to flex his mental muscles on Labor Day weekend in the 2-day, $100,000 Game featuring Saratoga and Del Mar for the ultimate $50,000 First Prize!

Denis McCormick (panther1), the July 19th $15,000 Game winner, finished 2nd with a final score of $104.80 and added $2,125 in cash to his bankroll and a second entry in the $100 Grander. Bo Pommier (kingsdunes) was third with a $102 score (he was also the only one in the top 4 to pick Wicked Strong in the Jim Dandy), and Nick Fazzolari (NickyFazz) finished out the top four with a score of $92.40. Pommier and Fazzolari also will play in the $100K!