Ohio Man Wins 2014 BCBC Handicapping Challenge at Keeneland

One Ohio man walked out of Keeneland with heavy pockets last Saturday as the 2014 BCBC Handicapping Challenge at Keeneland drew to a close. Champion Joe Whitacre of Springfield, OH wagered his entire bankroll on the winner, and sweated out a photo to capture first prize, with a winning total of $7,675.80.  Runner-up Gary Johnson of Massillon, OH also went all-in, amassing a total of $5,808.50. 

Just how close was it?  Check out this photo finish from the last race.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DerbyWars' Mark Midland was on the scene to speak with Jim Goodman, Keeneland's Director of Mutuels and Simulcasting, who leads the contest efforts for Keeneland.  Jim shared a bit why the contest is so popular (it sold out in 90 minutes) and expansion plans for next year!  

The top five players received fully-paid berths plus expenses to both the $10,000 buy-in BCBC Challenge and the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship.  The sixth and seventh place finishers received entry-fee only entries to the BCBC Challenge ($2,500).  In addition, the top ten finishers received prize money, ranging from $7,500 for the winner to $1,000 for sixth through tenth places.

Seventy-five of the country’s top handicappers competed in the $3,000 buy-in contest, and enjoyed a beautiful day as Keeneland begins to wind down its 2014 fall race meet.  Keeneland sponsors numerous handicapping tournaments throughout the year, and will send a total of sixteen players to the NHC.  Also, for the first time, Keeneland will serve as a satellite location for the 2014 BCBC held at Santa Anita, with players in the upscale Green Room competing with those on-site at the Breeders’ Cup. 

 

Several DerbyWars regulars participated in the contest including Sarah Wiener (swiener, 6th), Al Roehl (LexingtonBeach, 7th), Bob Knowles (Toga, 8th) who finished in the top 10 and many others including George Chute (mrc), Paul Scott (ptscott), Paul Shurman (pshurman), Trey Stiles (ride that pony) and Brett Wiener (bwiener) to name a few. 

Midland was also able to catch up with DerbyWars' Paul Shurman (pshurman), winner of the $15,000 Saturday Contest held October 18th on DerbyWars. Although Shurman did not place in the Keeneland contest, he is a consistently one of the top competitors on DerbyWars.