Weekly Handicapping Contest to take Place at Laurel Park
Beginning with the opening weekend of Laurel Park’s fall meet, the Maryland Jockey Club Players’ Challenge Tournament will be held on eight consecutive Sundays with a guaranteed championship round pot of $5,000.
Laurel Park kicks off its fall meet on Friday, Sept. 9 with a 1:10 p.m. first race post time. Saturday's program will feature the Laurel Turf Festival with six stakes, five of them across Laurel's world-class turf course.
The fall schedule will include 32 stakes worth $3.25 million along with the 31st running of the prestigious Jim McKay Maryland Million Saturday, Oct. 22.
Contestants must be 18 and members of the Maryland Jockey Club Premier Player Club to participate in the tournament, which has the first of seven qualifying rounds on Sunday, Sept. 11. The cost is $30 for an entry each week with a maximum of two entries per person per week.
In each of the qualifying weeks, $20 of every $30 goes toward weekly prizes with $10 of each entry carrying over to the championship round, to be held the eighth and final week on Sunday, Oct. 30. All prize money will be distributed as Premier Player Points.
Players will be required to make mythical $2 win/place wagers on the final five live races at Laurel. The top four money earners in each qualifying round earn one entry to the championship round, with weekly prize money broken down at 65 percent for first, 25 percent for second and 10 percent for third.
Prize distribution remains the same in the championship round, where qualifiers have no cap on the maximum number of entries per person.
During the qualifying rounds, Laurel track handicapper Stan Salter will submit a promotional entry. Each player entry which finishes ahead of Salter’s will be awarded 500 Premier Player Points.
Entry forms will be located at each program booth and guest services counter at Laurel. Completed forms and full cash payment must be handed in before post time of the first race in the 50-cent Late Pick 5 each week.
For more information and official rules, visit http://www.laurelpark.com/
Source: Maryland Jockey Club