|
 FRANKLIN, Ky. (Monday, Aug. 5, 2024) — Qualifying for Kentucky Downs’ King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge on Saturday Sept. 7 is underway through feeder tournaments and direct qualifiers on horsetourneys.com. Among those playing is Tom Rapps, who after winning the 2022 King of the Turf is even more keen to compete in the live-money, online tournament every year.
For the next month, there will be plenty of opportunities to secure an entry at far less than the $2,500 buy-in to compete in King of the Turf, whose winner is crowned as National Turf Handicapper of the Year and awarded the coveted Global Tote King of the Turf Championship Belt.
The King of the Turf this year has a new one-day format with a $2,500 buy-in on Sept. 7 that creates the biggest betting contest Kentucky Downs has ever staged. Rapps thinks the format change will prove extremely popular. But he also appreciates the horsetourneys.com feeder and direct qualifier competitions and the fact that Kentucky Downs is staging a pair of online, live-money play-In tournaments on the track’s Thursday Aug. 29 and Sunday Sept. 1 cards, with $300 and $400 entry fees, respectively.
“For a smaller-budgeted player like myself, if I can win my way in, I’ll certainly do that,” Rapps said. “… It’s kind of neat. You see a lot of the big names trying to win their way in. I think there’s a lot of interest in this $2,500, single-day tournament.”
The $2,500 per-entry buy-in covers $1,500 for the player’s bankroll and $1,000 toward the prize pool. Based on 100 entries, the prize pool would be $100,000.
The first-place King of the Turf finisher — determined by having the largest bankroll at the contest’s end — will receive a prize package to the 2025 National Horseplayers Championships (NHC) next March in Las Vegas and an entry into the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) in November, worth $10,000. The winner also receives $25,000 cash (based on 100 entries), plus his or her winning bankroll. And, of course, there’s the instantly iconic Global Tote King of the Turf belt designed after boxing’s championship belts and guaranteed to gain the recipient the respect and envy of fellow tournament players.
“It was the highlight of my handicapping career,” said Rapps, who is from suburban Cleveland and is in the building-materials sales business. “It was a great experience. I’d love to repeat all those things: the NHC, the BCBC, pick up another belt at the NHC awards dinner – all highlights of my handicapping career.”
At least five NHC packages and two BCBC berths are guaranteed to be awarded to the King of the Turf’s top finishers. Additional prizes will be awarded based on the total number of entries. The tournament host takes no money out of the entry fees, with 100 percent going to the prize pool and players’ bankrolls.
Hospitality is available on a first-come first-served basis, and contingent on inventory, for King of the Turf contestants wanting to play at the track.
“It’s a privilege to again be working with the Kentucky Downs team to put on the iconic King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge,” said King of the Turf Tournament Director Brian Skirka. “This event — highlighted by the Championship belt — has been strongly embraced by handicapping contest players across the country and I thank them for their continued support.
“While the main event has moved to a $2,500 buy-in, I’m glad to see there are so many low-cost ways to win a seat, including on HorseTourneys and through the Kentucky Downs feeders on Aug. 29 and Sept. 1. As a fan of grass racing myself, I’m especially excited to see the main event on Sept. 7 – which promises to be the best single day of turf racing this country has ever seen.”
Kentucky Downs’ Aug. 29 and Sept. 1 play-in tournaments each will feature two prize packages to the 2025 NHC and also award $2,500 entries to the King of the Turf. Additional prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries.
The horsetourneys.com feeder tourneys have a $46 entry fee to try to earn a $197 spot in weekend qualifiers for the $2,500 into the Sept. 7 event. The feeder tournaments award one spot in the direct qualifier tourneys for every five entries. For the direct qualifiers into the King of the Turf, the ratio generally is 1 spot awarded for every 15 entries.
The King of the Turf tournament is played online only through Xpressbet, TVG, 4NJBETS and HPI.
“The King of the Turf Challenge, in its various formats, continues to be one of the most popular contests during the year,” said Eric Wing, HorseTourneys’ communications director. “That’s a function both of the quality and competitiveness of Kentucky Downs racing and also that it’s a very well-run event. It can absolutely support a $2,500 entry fee. But there are players who won’t buy in for that amount, and that’s where HorseTourneys comes in. The direct qualifiers and feeders, you can get that $2,500 seat for as little as $197 or even $46.”
Email King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge Tournament Director Brian Skirka at bskirka@monmouthpark.com with questions and to register for the King of the Turf and the Aug. 29 and Sept. 1 play-in tournaments. |
