Tang takes King of the Turf
Grand Sonata keys oncologist’s King of the Turf victory
Almost out with three races left, Tang finishes with $18,252
By Jennie Rees
FRANKLIN, Ky. (Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024) — Among those thrilled with 15-1 shot Grand Sonata’s victory in Saturday’s $2 million FanDuel TV Kentucky Turf Cup was Dr. Ronald Tang.
The oncologist in Pasadena, Calif., won Kentucky Downs’ 2024 King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge — and with it the distinction of being proclaimed National Turf Handicapper of the Year — thanks to the Todd Pletcher-trained Grand Sonata as well as the runner-up at 9-2 odds, Highway Robber, in the Grade 2 stakes.
Tang, who is one of the top competitors on the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour this year, blew away the field with a final bankroll of $18,252.55. That was $3,913 more than runner-up Rich Pawlowski’s $14,339 in the live-money, online tournament held on Saturday’s showcase card.
“I didn’t have to be right on every single race,” Tang said by phone. “In the tournament, I was right on two out of the 12 races, and it got me this prize. I pressed my opinions appropriately, and luckily it came out on my side.”
In addition to keeping his bankroll, Tang earned first-place prize money of $33,450 and was awarded a $10,000 entry in this fall’s Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBS). He also will receive a personalized Global Tote King of the Turf Championship Belt patterned after the championship belts awarded in boxing and mixed martial arts.
“That was the key thing,” Tang cheerfully said in a phone conversation. “Not just to win, but I was like, ‘I want that belt and I want that King of the Turf title.’”
Here’s how Dr. Tang became King Tang:
Tang had two entries, which he earned by competing in HorseTourneys.com feeder and qualifiers. He said his strategy was to use one entry on the early races to see if he could get off to a fast start, then save the second entry for the late races. He said he figured he had to get to $15,000 – 10 times the starting live-money bankroll of $1,500 — to win.
That first entry busted out after the fourth race, in which Boy Boy paid $52 to win. With tournament rules requiring at least five races be played for each entry, he decided to play the final five races, then promptly whiffed on races eight and nine.
“I was down to $540, so I was almost out,” Tang said. “I had three races to win this thing, so I had to make a big move. Race 10 was one of my stronger opinions of the day. When I saw Grand Sonata at 15-1, I thought, ‘If I’m going to get back into the tournament, this is the one.’ I wasn’t comfortable with the next race. I thought, yes, Cogburn was really strong, but the double to Cogburn wasn’t paying that much. So I decided to play exactas.”
Tang said he played a $75 exacta box with Grand Sonata and #1 Highway Robber, as well as Grand Sonata in two other combinations.
“That $75 turned into about $7,000 for me,” he said. “So I was almost half-way there. I think I got to third place at that point in time. I think there was somebody at $12,000 and $13,000.”
With two races left, Tang liked Race 12 for older maidens better than Race 11, featuring Cogburn as the big favorite in the $2 million Ainsworth Turf Sprint. He burned up $600 using 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Nobals in late doubles to three horses in the last race. Nobals ran fourth.
With one race left, Tang said the contest leader was at about $14,000, and he was down to about $6,000.
“For me, it was a choice between sitting tight and be happy getting some prize money and a BCBC or NHC seat,” said the married father of two young children. “But I can’t go to NHC next March because I’m going to a friend’s wedding in Paris. For BCBC, I already have the (maximum) two entries. I thought, ‘With first-place prize money being $33,000, if I could get another $9,000 to get that $33,000, that’s a huge opportunity. I got to go for the win.’”
He decided to key the Bill Mott-trained #12 Thornbury, a close second choice at just under 4-1 in the card’s finale. At the last second, Tang became intrigued by #6 Four Top, a 14-1 shot trained by Mike Maker. He bet a 12-6 exacta box for $270 and played some other combinations.
The 12-6 came in, returning $13,592.80 for Tang’s $270 bet, bringing his bankroll to a tournament-best $18,252.
Tang, who lives about 10 minutes away, became a casual horseplayer going to Santa Anita Park. He took up playing in handicapping contests during Covid, when so many sports were canceled, and became a far more sophisticated bettor. In fact, he currently ranks No. 10 on the NHC Tour – and that’s before the standings are updated with the weekend competition.
“I’m moving on up, that’s all I know,” he said.
Tang has played in past King of the Turf tournaments and enjoys betting on Kentucky Downs. He said he really liked this year’s format, with just one tournament but requiring a bigger buy-in ($2,500, of which $1,500 went to bankroll and $1,000 toward the prizes).
“It gives you the opportunity to build that prize money, and that attracts more people,” he said. “Now you can say, ‘For first place we’re giving away 30,000-something dollars. There are very few tournaments that will get you that first-place money.”
As far as betting Kentucky Downs as a regular player, he said, “If you can hit one Pick 5 at Kentucky Downs, that pays for the whole meet.”
