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Horse Player World Series Satellite Saturday – In The Money Must Pay

Saturday’s $100 entry-fee HPWS Satellite handicapping contest will qualify at least one player for an entry, accommodations, and $450 for airfare to the 2018 Horse Player World Series at The Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas the week of March 8.

The total prize package is valued at $2,450.

This satellite is a mythical $2 Win Place format with entrants making 10 plays on races of their choice during the contest time window which is roughly 11am until 5:30pm (contest-eligible races will be posted). Points are earned based on mutuel prices with caps at $60 and $40.

For every 25 entries one player wins a HPWS entry.  Additional entry fees are paid as prize money to the next highest score.

Once in Vegas, entrants do battle for three days, making mythical plays on 15 races each day with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash on the line.

Local handicapper Bruce Meyer qualified for the HPWS two years ago by winning an entry in a Canterbury satellite. “It’s a bomb tossing affair,” he said. “If you are a mythical-money tournament player, this contest is for you. The best thing about it is that it is held at The Orleans. It’s an old-school casino. The Prime Rib Loft speaks for itself.”

In The Money Must Pay On Saturday

Last Saturday there was one player, known as The Biscuit, alive into the final race of the 10-race Fair Grounds card which was the contest track for the In The Money Contest.  The Biscuit had successfully navigated his way through the first nine races using a mix of favorites and mid-priced horses. To win the contest each selection must finish in the top three.  Players were eliminated left and right leaving only The Biscuit still standing and just one race separating him and the prize money. His race 10 pick took late money dropping from 3 to 1 to 9/5 favoritism as the gates popped. From there things went the wrong way and The Biscuit’s horse faded to finish last.

All of this means that on Saturday the In The Money Contest will be a must pay with the prize money, guaranteed to be at least $750, going to the player or players that survive the longest. Again, each selection must finish in the top three to avoid elimination. The contest track will be Santa Anita. Entry to the contest is $10 and players may have only one entry.

Handicapper of the Year Comes Down to the Wire

The 2017 Canterbury Park Handicapper of the Year will be determined Saturday. Contest players earn points throughout the year playing both free-to-enter and pay-to-enter handicapping contests.  The player accumulating the most points wins the honors, a trophy, and $2,000 in cash.  Second place receives $500. The current standings look like this:

Mike Ferrozzo   13

Pamela Kight      12

Bruce Meyer      10

Bob Cyza              8

Mike Daniels      8

Saturday’s HPWS Satellite will award three points to the winner and two to the second place finisher. Mike Ferrozzo is in the driver’s seat. Pamela Kight needs a top two finish in that contest to pass him or to win In The Money and earn the one point that contest awards to achieve a tie and force a playoff.  Bruce Meyer has won Handicapper of the Year four times and is in with a shot as well.

The quest for 2018 HOY begins January 4 when another series of HPWS super satellites begins.