Robert Traynor of Oceanside, CA Leads Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge
Breeders Cup Press
ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2019) – Robert Traynor, of Oceanside, California, dominated the first day of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, posting the highest scores with his two entries while leading a record 457 entries in Thoroughbred racing’s biggest live-money handicapping tournament.
Now in its 11th year, the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge will crown the winner with the highest accumulated bankroll at the end of the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which is being held this year at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California on Nov. 1-2. North America’s top horseplayers are battling for a total prize pool of more than $1 million.
In addition to the host site location in the new Players’ Lounge near Baldwin Terrace at Santa Anita Park, individuals are also playing at official satellite locations at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey and Churchill Downs in Louisville, as well as playing online at TVG.com, the Official Wagering Partner of the Breeders’ Cup, and on Xpressbet.com.
Traynor, who won the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and is playing at Santa Anita, earned 53,425 points, and 38,350 points to claim the top two positions after the first day of BCBC action.
Also playing at Santa Anita, local resident John Smith is in third place with 36,620 points. Smith is followed by Jared Henry in fourth with 28,546 and Mike Holland in fifth with 28,000.
Of notable interest is David Portnoy, founder of the Barstool Sports website, who is in sixth place with 27,280 points.
For complete first day results of 2019 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, go to https://www.breederscup.com/bcbc/leaderboard
For the 2019 BCBC, a $2,500 buy-in and $7,500 betting bankroll ($10,000 total) is required of each player. All buy-in monies are applied to the prize pool. Players can bet into the Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta and Daily Double pools with their $7,500 bankroll over the two days and keep all monies earned from their betting.
A blockbuster feature that is back for the 2019 BCBC is the $3 million National Horseplayer Champion (NHC) Tour bonus that will be awarded to any horseplayer who wins the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and the NTRA Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas in January of 2020. As part of a reciprocal agreement with the NHC, Scott Coles, winner of this year’s National Horseplayer Championship in January, is eligible for a $3 million bonus should he win this year’s BCBC.
