Week Two

The second week of the Keeneland fall meet settled into a more familiar pattern both in weather and stakes schedule. Fall was finally here with morning temperatures in the 40's and highs mostly in the 60's. Likewise, the stakes schedule settled down to a more pedestrian, one a day, two of which were graded. Attendance held reasonably consistant at 75,000 this week despite a big LSU/Kentucky game in town over the weekend.

The Keeneland Live Meet Handicapping Contest debuted on Wednesday of this past week. The format of the contest, co-sponsored by the DRF, is win/place on races 3 thru 9 and will continue for the next 2 Wednesdays. The entry fee is $10 with a cap of 1000 entrants. Prizes are paid to the top 10 each week and are a guaranteed minimum of $2500 with 100% of the entry fees going to the prize fund.

The top 10 finishers each week also win an entry into the Tournament of Champions to be held here in November. The top 2 in that tournament score an all-expenses-paid entry into the Coast Casino's Horseplayers World Series next year. Last week the top prize went to a local that hit the 51-1 Five Star Thief in the 8th race and took home $1450. The contest had a total of 287 entrants, which excluded myself, due to circumstances beyond my control (I wasn't paying attention!).

This Wednesday I will have an entry and will report back the results. Not being a contest-player, my first notion is to look at longer prices, and look for a high finish with the most likely result being a shutout. I'll report back next week.

Bill Weaver
October 16, 2007