Handicapping Challenge

[PaceAdvantage]

Just got an e-mail from jack300s over at the DRF (post your picks) board. He's looking to get a contest going between boards again (that board, PA, and Hottalkers were mentioned).....anybody up for it? I know I am...LOL

Jack says they don't have a huge group, but they are a pretty good bunch of cappers. Are we ready to defend our title from the last inter-board challenge???


==PA

Let's see...can't remember picking a winner since Delmar closed...sitting at a slick 4-for-30 in the Brisnet contest...Yup, I must be ready.

Mikekk

[Trijack]

I think it is a lot of fun and it don't cost anything to have these kind of contest between boards. We have had bragging rights for sometime now. Go for it.

[Whitehos]

Although I still have a slim chance iin the Bris contest count me in.

Chalky Whitehos

[superfecta]

I am willing if the rules are right ,eg. I don't have to post everyday.
How about a contest on the Breeders Cup Day?Maybe with exotic bets instead of straight betting?With a betting cap of some sort,so you can't "buy" the race?Anyway I will do my part,for what it is worth.....

[smf]

PA,

Did you folks discuss the format? Is the format the same as last year?

[PaceAdvantage]

No format discussed yet....I am just floating the idea out there at this point. I assume the BC will be a major part of the contest, which doesn't give us much time to get this thing together....

[HorseLady]

I'm a member of both boards, but already committed to DRF. I post my picks there almost daily, (for NYRA tracks only) didn't know if you guys and gals did that here. I suppose the selection board is for that?

Anyway, Jack explained it over on DRF to mean that the team with the highest ROI for wins only.

I don't recall what track it is though. I would love for it to be a NYRA track, but I suppose the teams will decide.

Good luck to all teams involved!

[smf]

I'll sign up. If you get more volunteers than necessary I'll step aside for the betterment of the team, lol. My handicapping skills and efforts are pretty much limited to mid-atlantic tracks now, but I'll volunteer.

[hdcper]

Hi All,

I must admit we all did a fine job last time!!! And I certainly would like to try again, but Breeder Cup weekend is not good for me(believe it or not the University of Arizona is having Parent weekend during that weekend and my daughter wants me to attend).
Just can't believe a school that has a degree in Race Track management doing something like that. I haven't missed a Breeders Cup since it started!

So if the Breeders Cup races are included I must pass, but otherwise count me in!!!!!!

Hdcper

[Tom]

I'm up for it.

Tom

[ridersup]

Would like to participate. Last year there was a qualifing feature to selecting the team. Anything in mind this year.

Ridersup

[ceejay]

I'll play also if you need. And I won't use the random number generator (even though it has been doing very well in HTR's contests). You might include the HTR board as well if they wanna play.

How about a qualifing tourney to pick the players if we get too many volunteers?

[JimG]

PA:

I'll participate if you'd like. Sounds like fun.


Jim

[smf]

Looks like a seriously stout group here.

Ceejay, that rg2.0 is cranking over there. Can you market that baby?

[PaceAdvantage]

HTR is certainly welcome to join, as is HorseStreet (although I know there are a lot of people who are participants of HTR, HSH and PA, which might make it difficult to assemble large enough teams from each board??)

Last year we had a four week contest, with the BC as the final week. Unfortunately, this year, we only have one weekend left before the BC.

I think we should limit the number of people per team to 8 (for the number of BC races).

I guess this year we could START the contest on BC day, and go for 3 Saturdays after that. Jack300S from DRF says he liked last year's format, so we should go with that again.

If people think starting this weekend is a better idea, and ending two weeks after the BC, that's fine also.

I say we use last year's rules. Now we just have to figure out when the contest should start.....


I will go dig out the rules from last year...

[The Judge]

Count me in. I'm on a hot streak. So the sooner the better for me. If it has to be a team I'll step down.

[smf]

Hdcper, maybe we can get an ok for you to play the other dates (assuming you pass the qualifier round--you will) and have a stand-in for you on BC weekend. Your circumstances are understandable for a "weekend pass" I'd think.

[The Judge]

Count me in, I'm on a hot streak so for me the sooner the better. If it has to be teams and we have to many cappers I'll watch us kick butt from the side lines.

[PaceAdvantage]

If a certain team doesn't meet the 8 player limit, then they can of course have a team member or members double up on the tracks they cover.

Basically, what will happen is that each Saturday, we (probably me, since we won last year....LOL) will choose a list of 8 tracks. Each team member from each team will either choose or be assigned a track to cover. The team member then picks 5 races from their assigned track (any 5 races) and submits a top choice to win, as well as two alternate selections in case of late scratches.

This will give us a total 128 races for the four week contest (The 8 races on BC day will be distributed 1 EACH to each team member, instead of the usual 5 races per track).

Makes sense??

==PA

[smf]

Looks like I'll be unavailable on the weekend of nov10-11. I'll volunteer as a stand-in for the other dates, tho.

[Que]

I'd play... maybe we could get multiple teams so everyone that wants to play would have the opportunity.

Que.

[PaceAdvantage]

I haven't heard anything from the DRF board today. Ideally, this contest will begin this Saturday, continue with the BC races on 10/27 and Saturday's races on 11/3, then finish up on 11/10.

That's four weekends, 8 tracks (5 races per track) per Saturday on 10/20, 11/3 and 11/10 = 120 races

+

The 8 BC races on 10/27 = 8 Races

Grand total = 128 races just like last year.

Teams can be any size, up to 8 players. The more players you get, the less work you have to split between individual players.....

I had a lot of fun with this last year (not only because team PA won....LOL)


==PA

[HorseLady]

Clear as mud PA! LOL

I had understood it to be that I would cap a particular track (my preference is NYRA, though have never 'capped Big A).

How do you choose which races to 'cap on a card?

These were my results for our daily DRF contest. We do it based on a $2 wps bet on your first pick horse. If s/he scratches, you have an alternate. After that, or in leiu of an alternate, you get the PTF. We also do Pk 3, 4, 6 and DD. No ex, tri, or supers.

HorseLady 4 wins, 1 show, 1 PK3 = $101.90

Now if I can keep that up and pick good winners I should be set.

Am I allowed to visit paceadvantage.com during this challenge, or is that spying? LOL

[PaceAdvantage]

Win bets only. I will keep track of Win% and ROI, however, the team with the best ROI shall be declared the winner.

For illustrative purposes, let's suppose the 8 tracks this weekend were as follows:

BEL, KEE, SA, CRC, DEL, MED, LAD, BM

If you choose to take on Belmont, or are assigned Belmont, it is up to YOU to choose 5 races on that Belmont card to handicap, and submit 5 win bets, along with 2 alternates for each race in case of scratches.....

It has always been up to the player to choose which 5 races he or she will handicap and submit to the contest.


==PA

[hdcper]

Hi All,

SMF thanks for the nice comments and like you I would be glad to be a fill in for anyone who can't cover a week. Or if I qualify, select for the other three weekends(excluding BC and give that race to any of our other excellent handicappers).

Although I use HSH in part of my handicapping, I truly want to be on PA's team.

Also if I remember right PA, last year no handicapper could do the same track during more than one weekend. Making it more competitive. Not sure I am right on this, but only you would know.

Go Pace Advantage!!!!!

Hdcper

[HorseLady]

Okay PA, so this means if I chose Belmont this weekend, I couldn't do Belmont again??? Eeek. Just as long as it's not Prarie Meadows :)

[PaceAdvantage]

HL,

You could do Belmont all 4 weeks, if your other team members don't protest!! LOL

The only hard and fast rules are that there are no more than 8 people per team per week....all win bets must be posted by 12:00 noon eastern time, with the exception of night tracks......

I will be creating a separate section of this message board where our PA team members can post their selections, and where I will post details about the contest....


==PA

[HorseLady]

Ouch, that doesn't allow for much time after scratches.. I know today they came rather late, maybe 11:45am. I'll have to talk to my buddy with his media connections since he told me they get them early (lucky *&$*%).

It will be fun either way. Time to put my (lack of) skills to the test!

[PaceAdvantage]

hdcper,

I think there is a chance we may have more boards participating this year (we only had 3 last year). Therefore, it will be difficult to police a rule which would not allow someone to handicap the same track week after week, so I am not going to include that rule this year.

Plus, it would be difficult (or costly) for some people who use the DRF solely to handicap to find PPs for tracks that aren't in their home area. (For instance, Woodbine isn't carried in the NY edition of the DRF....)


==PA

[PaceAdvantage]

We now have an Inter-Board Handicapping Contest forum in place. Please post any comments, questions, or selections for the contest in that forum from now on...


Thanks,

==PA