News & Barn notes

Deadline To Register For Saturday’s $2,000 Pick Your Prize Handicapping Challenge At Monmouth Park Is Noon On Friday

May 30, 2024

The deadline for registering for this Saturday’s $2,000 Pick Your Prize Handicapping Challenge at Monmouth Park – one of the biggest handicapping tournaments in the country – is noon on Friday, May 31, tournament director Brian Skirka announced.

The innovative handicapping tournament has solidified itself as a can’t-miss-event in the contest world. In each of the past two years, Pick Your Prize has awarded 25 seats to the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in Las Vegas – an all-time record among contests. Based on its record 299 entries, the 2023 version of Pick Your Prize also awarded eight Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) seats and nearly $100,000 in cash as part of its nearly $300,000 prize pool.

Pick Your Prize can be played on-site at Monmouth Park or online through contest ADWs Xpressbet, Fanduel and 4NJBETS. Fanduel and 4NJBETS participants must also pre-register by noon Eastern on Friday, May 31. Xpressbet players may pre-register or sign up directly through Xpressbet up until 12:50 p.m. on contest day. Per contest rules there is a maximum of two entries per person.

To pre-register, players should contact Skirka at 732-571-6595 or bskirka@monmouthpark.com.

There is no walk-up registration.

Contestants can start checking in at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the Turf Club. The Turf Club will serve as the main contest room.

A player’s $2,000 buy-in is broken down into a $1,000 bankroll and $1,000 to the prize pool. All players must bet a minimum of five races at $200 apiece. Win, place, show, exacta and doubles are permitted. All Monmouth Park live races make up the wagering menu.

There is a 12-race card at Monmouth Park on Saturday,

In addition to the main event on June 1, Pick Your Prize weekend will also consist of a second tournament on Sunday, June 2. The $300 on-site-only contest will award a 2025 NHC seat to the Top 2 finishers and cash prizes to the Top 10.

Players looking to make a hotel reservation for the contest weekend are recommended to contact the Doubletree Tinton Falls/Eatontown, the Sheraton Eatontown, the Holiday Inn Express West Long Branch or the Homewood Suites in Eatontown. All hotels are located within 10 minutes of the track. Promo codes for all hotels are available at www.monmouthpark.com/partner-hotel.

In total, Monmouth Park will host over 10 NHC qualifiers throughout 2024.  A full list of contest dates and rules can be found at www.monmouthpark.com.