About Us

About Us

DerbyWars lets you play horse racing contests against other opponents in a fun and easy tournament setting. All too often, horse racing is too difficult to learn, so we wanted to create a contest site which made horse racing fun and easy to learn.

Players can play in multiple tournaments big and small against other opponents for real money. The player who has earned the largest bankroll after the contest is complete wins the top prize.

DerbyWars only offers fantasy sports contests and does not offer any ADW (advance deposit wagering) or online betting on horse racing.

We’ve enjoyed developing DerbyWars and hope it’s just as awesome for you! Be sure to let us know what you think by Contacting Us.

What is DerbyWars?

HRN-HQ-615x400DerbyWars offers horse racing contests, where winners are awarded based on their abilities to skillfully pick horses and compete against other players over a series of races.

In each contest, you pick horses and you move up and down a leaderboard depending on how skillfully you pick those races. It also takes skill to understand the dynamics of the contest and the leaderboard. We currently offer contests several days each week and players can win real money.

The Team Behind DerbyWars

DerbyWars was designed and built by the team behind HorseRacingNation.com. We are all lifelong horse racing fans focused on building sites and games for the horseplayer.

Mark Midland

CEO, Founder

Mark has over 15 years of horse racing marketing experience having held executive positions with Churchill Downs Inc., Harrah’s and Youbet.com.  Mark has a track record of innovating new products including the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (1999), establishing 20-horse wagering in the Kentucky Derby (2001) and the daily guaranteed Pick 4 at Hollywood Park (2003).

While at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs he grew Super Derby handle by 70% in the first year helping it average over $7-million for three straight years.  He also established a marketing partnership with Youbet.com that resulted in a 102% handle increase in two years.

Mark resides in Louisville, Ky., with his wife Kelley and two daughters.  He received his BA in Economics from the University of Illinois and an MBA degree from the University of Louisville.

Mike Shutty

Founder, Investor

Mike has been a passionate horse racing fan for over 30 years. He received his “handicapping education” through countless hours of deciphering the mystery that is embedded in every race. It was the tough beats at the window, however, that propelled him to never make the same mistake twice (well, maybe three times).

Prior to Horse Racing Nation & DerbyWars, Mike owned and managed a successful direct marketing agency for 17 years that he subsequently sold in 2007. In 2007, Mike co-founded www.TrendPointers.com, a new source for predicting shifts in the economy and markets, and serves as Managing Partner.

Mike serves as an investor and developer of handicapping content.

Dave Gutfreund

Partner/Advisor

Dave-Gutfreund

Dave has been involved in gaming as a television host with several horse racing networks, a nine-time Handicapping Tournament winner and as a professional poker player. When he’s not playing poker or racing tournaments, Dave is looking for ways to improve DerbyWars.

Eric Lathrop

Senior Software Engineer

Eric is a professional software developer who is passionate about the web and gaming. He is capable of designing and implementing the full stack of an app, from the front-end JavaScript, to the back-end Elixir, through the server configuration and network architecture.

Candice Curtis

Email Marketing Manager

Candice-Curtis

Candice is a lifelong horse racing fan and player. Her goal in life is to bring this fantastic game into the 21st century and beyond by embracing online and emerging technologies like DerbyWars. She is a graduate of the University of Memphis and the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. Candice counts as a mentor and friend the late Jim Gaffney, one of Secretariat’s exercise riders, who encouraged her to get involved in horse racing full-time.
Follow Candice on Twitter @skipaway2000.