@sophia Captures Saturday $5,000 Tournament
Barbara Bowley may have only started handicapping a year ago, but she has quickly caught up to her prognosticating peers. She proved that much on Saturday afternoon when she bested a field of sixty handicappers to clinch victory in the first $5,000 tournament of the weekend.
Bowley, known to DerbyWars players by her handle “@sophia” (so named after her favorite feline friend), started showing up in DerbyWars contests just two months ago and has quickly made her presence known. A frequent tournament competitor since then, Bowley is no stranger to the digital winner’s circle despite her relatively recent arrival to the art of handicapping.
“Anyone can do well with a basic knowledge of racing,” Bowley humbly noted. But it’s also worth noting that while Bowley may be a newcomer to handicapping, she is no newcomer to the equestrian world. Her family has been around horses for literally her entire life, from the very moment Bowley was born in Saratoga Springs, NY, while her family was in town to buy a yearling. Bowley has continued the tradition of owning horses and currently is part of the ownership team of stakes winning filly A Jealous Woman, based in Bowley’s current home state of California.
Having been around horses for so long, Bowley relies heavily on her keen sense of horseflesh to give her an advantage in handicapping contests. But she also recognizes that the tournament format lends itself to deeper layers of strategy.
“I like to see how horses look, I like to judge them by the horseflesh,” Bowley remarked. “But the tournament is like a game within a game. There is a strategy to it. But I always say, and it sounds simple, that you just have to keep picking winners. This site makes you a better handicapper. If I can, anyone can!”
Bowley took home the $2,000 winner’s share and cash prizes were paid down to seventh place. Contestants entered the contest by either securing a spot in a $22 qualifying tournament or paying a $97 day-of-entry fee. Handicappers were tasked with picking horses to win and place in the contest’s twelve selected races being run from Belmont Park, Arlington Park and Monmouth Park.
Barbara – you just make it sound so easy!
@nrochelle Bests Field of 12 in Sunday’s $5,000 Tournament
The other big winner this past weekend was Nikita Rochelle, another resident of the Golden State. Rochelle took down the $4,000 top prize from Sunday’s $5,000 high-roller tournament with races from Churchill Downs, Belmont Park and Betfair Hollywood Park.
“The first four races, I didn’t do well,” remarked Rochelle. “But then I said ‘Get your popcorn ready, because I’m about to put on a show!’”
And put on a show he did. After giving the eleven other high-rollers in the tournament due warning, Rochelle earned payoff money on four of the next five races, including a $45.40 horse, $30.80 horse and $23.60 horse. And despite being almost mathematically assured of winning the contest going into the final race of the evening, Rochelle poured it on by scoring with a $19.40 horse in the final event.
“You have to go with your instincts,” advised Nikita. “Some of those bombers you wouldn’t handicap. But with big fields, you have to use logical longshots. You can’t just bet on Bejarano all day; jockeys like Pedroza will bring in the prices.”
Rochelle attributed much of this weekend’s victory to his home field advantage. He lives in Southern California and has studied the local racing circuit for years. In fact, Rochelle’s interest in the sport began when he moved his tack from North Carolina to California back in the 1980’s. He remembers the point in time when he was officially hooked on the Sport of Kings: 1984 after his first trip to Del Mar, which Rochelle endorsed as “better than any day at the beach!”
Rochelle has been playing DerbyWars contests since the site began in 2011 and is a regular competitor, known to friends and foes in the tournament chats by his “@nrochelle” handle.
Contestants in Sunday’s high-roller tournament could either play for qualifying spots in feeder tournaments for as little as $29 per attempt, or pay a day-of-entry fee of $475.
You can be sure to find Rochelle trying to secure a qualifying spot in the $20,000 July 4 tournament, which he is eagerly anticipating. And it would be difficult to argue that he doesn’t have good momentum going into the big contest next week.
$20,000 July 4 Tournament (Thursday)
Bowley and Rochelle aren’t the only ones with their eyes on turning recent success into an even bigger cash prize. All DerbyWars members are invited to parlay their prognosticative prowess into a plush patriotic paycheck in the $20,000 July 4 Tournament.
The $20,000 contest boasts a $10,000 top prize and pays cash prizes down to tenth place. Entries into the Thursday contest are $175 per entry; a player may enter up to three times. There are also many qualifying opportunities between now and then to try to snag a spot in the big tourney on the cheap, including 10-spot “Super” Qualifiers on Friday (June 28), Sunday (June 30) and Wednesday (July 3). The tournament is limited to 130 entries and will consist of 12 races from Belmont Park and Betfair Hollywood Park.
