Contest Organizer Chris Bahr and Challenge Winner Dennis Montoro © Benoit Photo
Dennis Montoro, 32, from New York, went all-in in the last race with a $7,000 win bet on #2, 5-1 Raven Creek, to finish with $42,000. Montoro qualified to the Del Mar Challenge from a $400 feeder contest on HorseTourneys.com essentially turning a $400 investment into more than $135,000 in prizes.
Gary West from Rancho Santa Fe, CA and Florin Sima from Burbank, CA both cashed in the last race to finish second and third to round out the top three.
Montoro, an analytics player with years of experience in online contests was playing his very first “live money” contest. Prizes won include $75,000 cash, $10,000 entry in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and entry in the $2.5 million National Horseplayers Championship (NHC). Montoro is also eligible for a $1 million bonus if he wins the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge at Churchill Downs.
Players started with a $6,000 bankroll in the two day Challenge. The top eight finishers receive BCBC entries and the top ten receive entries in the $2.5 million National Horseplayers Championship or the Del Mar $4,500 Fall Challenge November 10 & 11.
| PLACE | NAME | FINAL BANKROLL |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dennis Montoro | $42,000 |
| 2 | Gary West | $29,070 |
| 3 | Florin Sima | $28,290 |
| 4 | Kyle Fitzgerald | $26,563 |
| 5 | Jonathon Kinchen | $25,689 |
| 6 | Frank Mustari | $23,332 |
| 7 | Jim Videtic | $20,800 |
| 8 | Jim Meeks | $20,240 |
| 9 | Blake Jessee | $19,240 |
| 10 | Gary Broad | $19,182 |