Four Canadian handicappers will be competing for the $20,000 Grand Prize in the $50,000 World Harness Handicapping Championship hosted at The Meadowlands this Saturday, April 25.
Jeremy Boakes of Lasalle, Ontario, Bob Coole of Guelph, Ontario, Blaine McKenna of Alberton, P.E.I. and Kevin Petipas, of Hamilton, Ontario, have all earned their way into the 2015 WHHC, featuring a prize pool of $50,000.
Boakes has been a racing fan for over 25 years and started going to the races at the impressionable age of 11. He’s a former horse owner, having raced horses from 2002-2008. “My wife and I owned part or all of quite a few racehorses with a few different trainers. My favourite was St Lads Pathfinder, a cheap claiming mare who was tough as nails and won every time my wife brought her apples during the week!”
Jeremy loves watching the racing action from The Meadowlands and this will be his first trip there. His favourite driver is Yannick Gingras as he’s very impressed with how Yannick can get so much out of a horse.
The biggest ticket he’s ever cashed was a Pick 4 worth just shy of $12,000 but he’ll be hoping to change that if he can win this Saturday’s WHHC. Boakes was the runner up in Trot Magazine’s 2014 Fantasy Stable online handicapping challenge, which was won by Judith Farrow of Hemmingford, Quebec. Farrow couldn’t take part in the WHHC due to a previously scheduled commitment so that honour falls to the runner up. Jeremy finished with a bankroll of $9,716,907, second best from the 960 players who took part.
Bob Coole has been involved in harness racing full time since moving to Ontario in 1991. As a youngster he used to clean stalls after school to make spending money and he jogged his first horse when he was 15. Right now he works with different trainers, jogging, training and doing stable work. As for his trips to the different racetracks Bob enjoys going to smaller tracks such as Grand River because “they like to involve the people there. I enjoy standing on the apron right at track level, because you feel more involved in the race.” His favourite driver is a toss-up between John Campbell and Steve Condren. “Both are consumate professionals and great horsemen.” Bob was fortunate enough to attend Sweden’s Elitlopp twice, and was amazed at the spectacle and the people. Bob is also very involved in the Standardbred Race Track Chaplaincy of Canada.
Bob won his spot in the WHHC by winning the I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club’s FAN-tastic Friday online handicapping challenge in late March, selecting the highest paying winning triactor ($377) in the contest races which tied him for first. He was declared the winner as he won the tie breaker with the closest estimate of the combined handle of the three contest tracks.
Kevin Petipas, a racing fan/horseplayer for about 15 years, qualified with his contest win through HPI, sponsored by COSA. The forklift driver, who is currently off work to recover from surgery, is looking forward to his first trip to the Big M and consistently wagers on the Meadowlands racing product. His favourite race is The Little Brown Jug and his favourite driver is John Campbell. He finds that an improved post position works as a handicapping angle for him and the largest ticket he’s ever cashed was a $5,000 triactor at Mohawk.
Blaine McKenna is headed back to The Meadowlands through his win in a qualifier at Red Shores Charlottetown. This will be McKenna's second trip to the WHHC after subbing for Conrad Perry in 2013.
The WHHC brings together horseplayers from across North America and is a partnership between the Meadowlands and the United States Trotting Association formed to create the industry’s ultimate tournament experience. Standardbred Canada supports the project by facilitating the participation of Canadian racing and wagering outlets.
WHHC FINAL FORMAT
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Players will have a $300 bankroll to wager from.
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Players must wager on 10 races: choice of seven (7) Meadowlands races plus, three (3) designated mandatory races, 1 from Meadowlands, 1 from Mohawk, 1 from Pompano
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$30 minimum bet per race; $100 maximum bet
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Win, Place, Show wagers only (or WPS)
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One (1) horse per race.
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Contestants keep all pari-mutuel winnings.
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One (1) entry per person.
WHHC PRIZE STRUCTURE (based on 100 entries)
• Payouts to the Top 10, plus players keep their bankroll
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1st - $20,000 (40%)
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2nd - $10,000 (20%)
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3rd - $7,500 (15%)
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4th - $5,000 (10%)
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5th - $2,500 (5%)
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6- 10th - $1,000 (2%)