It was déjà vu for longtime Grand River Raceway patron Dave Purdy in the track’s first weekly round of the Winter Wednesdays Handicapping Tournament held on February 26.

The Elora, Ont. horseplayer was also the victor of the first round of the 2013 tournament. Like last year, Purdy’s efforts in the current contest landed him a longshot whopper which propelled him to the top of the list.

Purdy selected the Charles Town Races in West Virginia to play his six free selections in the $5,000 contest. He scored a modest $5.80 winner in the third dash, but brought it home in the second-last selection when Street Parade hammered the field of nine, paying $116.50 for the win.

His hypothetical $2 Win and Place wagers grossed $154.20 in that race and $160.00 for the night. He won $100 and is in the early lead for the $3,000 grand prize at the conclusion of the 10-week tournament.

Purdy has been a fan of harness racing for over 30 years and used to own and train Standardbreds. He has finished well in several of Grand River Raceway’s handicapping tournaments over the years, including a $1300 payday for a fourth-place finish in the 2011 ROMP Handicapping Tournament with his team of three called ‘Bet The Farm.’

Runner-up Bev Shearer of Kitchener, Ont. also had the Charles Town longshot in Race 6 and won $50. Rob Halter, Jeff Cassidy and Kevin Zettler rounded out the top five winners of $200 in weekly prizes. Brenda Karn won the random draw for $25.

The Winter Wednesdays Handicapping Tournament continues next Wednesday at Grand River Raceway and its OTB site, The Bettor Club, in Kitchener, Ont.

It’s free to play and runs every Wednesday through April 30. Patrons can play any track offered on the simulcast menu.

Bankrolls accumulate each week and the top five players with the highest bankroll at the end of Week 10 share in the $3,000 Grand Prize.

Complete rules and regulations are available here.

To view the current simulcast menu for Grand River Raceway and the Bettor Club OTB, click here.

(Grand River Raceway)