Round One is in the books for Standardbred Canada’s March Madness Online Handicapping Challenge.

The top five players all selected 12-1 shot Rose Run Oriana in Race 8 at Woodbine on Saturday night. She managed to trot to a two length victory and added $37.40 to a player’s bankroll ($26.80 for a $2 win wager and $10.60 for a $2 place wager).

The contest races included Races 5 & 6 at Flamboro Downs and Races 6, 7 & 8 at Woodbine Racetrack. Northlands Park in Edmonton was forced to cancel their card of racing so those races were eliminated from the contest.

Congratulations to the following players who move on to the Championship Round on March 29 to compete for two spots in the 2014 World Harness Handicapping Championship which features $60,000 in prize money:

• Debbie Thompson of Barrie, Ont.

• David Hall of London, Ont.

• Randy Copley of Inverness, N.S

• Jamie Mills of Sydney, N.S.

• Sean Strongman of Kitchener, Ont.

For those of you who didn’t make the top five, you can consider that a good warm up round! Round 2 of the March Madness Online Handicapping Challenge featuring races on Saturday, March 8 will open on Thursday, March 6.

Players will be asked to select the winners of eight (8) contest races selected from Flamboro Downs, Northlands Park and Woodbine Racetrack. Players will accumulate a mythical bankroll based on official payouts from a $2 win and a $2 place wager on horses they select in the eight races. If a player’s selected horse finishes first, the official payout for the $2 win and $2 place wager will be added to his/her bankroll. If a player’s selected horse finishes second, the official payout for the $2 place wager will be added to his/her bankroll.

The five players with the highest bankroll will move on to the Championship Round on Saturday, March 29. The same rules will apply for the Championship Round and the two players with the highest bankrolls in the Championship Round will each earn a spot in the 2014 WHHC plus a $500 travel voucher.

The 2014 WHHC featuring $60,000 in prize money and a $24,000 Grand Prize, takes place on April 19 at The Meadowlands. To read the contest rules and regulations, click here.