Last night at Mohawk Racetrack, Standardbred Canada hosted the inaugural Trot Handicapping Auction. With 23 quality handicappers on hand, the competition was fierce, as players competed for $2,300 in cash and a spot in the Trot Canada National Handicapping Championship.
Handicappers started with a mythical bankroll of $100 and were 'bidding' on horses from the Mohawk and Grand River race cards. In exchange for their successful bids, handicappers received a $2 win/place bet on their horses. The strategies differed greatly; some players purchased many lower-priced horses, which resulted in more horses that were less likely to pay, however, should one of the long shots come in, it meant payday for that player.
Scott Winhold had the first score of the night with his first horse, Mojo N The Morning, at Mohawk Racetrack and banked a cool $20.90, setting the pace for the evening. His lead was shattered, however, when James Erickson picked up Intended Champion in Grand River's fifth race for a $66.90 payout.
Erickson was sitting pretty as he sat back to watch the night unfold from the trackside lounge. The competition was fierce, but remained friendly, as the leader board was updated and new players emerged with some great scores.
Roy Sproxton was the eventual winner with a bankroll of $105.40. Sproxton wins the first prize of $1,610 as well as a coveted spot in the TROT Canada National Handicapping Championship. Finishing second was James Erickson with $90.60, followed by Deborah LaLonde with $66.60. Erickson picks up $460 and Lalonde will receive a cheque for $230. All players paid $100 to enter the contest and all registration money went towards the prize pool.
"My strategy going into the contest was to avoid favourites, bid on a number of mid-ranged to longer priced horses," said Sproxton. "My focus was actually to bid mostly on horses at Grand River and in the end I actually won because I hit a big payout at Mohawk. I thought the format was fantastic."
The TCNHC is scheduled for Saturday, October 18 at Woodbine Racetrack with a $25,000 grand prize, and it looks like Sproxton is sharpening up his handicapping skills just in time.
A full set of results will be posted from the competition soon. For more information on the TCNHC, click here.
The list of horses that Sproxton successfully 'purchased' appear below.
Mohawk - 1 - Tall Cotton - $7 - $0
Mohawk - 1 - Gryphon Seelster - $11 - $0
Grand River - 3 - Dodgy Dealer - $11 - $23.90
Mohawk - 7 - Red Skull - $9 - $66.70
Mohawk - 8 - Docs Watson - $11 - $0
Grand River - 8 - Cambest Princess - $10 - $0
Grand River - 11 - Jtlady Strong - $11 - $0
Grand River - 12 - Bluesnballads - $17 - $3.10
To view Mohawk's charted lines from Monday, click here.
To view Grand River's charted lines from Monday, click here.