$140,000 Sports Haven Hdcp. Challenge
Final Results (Top 25)
Elliot Wins $140,000 Sports Haven Handicapping Challenge
Wins $50,000 and entry into DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Tournament
New Haven, February 9, 2004, – George Elliott overcame a slow start to capture the $140,000 Sports Haven Handicapping Challenge, Saturday, February 7 – Sunday, February 8.
Contestants were given a mythical bankroll of $2,000 each day and had to place ten $200 win, place, or show wagers on races from Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park or Santa Anita. The person who accumulated the most winnings, won the contest.
After losing his first six bets on day one of the event, Elliott won Santa Anita’s second race (Kolob, $32.60), Aqueduct’s Whirlaway Stakes (Little Matth Man, $21.40) and Gulfstream Park’s Davona Dale Stakes (Miss Coronado, $18.80) to earn $7,280 in mythical winnings. Elliott’s first contest wager on day two, a $200 win bet on Joe’sdancingangel in the first race at Aqueduct, earned $4,200. Elliot missed with his next nine plays, but managed to hold to win.
Elliott, 50, a plumbing contractor from Milford, CT, won $50,000 and a trip to the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Tournament next January in Las Vegas. Mike Latella, from East Haven, CT, finished second with $10,805 in mythical winnings to win $18,000 in prize money and a trip to Las Vegas. Ken Kingsbury, Flushing, NY, finished third ($10,745 mythical winnings, $10,000 in prize money), and Paul Clyons of Chaplin, CT finished fourth with $10,600 in mythical winning and won $7,500.
The tournament came down to the last contest race, the eighth at Santa Anita. With Elliott leading, Latella was in third, but only $45 out of second place with one wager left. He and Clyons bet the 6-1 shot Borrego to win, but the colt finished second. Latella played it conservatively, with $150 to win and $50 to show. Latella earned $105 for his show wager to move into second place.
This year’s event also featured prizes to the top three leaders of each contest day. Elliott took home an additional $3,000 after leading the contest after day one. Paul Meeker of New Haven, CT was second ($1,500) and Paul Weizer, Leominster, MA, was third ($500). On Sunday, Kingsbury won $10,000 for being the top point scorer on the second day of the contest. Edward Betlow, Morris Plains, NJ ($3,000), and John Zegras of Rye Brook, NY ($2,000) finished second and third on the second day.
There were 350 contestants who came from twenty different dates to compete in the eighth annual event including nine past champions of Sports Haven / Bradley Teletheater contests.
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