Saturday’s Week 6 of the 2024 Xpressbet Beat the Host free handicapping contest features the voice of Santa Anita, track announcer Frank Mirahmadi. He’ll put his picks up against contestants over the final five races at Gulfstream Park and the first five at Santa Anita. And one particular player will be going for an unprecedented three-peat in weekly victories.
The 19th annual Xpressbet Beat the Host contest saw Gulfstream TV analyst Brian Nadeau post three winners in the 10 races last week. A total of 620 players have qualified for the BTH Championship round by topping the hosts totals through four weeks, only 31 new players topping Nadeau. Just 4 players remain alive to Sweep the Host after Nadeau eliminated 6 prospects. The "final 4" for the $6K Sweep the Host are Jed Rickard, Alexander Bertram, Martin O'Connell and Dennis Desenberg.
Week 5’s top player was Kyle Newcomb for an incredible second straight week. He earned the $1,000 prize with a parimutuel total of $168.00. Steve Terelak earned $750 in prize money for his $143.50 runner-up total, while Elizabeth Huffaman’s $139.50 total was good for the $250 third prize. Newcomb has stormed to the front of the seasonal standings with $602 on the campaign, supplanting Brian Jones on top. Jones now is second at $467.
Overall, eight contest weeks challenge horseplayers to out-earn our hand-picked hosts in a series of 10 parimutuel win bets ($5 each) at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita. Those able to Beat the Host bankroll total at least once in any contest week will earn their way to the BTH Championship Round on March 9 and play for approximately $60,000 in weekly and seasonal prizes.
Here is the 2024 host run-down:
COMPLETE: Saturday, January 6 - Pete Aiello
COMPLETE: Saturday, January 13 - Millie Ball
COMPLETE: Saturday, January 20 - Tom Quigley
COMPLETE: Saturday, January 27 - Jeff Siegel
COMPLETE: Saturday, February 3 - Brian Nadeau
THIS WEEK: Saturday, February 10 - Frank Mirahmadi
Saturday, February 17 - Jeremy Plonk
Saturday, February 24 - Eddie Olczyk
Weekly cash prizes total $2000 each Saturday with Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship and 1/ST Ultimate Betting Challenge seats valued at $6,000 each among the season standings prizes. Lucrative tournament seats also are on the line in the Beat The Host Championship Round as well as a potential $6,500 Sweep the Host bonus shared among players who defeat the hosts’ totals in each of the 8 weeks.
Last season, Thomas Bassett was the lone player to take down all 8 hosts and earned the full $6,500 Sweep the Host prize. Bassett also won the season leaderboard bankroll chase at $571 accrued. Watch his reaction here.
Last year’s Beat the Host competition saw 664 horseplayers earn their way to the Championship Round, which was won by Andy Muhlada.
Registration is open for Saturday’s Xpressbet Beat the Host. To sign up free and get more information, visit the Tourneys page.
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