2024 Contest Rules

The rules and procedures follow. Please read the whole thing carefully. Any questions or comments, feel free to email me.

There are actually two separate contests being waged over a series of Triple Crown prep and Triple Crown races, culminating with the Belmont Stakes. Players may choose to play in just one contest, or in both.

Rules for Contest #1 - The ROI contest

Each player will start with 10,000@. This is your @roll for the duration of the contest; it will not be refreshed. Make bets of your choice in races throughout the contest. The person with the highest @ total after the Belmont is the winner.

Bet WIN on as many or few of the contest races as you would like. There is no requirement to participate in this contest every week if you do not feel the subject races are good betting propositions. However, to be eligible to win a prize in this contest, you must have participated in it, to the tune of at least five (5) wagers somewhere along the line, spread out over at least three (3) races, and totalling at least @2000 in wagers. (For instance, two bets of @500 in the Arkansas Derby, one bet of @500 in the Kentucky Derby, and two bets of @250 in the Belmont - 3 races, 5 bets, @2000). In other words, no coasting along without wagering and picking up a prize with your initial @10,000 bankroll.

Bet as much or little per race as you feel like betting. There is no minimum or maximum bet. Bet on as many horses as you'd like if you are using the web entry process, or UP TO 4 horses per race if you are sending an email (no more than 4). You are only betting win.

If we use the UAE Derby or any other foreign race, the win price will be the official UK "starting price" for that horse.

If Billy Patin or any other jock buzzes a horse and that winner is subsequently DQ'd after the race (or anything along these lines), the "official" payoffs will still stand just like in real life.

If you submit an emergency-only selection by email, and there is an entry in a race, you must name a specific horse in your wager. No wagers on "the entry".

If there is a tie in the final standings, the players' positions in the points contest will be used as the tie-breaker, with the higher points position prevailing. If there is still a tie, I will flip a coin (under the watchful eye of a duly recognized public audit firm).

Please keep track of your @roll and do not bet any more if you tap out. Negative @ is very embarrassing. A running score of everyone's @roll will be posted at the scoring website on a weekly basis. Check it before you wager.

Rules for Contest #2 - The Points contest

Each player will start with zero (0) points. The person with the highest point total after the Belmont is the winner.

Pick ONE horse (with an alternate) to win or at least finish ITM each race. Points will be awarded for WPS as follows:

Win: 6 points
Place: 4 points
Show: 2 points

If you submitt an emergency-only selection by email, and there is an entry in a race, you must name specific horses as your primary and alternate selections. No selecting "the entry".

In case of a dead heat finish, both horses will bring the point total for the spot.

Obviously to win the points contest it helps to submit an entry each week and to play every race. You can't get points if you don't make a pick. There is no penalty for wrong picks in this contest. Be sure to select that alternate so you can still be in this if your 1st choice scratches. If both scratch, well, better luck next week.

In case of a tie for any final finish position, the players' standings in the @'s contest will be used for the tie-breaker, with the higher @roll prevailing. A non-player (not meeting the minimum @'s requirements defined above) in the @'s contest will be judged as standing at @zero for the purposes of this tie-breaker. If there is still a tie, I will flip a coin.

General Rules

Score will be kept for all players in both contests. At the end of the contest, the top X finishers in both categories will be awarded prizes, where X is "total prizes/2" (see ths year's prize list). The winner of contest #1 (wagering) will select 1st, the winner of contest #2 next, 2nd place finisher in contest #1 next, and so on. The contest administrator is not eligible for any prize unless finishing 1st in contest #1.

This Contest web site will be the primary vehicle to communicate prizes, rules, races, and standings. There will be a Web-based picks entry process. This is not optional. We have too many players for me to deal with masses of email like in contests of previous years. Contestants will also receive emails notices about the contest. From time to time the top 10 of the standings will be published on the Derby List, so you have a chance to see your name in lights.

However, if for any reason you need to submit picks early (before Thursday evening of any week), or there is some super-duper emergency or technical problem and you cannot use the selections web page for any reason, picks can (very rarely) be sent to me via email. These E-mails need to be received by me, or at least verifiably timestamped, by NOON track time on the day of the race in question. (For instance, if it is a Gulfstream race, NOON Eastern. If it is a Santa Anita race, NOON Pacific.) I have been known to cut some slack on this rule from time to time, but please do not abuse it. If by some miracle one of these races goes off before noon, I need your email 1/2 hour before post.

In any email you send me regarding this contest, please include the word "contest" in the subject header so it will sort into the proper bin in my email client.

I will always email my own picks to a few members by the deadline as "referees". I will also try to forward entry notcies for the contest races the night before, or designate someone else to do it if I am travelling. This is not a promise, though. It is up to you to remember what races need to be played.

Scores will be tallied and published to the Contest email list and also hopefully the web page each week. Sometimes this will be done quickly, and sometimes it may take a day or 6 if I am travelling or something else comes up like work.

Good luck to all!