When Chris Fallica entered the World Championship of Handicapping Grade 1 qualifier two weekends ago, he did so knowing he’d be playing the majority of the contest from 39,000 feet. “My Saturdays are crazy with work,” explained Fallica, better known as “The Bear” on ESPN’s “College GameDay”. “But that day we had a flight from Wisconsin to L.A. where we doing the UCLA-USC game that night.” Fallica’s first move before committing was to look over the races in the contest, and he was pleased by what he saw. “There was a lot of Aqueduct, where I’ve been able to find some price horses, and there was Gulfstream West, which was good to me in an online qualifier on the DRF site last year, and then there was Del Mar, a track I normally play,” he said. He decided to go for it. “I’d been considering just buying in to the finals for $5,000, but then I thought if I’m going to ante up for 5K, why not take a shot to win that for $580?” he said. :: Get extended Cyber Monday discounts on PPs, digital subscriptions, and more! So Fallica settled in and focused on making his selections for the contest. “The first thing I look at in any race is the pace scenario,” Fallica said. “I’m looking for the obvious situations where a horse might get an advantage because the only speed, or because there’s a lot of speed and he’s the best closer.” If the pace doesn’t give him a way into looking at the race, Fallica turns to various angles, tried-and-true nuggets he’s gleaned over the years in his handicapping that have yielded dividends. “There are a lot of them,” he said, “like a maiden getting off the rail or a speed horse stretching out on turf.” He prefers maiden races and turf races, and on the day of the contest the two came together beautifully for him in the first contest race thanks to Time on Target. “Bill Mott’s first-time starters don’t typically win and they often improve second time, especially on turf,” he said. Time on Target, forgotten in the betting at 26-1, went gate to wire, and Fallica figured he was in business. “I looked at the leaderboard and saw that only one other player had him,” he said. Fallica is normally the type to just go ahead and take the points when he likes a favorite in an online contest, but the situation was a little different this time around given the cushion he’d built. Later on, he loved Social Roy, but late in the game with a $30 cushion over third place and no difference between first and second, he changed his pick. “Given my position in the contest, I knew if he won that it would still be good for me,” he said. “I also knew that no one behind me is going to take 10 bucks on a favorite at that point, so I took a price horse instead.” Right around when Social Roy crossed the wire first, the plane landed. Fallica and company got in a car to head to the L.A. Coliseum. Fallica punched up the upcoming Del Mar race on his phone and rooted in Smart Knows Smart, a Peter Miller runner who made the running and held on for second, returning $11.80 to place. Fallica’s friend Kirk Herbstreit was rooting along with him. “His uncle lived in Louisville for a long time, so he’s always known about racing,” Fallica said of Herbstreit, who owns Kentucky Derby hopeful Soul Streit. “But I do take some credit for helping get him involved in the sport just from hanging out with me during the season and going with me to the Derby. He’s hooked, that’s for sure.” From there, he just had to sweat one race at Gulfstream West, “I didn’t think there was anything long enough to beat me that could win, but just in case I played a longshot,” he said. “A 6-1 won and I was clear enough that I knew that wasn’t going to affect me.” Fallica loves live tournaments but also is looking forward to the fact that the World Championship of Handicapping will be played online. “I’m hoping it will be a more leisurely type event,” he said. “I can download and print the PPs exactly how I want. I don’t have to scurry to get to a ballroom or run to a window at the last minute. I can roll out of bed and walk to the office in a quiet environment and get locked in.” Another benefit will be the lack of distractions. “The way I handicap it might help me,” he said. “There will be less of an opportunity to hear what other players are saying and that can hurt your play sometimes.” He will miss the atmosphere, however. “My wife will have to deal with my yelling and screaming throughout the afternoon,” he said. “She’s a saint for dealing with that.” Obviously, he’s a major football fan, and he’s looking forward to the fact that the contest is taking place over Super Bowl weekend. “Most of the time, I’m handicapping that Sunday anyway, killing time before the game starts,” he said. “This year, I don’t have to worry about carryovers and pick fours and pick fives because I’ve got a better opportunity to look forward to, one that will distract me from the fact that for the 47th straight year my Jets won’t be a part of the big game.”