The last chances for Monmouth Park’s Pick Your Prize contest proved enticing to players on Monday, attracting a full field of 69 in the originally scheduled qualifier. There were also two added 10-entry events awarding Monmouth seats, meaning that in all five players won their buy-ins to next weekend’s contest. The three winners from the initial game were Edwin Herr, Gary Machiz, and Kathy Krall. Herr built an impressive total of $118.70, cashing in seven of the 10 contest legs with prices including Goodbye Brockley ($24.10) in Belmont’s 10th, and Hunt ($30) in the Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita. Those two were part of five collections in a row that put him in winning position. Machiz hit the ground running with Analyze the Odds ($56), a near cap horse in Belmont’s seventh race. The contest utilized the all-in format where all picks had to be in before the first race. That means the only two races where players have an inkling of the odds are the first race – via the toteboard – and the second – via the double probables. It’s possible that Machiz saw the overlay on Analyze the Odds and used the horse for that reason or Analyze the Odds might just have been the horse he liked best anyway. In any case, as great as the choice was, he still needed additional points from Hunt and Spring Folly ($7.20 to place) later on to get up into the qualification zone with a total of $93.20. Krall cashed in five of the 10 races, starting off with the place horse in Belmont’s seventh and then connecting with Rapt ($14.20) in Belmont’s eighth. She got into serious contention with the same Goodbye Brockley-Hunt double that aided Herr, and took things home with $17.20 from Pulpitinthesky in Santa Anita’s ninth. That got her to $92.70, $4.90 ahead of Kevin Engelhard in fourth. In the added games, which had better ratios but cost $230 instead of $126, William Starkey ($69.80) and Pat Stich ($67) were best. Stich won a nail biter. There were two unlucky players – Stephen McNatton and Luke Peltz – just $1 behind him. He needed all of $3.80 to place back on Ancient Secret in the Shoemaker to get the win and the $2,000 seat. He had McNatton blocked in the race as he also used Ancient Secret and so was drawing dead in the last. Starkey’s run was less dramatic. He started off with Analyze the Odds and added three sub-$6.00 collections from there, cruising to the win with a total of $69.80. Monday’s other featured game was a qualifier for the Saratoga Betting Challenge, two live-bank events happening at the Spa on Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 10. Brian Ivery won berths to both Saratoga contests in a tour-de-force effort where he put up $120.10. He had Analyze the Odds, Goodbye Brockley, and Hunt, as well two smaller collections. There was also an added game that gave away a seat for Saratoga’s Saturday contest only. That was won by Frank Lemmiti ($43.40) in a low-scoring affair. He was nowhere through seven races but finished strong with three collections in a row including Pulpitinthesky to get the victory. That’s the thing about contests with a one in 10 ratio of prizes to entries – you don’t have to do that well to win, you just have to better than nine other entries. Lemmiti was, and now he’s headed to Saratoga. DRF Tournaments is back in action this week with a variety of games including free ways to start your journey to the World Championship of Handicapping, DRF’s online event occurring in 2019 which will feature a big money prize pool and no takeout in the finals.