Avila, Trezza win into Belmont Challenge

Two big names in the tournament world won their $10,000 seats for next weekend’s Belmont Stakes Challenge on DRF Tournaments on Sunday – Jason Avila ($88.40) and Dr. Anthony Trezza ($86.30), aka “Doczilla.”

Avila, born and raised near Santa Anita, has been very visible in the tournament world lately. He recently appeared on the TV program “Win Place Show” and two weeks ago was one of the remaining eight players at the Santa Anita Preakness contest, the World Horseplayers’ Tour first-ever live-bankroll final table. He’ll be part of the television pilot, which will debut Wednesday, Aug. 8, at the Fasig-Tipton Pavilion in Saratoga, for that as well.

But in the meantime, Avila has more important things on his mind, like winning the Belmont Challenge now that he’s won his way in. He had just three collections Sunday, but he made them count. He got on the board in the third contest race with a combined $60.20 win-place from Callant in Belmont’s seventh race. He went quiet after that but came back strong to hit in two of the last three races, with Sweet Treat ($10.20) in Santa Anita’s sixth and Unapologetic ($18) in the anchor leg, Santa Anita’s seventh.

Trezza has recently been an outspoken critic of live-format contests – where players can change their picks up to the scheduled post time of each contest race – but he wasn’t complaining Sunday night. He, too, backed Callant and turned that into a quick-fire double when Causeforcommotion ($18.60) won Santa Anita’s fourth. His third and final collection was the $8.50 he got back from Victor Lounge in Belmont’s ninth. From there, he had to sweat three more races – no doubt nervous that someone might catch him playing horses they didn’t like, just because of the price they were on the board. But in the end, only Avila passed him and he’ll be headed to Belmont with a big shot.

In Saturday’s featured game, tourney vet David Nelson won his $2,000 seat to the Saturday, Aug. 11, Saratoga Betting Challenge. This year the Saratoga Challenge is comprised of separate contests Friday and Saturday, and this weekend’s qualifier only awarded a seat to the latter.

Nelson started cold as could be – whiffing in the first four contest events. But in these contests, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. From there he caught fire, cashing in the remaining five races. His biggest score came via So Golden ($31.40) in Santa Anita’s fifth, then he ran the table notching scores of $2.10, $15, $8.50, and $8.

Contest action returns to DRFT on Wednesday. There is a featured free game where players can start their journeys to the World Championship of Handicapping, DRF’s big-money online contest with no takeout in the finals.

Two new games have been added to the DRFT inventory as well. Qualifiers are now being held for the Gulfstream Seize the Speed contest, a $3,000 live-bankroll contest on Saturday, June 30, and the Keeneland Fall contest, a $3,000 live-bankroll contest on Sunday, Oct. 14.

The first Gulfstream qualifier will take place Sunday, June 10. Entries will cost $164 and one in 25 will win packages worth $3,500 – a Gulfstream entry plus $500 in travel.

For a full list of everything happening at DRF Tournaments, go to tournaments.drf.com.