Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge investigation nearing end

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Breeders’ Cup is likely to announce in the next week the results of its investigation into complaints filed by participants in the live-money tournament that was held in conjunction with its two-day event in November, according to several officials.

Keith Chamblin, chief operating officer of the NTRA, said on a Tuesday afternoon panel at the Global Symposium on Racing that the results of the investigation could be announced as early as Friday. Separately, an official who did not want to be identified but who has knowledge of the investigation said last week that he also believed the results would be announced at the end of this week.

“They are taking this very seriously,” Chamblin said of the team investigating the players’ complaints. “They are undergoing a thorough investigation. They’ve sought input from every participant, and I think at the end of the day the outgrowth from this incident will be an improvement in all contests and most particularly in live-bankroll contests.”

The NTRA runs the National Horseplayers Championship Tour, which is affiliated with the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge.

The administrator of the Breeders’ Cup tournament, Tim Schram, was initially scheduled to participate on the Tuesday panel, but he was announced as a late scratch by the panel’s moderator, Jim Mulvihill, prior to the panel starting. An official close to the Breeders’ Cup had said Monday that Schram did not want to address the public while the investigation was ongoing.

Five days after the Breeders’ Cup tournament concluded, a group of participants raised concerns that other players may have violated rules prohibiting collusion at the tournament, leading the Breeders’ Cup to announce an investigation into the tournament results. The players also had raised concerns that some players may have taken advantage of a rule change that had not been fully communicated to other players.

The Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge had a $1 million total purse, and it required a $10,000 entry fee. Each player had a $7,500 live bankroll for the tournament, and players were limited to two entries each.

During the Tuesday panel, Chamblin predicted that the investigation will lead to rule changes for all live-money tournaments in the United States.

“I think they are going to set a new standard, raise the bar for everyone, and others will follow going forward,” Chamblin said.