Harness: Breeders Crown team handicapping challenge to benefit charities

Twelve of harness racing’s top handicappers will be playing for charity on Saturday night (Oct. 27) in a unique contest on the 12 Breeders Crown championships at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. The Breeders Crown Handicapping Contest is sponsored by the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown with total prize money of $1,750 to be awarded to three designated charities.

The 12 players have been divided into three teams of four members each. The team with the most money at the end of Saturday night’s Breeders Crown championship card will earn $1,000 for its designated charity. Second place is worth $500 and third place will earn $250. The teams and the designated charities they are playing for are: Foiled Again/ Harness Horse Youth Foundation; Gallo Blue Chip/New Vocations; and Moni Maker/Standardbred Retirement Foundation. All team names honor past Breeders Crown champions, who are also the three richest North American-based horses of all-time.

“The Hambletonian Society was proud to support the Grand Circuit Wagering Contest which was responsible for thousands of dollars raised for equine aftercare charities and is happy to be a part of the new format,” said Hambletonian Society COO and director of publicity Moira Fanning. “The Breeders Crown Handicapping Contest will help support these charities as well as encourage real wagering on the unprecedented 15 percent low takeout on all Breeders Crown wagers.

“Good luck to all the new members of the #Senditin Army.”

Each team member will handicap three races. All wagers are mythical and players for each race will be limited to $100 maximum win or win/place combination, $100 maximum in total exacta wagers, and $120 maximum in total trifecta wagers. The selections will be available via a press release sent out prior to Saturday night’s finals, with the results announced on Monday, Oct. 29.

Here are the teams, and the charity they will be playing for:

Team Foiled Again, playing for Harness Horse Youth Foundation:

Allan Schott—Seasoned handicapper who was the coordinator for the Horseplayer’s Association of North America (HANA) Grand Circuit Handicapping Contest.

Dave Brower—Race analyst and oddsmaker at the Meadowlands, host of nationally-televised Hambletonian broadcast.

Derick Giwner—Editor of drf.com/harness, DRF Harness Weekend Newsletter and Harness Eye for Daily Racing Form.

Dave Weaver—Announcer for TVG for nearly 20 years. He lived out his dream covering this year’s Meadowlands Pace and Hambletonian and his favorite Breeders Crown moment is Foiled Again winning the 2013 Open Pace.

Team Gallo Blue Chip, playing for New Vocations:

Ellie Sarama—Former host and handicapper at Meadowlands, Freehold and The Racing Network, as well as commentator for ESPN’s Breeders Crown shows.

Garnet Barnsdale—Veteran handicapper and harness reporter/writer currently working as the Mohawk Park public handicapper for DRF Harness. Won the HANA Grand Circuit Shootout charity handicapping contest in 2014.

Gabe Prewitt—Announcer at Red Mile and Pompano Park as well as race analyst at Meadowlands.

Gordon Waterstone—Communicators Hall of Famer, associate editor of The Horseman And Fair World, HarnessRacing Weekend Preview and harnessracing.com.

Team Moni Maker, playing for Standardbred Retirement Foundation:

Mark McKelvie—Communications director for Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Megan Maccario—Featured contributor for Thoroughbred Insider, also participated in the HANA Grand Circuit contests.

Michael Carter—The 2017 Breakthrough Award winner, social media and publicity coordinator for the USTA as well as co-host of Mike and Mike.

Sally Hinckley—Oddsmaker and public handicapper for decades, won the 2015 HANA Grand Circuit contest.

-release (Breeders Crown)