Marshall Gramm wins Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge

Marshall Gramm, a college professor and racehorse owner from Memphis, took home first prize of $322,500 in winning the 12th annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge last weekend at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

The BCBC, the biggest live-money wagering tournament in American racing, attracted 430 horseplayers during the Nov. 6-7 Breeders’ Cup. Gramm finished with a score of 170,250 points for total winnings of $492,750, with Jonathon Kinchen finishing second with 161,025 points and total winnings of $376,025. Kinchen is best known in his role as analyst and handicapper for NYRA and Fox Sports.

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Gramm, 47, has become very well known in racing as an economist specializing in odds and statistics, as well as in his role as a co-founder of Ten Strike Racing, a prominent ownership syndicate. He has taught economics at Rhodes College in Memphis since 2000.

Gramm crushed the one-way exacta of Authentic over Improbable in the final race of the contest, the BC Classic, to push his total over the top.

“I was thrilled, my biggest score ever,” Gramm said in a release. “You know you've had a great day, but it was nerve-racking, and a relief, and I will always be able to say that I am a BCBC champion.”