Matt Miller wins Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge

Matt Miller, a Chicago, Ill., attorney for a health-care consulting firm, took home $543,300 in winning the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, the largest live-money tournament in the United States.

Miller, 50, amassed 142,800 points to win the tournament, which had a record 534 entries, according to Breeders’ Cup. First prize was $400,500, and players retain the money that is won over the two-day event. Miller’s bets included a $33,000 win wager on Knicks Go, the winner of the Classic at 3.20-1.

The Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge requires qualifiers to pay a $2,500 buy-in fee and use $7,500 to bet races over the two-day event. All told, the players in the tournament wagered $6.92 million into the pools for the races, a record, Breeders’ Cup said.

Jonathan Kinchen, a television handicapper for NYRA/Fox Sports, finished second for the second year in a row, amassing 95,974 points and taking home a total of $362,974 for one of his two entries. Dennis Montoro, also playing two entries, finished third and took home $238,095.

Miller has played in the last five Breeders’ Cup tournaments. He focused on win wagers and daily doubles, and his strategy all along was to play Knicks Go big in the Classic.

“From the very beginning of the tournament, I was absolutely set on betting Knicks Go, figuring I could get 2.5- to 3-1 odds,” Miller said, in a release from Breeders’ Cup.