Santa Anita’s VP of Marketing Nate Newby doesn’t just run a great contest – he’s also a pretty fine contest player in his own right. Last weekend at Los Alamitos, Newby played in a qualifier for the National Horseplayers’ Championship. By running second to Joe Cianci in the July 4 event, Newby punched his ticket to Las Vegas.“I think being a contest player helps me as a contest operator in a couple of ways,” said Newby. “You get a much better feeling by experiencing tournament play first-hand versus running a contest. I get a lot of feedback from players during and after our Santa Anita contests but it’s very helpful to me to actually put myself in their shoes and play in some contests. Plus, I really enjoy playing in contests and gives me a chance to spend time with some great friends I’ve made in a little more relaxed environment when I’m not busy working.”Pressed for specifics on something he’s learned as a player, Newby cited a real understanding about the need to have some flexibility when it comes to wagering requirements so players can bet more on their strongest opinions. “It’s easy for a contest operator to force players to bet all or most races but I think that is frustrating from a player’s perspective to be forced to wager live money on races they don’t really like,” he explained. “Of course there is a happy medium that we are always trying to find that rewards the strongest play for the entire contest and not just one race.”As for the appeal of contests, Newby says it comes down to a single word: value. “Santa Anita and many other contests around the country pay out 100 percent of entry fees plus added money in the form of cash or contest entries,” he said. “Many of the sharp contest players try to put themselves in a position at some point during the contest to make a wager on a horse at 3-1 but because of the prize money involved they may calculate they are getting 10-1 odds or more on their wager.”Newby has also been involved in the Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship, a contest event that takes this concept to the next level. “That’s an amazing example of value,” Newby said of the Pegasus tournament. “The minimum prize pool is over $435,000 next year and the prizes are entirely funded by The Stronach Group. It’s one of the best wagering opportunities that I’ve seen in horse racing.”In addition to being a horseplayer and a track executive, Newby has also spent time around the horses themselves. “I started grooming horses for my dad at The Downs [at] Albuquerque in high school,” he said. “I loved being around the horses every day.”During college at Colorado State, Newby decided to get his trainer’s license and ran a small stable at Arapahoe Park during those school summers and that added a whole new perspective. “We had five horses and my girlfriend at the time – now my wife – and I were the trainer/groom/hot walker/exercise rider for our little stable,” Newby continued. “It was so much fun! The purses weren’t great so I had to learn to bet to make enough to pay the bills. A score at the windows would definitely help quite a bit.”Santa Anita is known as one of the market leaders when it comes to contest play. For Newby, it’s easy to see why. “Contests are one of the few things in racing that pretty much everyone can agree is good for all aspects of the industry,” he said. “From a customer perspective, there’s great value. From a horsemen and track-operator perspective, contests drive on-track handle which fuels purses and pays the bills for the track. It’s a cliché, but contests truly provide a win-win-win scenario.”When looking to the future, Newby is excited about the prospect of a seven-figure contest winner. “We are looking at some additional bonus opportunities as I really think a seven-figure winner would be great publicity for the industry and contest world,” he said. “The Stronach Group is also looking at doing a tournament series next year starting with the Pegasus World Cup Betting Challenge so that would provide even better value for players and increase the prize pool for some of the key contests.”Newby’s roots in contests go back to the first Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. “My first contest experience was helping Ken Kirchner in the first ever BCBC, which was held at Santa Anita Park,” he said. “I learned a ton about contests from Ken and I was hooked. I started playing in contests soon after that, although I pretty much only get to play in events during Santa Anita’s off season so I have to take advantage of every opportunity during a limited window.”He took full advantage of that window last week.