StableDuel to offer free Breeders' Cup contest

A start-up racing application modeled on fantasy sports games will offer a promotional contest during the Breeders’ Cup that is free to play while offering $20,000 in total prizes.

The start-up, StableDuel, hopes to draw players to horse racing fantasy games similar to those offered on sports such as football, basketball, and baseball.

In the game, players will be provided with a salary cap to select horses for their “team,” with each horse offered at different prices, based on their morning-line odds. Points are awarded based on finish position and margin of victory or defeat.

The free-to-play game, called Back2Back at the Breeders’ Cup, will allow players to select teams for the Friday and Saturday cards of the Breeders’ Cup this year, scheduled for Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 at Santa Anita. A total of $5,000 will be distributed to the top 50 points earners on Friday, and $15,000 will be distributed to the top 75 finishers on Saturday.

“StableDuel was created out of a love for horse racing and a desire to reach a new generation of fans,” Augie Greiner Jr., chief executive of the company, said in a press release. “Our industry needs to continue to explore new avenues of growth, much like all mainstream sports.”