[Kasept]

Stauffer wins the Santa Anita Preakness Betting Challenge

Vic Stauffer has won the Santa Anita Preakness Challenge with a total of $23,665. Stauffer, well-known in the industry from his time as the racecaller at Hollywood Park and a steward in California, has become a big fan of tournaments over the past few years.


"When I retired from being a steward I told my wife that I was going to play horses because I thought I could win," Stauffer said, "I started reading about contests and the allure of getting to the National Handicapping Championship because of what you could potentially win, and partially because it's an ego thing."


But the real appeal of tournaments for him is more practical. "Here is the singular reason I am a tournament player: they are tilt proof," he said, "You can't chase, and I was never all that disciplined of a player so if I started a day and I had a $1,000 budget and I went through it I would inevitably end up losing a lot more."


For his efforts this weekend, Stauffer keeps his bankroll of $23,665, gets $50,000 in cash as well as seats to the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge and National Handicapping Championship. Stauffer has played in the NHC once -- he was high on the leaderboard after day one last year but faded on day two.


Should he go on to win the BCBC, he will receive a bonus of $1 million cash; should he win the BCBC and NHC, he will win an additonal million. These are the exact type of life-changing scores that attracted him to contests in the first place.


Stauffer was the day one leader with $16,130, built on the back of his two major opinions. He bet $2,000 to win on Takeover Target ($9) in the Dixie, and Seve's Road ($10.40) in Santa Anita's seventh, He also had a $150 exacta box there with Paisaolo -- it paid $24.80 for $2. For winning day one, Stauffer received an entry into the June Santa Anita Gold Cup contest.


Coming into day two, he was content to sit chilly . "I really only liked one horse today," he said after the contest, "I thought Agustina de Aragon in the seventh race was just the nuts."


He went into the race $6,000 ahead, willing to bet whatever he needed to on her if she was anywhere near her morning line of 5-2. "When I saw the money she was taking in the double, I realized she was going to be 4-5 or even money, but I didn't mind because then I knew I didn't have to bet on her and I could still root for her because even if she won no one was going to make any major impact on me."


Stauffer felt like he deserved to drop out of first there based on his opinion being so wrong -- Agustina ran out at even money -- and when John Smith made a $3,000 bet on 9-2 winner Sweet that's exactly what happened.


After the race, Stauffer told a friend, "We've got to start horseplaying now."
He fired a $1700 bet in the eighth and missed. Coming to the feature race, the Grade 2 California, it was time for Stauffer to make another move. He bet $2,000: $500 to win and place on Second Summer and the rest in exactas. When Peter Eurton's gelding connected, Stauffer had a commanding lead.
He utilized an interesting strategy in the last, betting $200 to win on every horse, thinking his only danger was if a crazy longshot won. In the end he was an easy winner.


Second place went to John Smith, who keeps his bankroll $14,570, and also gets an additional $20,000 plus seats to the BCBC and NHC. Smith is clearly not afraid to fire. He was in third place coming in to day two. At one point he dropped out of the top five, only to come back strong. He also wins a Santa Anita Gold Cup Challenge seat for churning the most money during the contest, nearly $30,000.


Also finishing in the money were David Nance ($13,606.50 bankroll, $10,000 cash, a BCBC seat and NHC seat) Tyler Whisman ($9,835.50 bankroll, $5,000, and an NHC seat), Kevin Willett ($9,707 bankroll, $3,000, and an NHC seat) and Kevin Costello, who keeps his $9,138.20 bankroll and gets an NHC seat.
Rounding out the top ten were Gary Johnson ($8,851), Brent Sumja ($8,063), Tom Noone ($6,715), and Phil Bongiovanni ($5,520).


In all, 89 players competed for a prize pool worth $160,000 in cash and seats at the Preakness Betting Challenge. For the Gold Cup Challenge, to be held June 25 and 26, the $1 million bonus for the BCBC will once again be in effect.