Brad Anderson of Sarasota, Florida and Patrick Ray of Vancouver, British Columbia each selected 10 of 12 props correct, but Anderson’s tiebreaker had him closer to the mark and he walked away with the win in the first week of the 2020 TIF Summer Prop Contest.
Anderson’s guess of the Blue Grass Stakes $0.50 trifecta of $38.20 bested Ray’s $62.00 submission, prompting the win. A total of eight contestants had nine correct props, with Jeff O’Reilly coming closest on the tiebreaker to win the third-place photo. Another 15 entrants had eight correct props. The average number of correct guesses was 6.4.
Anderson, who won the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, directed $1,250 to the Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs while Ray opted to direct $500 to the Belmont Child Care Association, with O’Reilly doing the same with $250.
A player’s four best scores over the next eight weeks will count towards the cumulative standings, which will not be updated until the fourth week of results.
Longtime racing official Rick Hammerle, winner of the 2019 Summer Prop Contest, set the props for this year’s opening week. Next week, racing podcaster extraordinaire Peter Thomas Fornatale will take his turn as Haskell Day at Monmouth Park will take center stage.
Below, you will find the total selection rates for each of the 12 props from Week 1. Entries for Week 2 will open on Thursday afternoon, linked at RacingThinkTank.com and on Twitter @RacingIdeas.
1. The name of the horse that wins the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes starts with the letter:
A through L (44.95%)
M through Z (55.05%)
2. Which horse will have the better finishing position in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes?
#3 ART COLLECTOR (49.54%)
#8 BASIN (32.11%)
#12 ENFORCEABLE (18.35%)
3. What will be the closing odds, according to the final Equibase chart of the race, for Toyota Blue Grass Stakes morning line favorite Swiss Skydiver?
At 3-1 or higher (40.37%)
Lower than her morning line price of 3-1 (59.63%)
4. Will a horse that starts from post position #1 (according to the final Equibase chart) win a race on Saturday at Keeneland?
YES (53.70%)
NO (46.30%)
5. Which daily double will pay more on Saturday at Keeneland?
Races 1 & 2 (34.86%)
Races 5 & 6 (32.11%)
Races 9 & 10 (33.03%)
6. Which will pay more on Saturday at Keeneland?
The early pick five (Races 1-5) (56.88%)
The late pick five (Races 5-9) (43.12%)
7. Which of the non-stakes races at Keeneland on Saturday will yield the highest PLACE price?
Race 1 (7.34%)
Race 2 (31.19%)
Race 3 (38.53%)
Race 10 (22.94%)
8. HEAD TO HEAD: Which horse will have the better finishing position in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes?
#3 BONNY SOUTH (66.06%)
#5 TONALIST’S SHAPE (33.94%) (scratched, counts as winner for all)
9. HEAD TO HEAD: Which horse will have the better finishing position in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes?
#2 JULIET FOXTROT (45.87%)
#8 TOINETTE (54.14%)
10. According to the final Equibase charts of the race, how many wagering favorites will win on Saturday at Keeneland?
No favorites will win (1.83%)
1 or 2 favorites (12.84%)
3 or 4 favorites (77.98%)
5 or more (7.34%)
11. The number of races where the winning margin is a neck or shorter (according to the final Equibase charts of each race)?
Over 2 ½ races (26.61%)
Under 2 ½ races (73.39%)
12. What is the sum of the finishing positions of the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes starters who were most recently sold in auctions at Keeneland (#6 Hard Lighting, #7 Swiss Skydiver, #8 Basin, #9 Attachment Rate, #11 Hunt The Front)?
Over 35.5 (32.11%)
Under 35.5 (67.89%)