Matt Miller of Northbrook, Illinois was the only player with 11 correct props and coasted to a win in the third week of the TIF Summer Prop Contest. Miller is directing $1,250 to the Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs for his win.
A ten-way tie for second, with nine correct props, precipitated a visit to the tiebreaker, which asked players to guess the $0.50 trifecta for the San Clemente at Del Mar. Len Dodson of Carlsbad, California earned second place with his guess of $84.80, closest to the actual return of $76.20. Dodson is directing $500 to the Edwin J Gregson Foundation.
Nick Tammaro, NYRA handicapper for “At The Races With Steve Byk,” and prop-setter for the upcoming fifth week of the Summer Prop Contest, was next best on the tiebreaker with a guess of $87.00 to finish third and will direct $250 to the Belmont Child Care Association.
While a contestant's four best scores count towards the final standings, an early look at the top players through the first three weeks shows a fairly tight pack. The three individual week winners are all tied with a total of 25 points.
1st - Bradley Anderson - 25
1st - Matt Miller - 25
1st - Doug Slayton - 25
4th - Patrick O'Connor - 24
5th - Tommy Massis - 23
5th - Dave Nichols - 23
7th - Patrick Ray - 24
7th - Phil Spade - 22
7th - Anthony Stabile - 22
7th - Nick Tammaro - 22
7th - Paul Weizer - 22
A recap of the props and the distribution to each answer from Week 3 is below..
1. Which group Will combine for more victories at Saratoga on Saturday?
Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher (47%)
All other trainers (53%)
2. Last year’s Vanderbilt saw a track record setting performance from Imperial Hint. In Saturday’s edition of the Vanderbilt, which features the impressive Volatile, will the final time be…
A new track record (1:07.91 or faster) (2%)
Between 1:07.92 and 1:08.79 (66%)
1:08.80 or slower (32%)
3. What will be the margin of victory in the Ballston Spa at Saratoga?
1 length or shorter (47%)
Between 1 ¼ lengths and 3 lengths (47%)
3 ¼ lengths or longer (6%)
4. What horse will have the better finishing position in the Vanderbilt?
#2 WHITMORE (48%)
#3 FIRENZE FIRE (19%)
#5 MIND CONTROL (33%)
5. The $0.50 early pick five at Saratoga will return…
$310.10 or higher (61%)
$310.00 or lower (39%)
6. The final time of the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar will be:
1:39.99 or faster (7%)
1:40.00 to 1:41.99 (61%)
1:42.00 or slower (32%)
7. HEAD TO HEAD: Which horse will have the better finishing position in the San Diego?
#1 HIGHER POWER (60%)
#6 MIDCOURT (40%)
8. HEAD TO HEAD: Which Peter Miller entrant will have the better finishing position in the San Clemente?
#1 SHE’S SO SPECIAL (22%)
#3 LAURA’S LIGHT (78%)
9. HEAD TO HEAD: At Del Mar, which jockey will finish with more top three finishes from their respective mounts?
Flavien Prat (79%)
Mike Smith (21%)
10. What will the winner of the San Clemente return?
$12.00 or less (73%)
$12.10 or more (27%)
11. Which trio will combine for more top three finishes?
F Prat, M Smith, D Van Dyke at Del Mar (38%)
I Ortiz Jr., J Rosario, J Velazquez at Saratoga MINUS 0.5 (62%)
12. What will be greater?
The winning margin in the Vanderbilt (10%)
The total number of runs scored in Saturday’s Yankees v. Nationals game (90%)