Professional horseplayer Tommy Massis of Toronto, Ontario and Matt Miller of Northbrook, Illinois were the only two players to record a perfect score in the seventh week of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation’s Summer Prop Contest. With a Travers $2 exacta guess of $42.19, Massis took top billing for the week being closer to the actual return of $37.00 compared to Miller’s guess of $22.20.
Massis directed a contribution of $1,250 to the Jockey & Equestrian Initiative of the University of Kentucky’s Sports Medicine Research Institute.
Third placing for the week went down to a tie with 11 of 12 correct props each for Michael Murphy of Studio City, California and Ralph Conte of Hamilton, New Jersey, with Murphy’s tiebreaker being $20.54 away from the actual return compared to Conte’s guess being $21.00 off. Both second-placed Miller and third-placed Murphy elected for contributions of $500 and $250, respectively, to be directed to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
“I definitely enjoyed watching yesterday’s races more than usual with this type of ‘action’ going all day,” said Miller.
Massis, who has been amongst the overall contest leaders for weeks without a win, moves into a tie for the overall lead with Rick Hammerle, who turned in another strong showing with 10 of 12 props correct. Both have a best four-week total of 40 points heading into the final week of the contest. This week’s second placer, Matt Miller, resides in a solo third placing in the overall standings with 39 points while Terry Ostrowski, who had been tied for the lead with Hammerle going into this week’s competition on 38 points, did not improve his position with this week’s contest.
Jeffrey Amster, the week two winner, holds down the fifth spot on 37 points while four are tied for sixth - Charles Bedard, Michelle Yu Hanson, week three winner Connor Le Clair and week four winner James Leal, all on 36 points.
The distribution of week seven props and the updated standings for all players with at least a four-week total of 29 points or higher are reflected below.
The final week of the TIF Summer Prop Contest remains with Glen Hill Farm CEO and TIF founder Craig Bernick setting the props. The overall winner of the contest will direct $5,000 to the jockey health-related charity of their choice. Second and third will direct $3,000 and $1,000 respectively.
Week 7 Prop Distribution:
1 – According to the official Equibase chart, what will be the closing odds for the favorite in the Travers at Saratoga?
A - $2.20-1 or less (43.24%)
B - $2.25-1 or more (56.76%)
2 – HEAD TO HEAD: Which Chad Brown runner will have the better finishing position?
A – #3 Highest Honors (54.05%)
B – #9 Looking At Bikinis (45.95%)
3 – Which number will be greater?
A – Total beaten lengths by the last place finisher in the Travers (59.46%)
B – Total runs, hits and errors in Saturday’s Los Angeles Angels / Houston Astros game? (40.54%)
Both answers correct as totals were same - 22
4 – How old will the 2019 Travers winning trainer be at the time of the win?
A – In his 60s (#2 Code Of Honor, #6 Tacitus, #7 Mucho Gusto) (76.58%)
B – Any other age (23.43%)
5 – Will the winner of the Travers by owned by its breeder?
A – Yes (#2 Code Of Honor, #3 Highest Honors, #6 Tacitus, #11 Endorsed) (70.91%)
B – No (All other horses) (29.09%)
6 – According to the official Equibase chart, what will be the final time of the Travers?
A – 2:00.99 or faster (25.23%)
B – 2:01.00 or slower (74.77%)
7 – HEAD TO HEAD: Which horse will have the better finishing position in the Personal Ensign (Race 9)?
A - #1 Midnight Bisou (36.04%)
B - #4 Elate (63.96%)
8 – According to the official Equibase chart, which 7 furlong race will have the faster finishing time?
A – Race 5 – The Forego (40.54%)
B – Race 7 – The H Allen Jerkens (59.46%)
9 – Which $2 win payoff will be higher?
A – Race 6 – The Ballerina (31.53%)
B – Race 10 – The Sword Dancer (68.47%)
10 – How many Chad Brown trainees will finish in the trifecta of the Ballston Spa (Race 8)?
A – Over 1.5 (51.35%)
B – Under 1.5 (48.65%)
11 – How many wins will Jose Ortiz have on the Travers Day card at Saratoga?
A – Over 3.5 (26.13%)
B – Under 3.5 (73.87%)
12 – The $0.50 return on the Early Pick 5 at Saratoga (Races 1-5) on Saturday will be…
A - $1,499 or less (53.15%)
B - $1,500 or more (46.85%)
TIF Summer Prop Contest
Updated Standings Through Week 7 (29 points and higher)
Rick Hammerle (40)
Tommy Massis
Matt Miller (39)
Terry Ostrowski (38)
Jeffrey Amster (37)
Charles Bedard (36)
Michelle Yu Hanson
James Leal
Connor LeClair
Michael Domabyl (35)
Larry Kerr
Patrick Ray
Keith Stafford
Matthew Taylor
Leonard Dodson (34)
Bruce Kluft
Peter Rotondo
Dustin Fabian (33)
David Fiske
Chris Garafola
Thomas Lippai
Tyler Whisman
Maxine Anderson (32)
Robert Carniol
John Gaspar
Patrick Moroney
James O'Neill
Greg Pierce
Jerry Richman
Todd Van Drie
Michael Vito
Donald Wells
Craig Brogden (31)
Jeffrey Coakley
Mike Coutu
Chas Glazer
David Grossbarth
Zach Levine
Scott Little
James Mulvihill
Dave Nichols
Aaron Reed
Joshua Ross
Matthew A Shifman
Paul Weizer
Rory Arnold (30)
Chris Bertolucci
David Browning
Jared Freilich
Kenny Gordon
Matt Kasowicz
Nicholas McMurdy
Dan Pastalaniec
Doug Slayton
Phil Spade
Jim Sweet
Sean Beirne (29)
Van Cushny
Taylor Gerbel
Sean Feld
Ken Kasowicz
Chad Schexnayder
Jacob Shepard
Henry Wessel
Blake Willison