2006-'07 Contest/Tournament Recaps
By Noel Michaels, exclusively for HorsePlayerdaily.com
More March-April 2006 Archived Tourney Recaps Here.
May 3-5, 2006
LAS VEGAS HILTON PICK THE PONIES
Champion: Damian Roncevich
The HorsePlayer Magazine contributing writer Damian Roncevich, one of the 12 "Young Guns" who analyzed the 2006 Kentucky Derby for the magazine, captured the Las Vegas Hilton's 27th edition of the Pick the Ponies Invitational on Derby Eve. The tournament sold out with 200 entries, and offered $100,000 in prize money plus an additional $15,000 in daily money. The contest cost $500 to enter, and paid prize money down to 30th place.
Players in the three-day tournament made 10 mythical $100 across-the-board bets per day on the races from several simulcast tracks. The winner was tournament veteran and former NHC qualifier Damian Roncevich of Honolulu, who was victorious by a comfortable margin with a contest-winning bankroll of $16,120. Runner-up Robert Schintzius finished a distant second with $14,940. Third-place finisher John Miekoski was close behind with $14,750.
1. Roncevich, Damian $39,000 (includes $1,000 daily)
2. Schintzius, Robert $21,500 (includes $2,500 daily)
3. Miekoski, John $9,000
4. Napper, Steve $4,500
5. Timperley, Kenny $4,500
6. Gorgan, Patrick $2,000
7. Beardsworth, Don / Decauwer, Dennis $2,000
8. Neasham, Bob $3,500 (includes $1,500 daily)
9. Hendrickson, Chuck $3,000 (includes $1,000 daily)
10. Mustari, Frank $2,000
11. Schwartz, Jim $1,000
12. Hasher, Alan $1,000
13. Decaspers, T. / Scraff, B. $1,000
14. Speaks, Don $1,000
15. Jaramillo, Javier $1,000
16. Seip, Walter $1,000
17. Alexander, Ty $1,000
18. Cunnington, Kenn $1,000
19. Ray, Michael / Matties, Paul $1,000
20. Pappas, Michael $1,000
21. Novick, George $2,000 (includes $1,500 daily)
22. Leccese, Rachel $500
23. Wong, David/Elizabeth $500
24. Dempster, Jim $2,000 (includes $1,500 daily)
25. Stubenvoll, Kenneth $3,000 (includes $2,500 daily)
26. Turrell, Terry $500
27. Enholm, Barry $500
28. Kram, Murray $500
29. Hinson, Joe $500
30. Dempster, Grace $3,000 (includes $2,500 daily)
73. Gerdes, John $1,000 (daily)
April 29, 2006
MONMOUTH PARK/MEADOWLANDS SIMULCAST SERIES INVITATIONAL
Champion: Robert Nolan
The Monmouth/Meadowlands Simulcast Series Challenge was a series of seven on-track contests held between Oct. 2005 and April 2006. Each of the seven events were stand-alone contests, and each also served as qualifiers to Monmouth’s Simulcast Series Invitational final held on April 29. The top five finishers from each Simulcast Series Challenge advanced to the Simulcast Series final, with the top two finishers in the final round earning qualifying berths into the National Handicapping Championship.
Each stand-alone series contest cost $100 to enter, plus another $100 which served as a contestant’s live, real-money betting stake. Players had to use win or place bets to try to increase their bankroll. The top 10 players in each preliminary contest earned prize money.
The Simulcast Series invitation-only final round consisted of the same rules as the prelims, except that players started with a $200 live bankroll instead of $100. The top finishers advancing to the NHC. Prize money for the one-day final round was $5,000 split amongst the top five finishers.
Robert Nolan of Brielle, N.J. won the final round by turning his $200 starting bankroll into a Simulcast Series championship-winning bankroll of $1,518, which was his to keep. The contest’s second NHC qualifier was runner-up Mike Murphy of Little Silver, N.J.
1. Robert Nolan $2,500 qualified NHC
2. Mike Murphy $1,000 qualified NHC
3. Bill Handleman $750
4. Jim Fluegel $500
5. Annie Samples $250
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