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How Did They Do It?
Brisnet.com Members�Sweep Las Vegas Championships!
Brisnet member James Michelson Jr. earned the title of 2005 Handicapper of the Year, defeating 213 contestants to win the 6th annual Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) contested January 21 - 22, 2005 at Bally's Racebook in Las Vegas. Michelson won the championship's $200,000 grand prize just two years after his life-long friend and fellow Brisnet member Steve Wolfson Jr. accomplished the same feat at NHC IV in 2003.
Despite having just less than half of the total contestants, Brisnet.com was represented by 17 of the top 20 finishers, who banked $376,000 of the total $412,400 prize pool.
Michelson, a 38-year-old advertising account director from�West Bloomfield, Michigan, received the $200,000 Grand Prize for bankrolling $240.40 in mythical money during the two days of play.
Players made 30 mythical $2 win-and-place bets at seven tracks. Michelson's total was $31.60 ahead of his closest rival, which was enough to give him the largest margin of victory ever in the NHC. During�his speech at the�post-contest awards ceremony at Bally's on Saturday night, Michelson�mentioned that Brisnet.com information�assisted him in his win.
On Tournament Strategy
"I prefer the two day tournament format," explained Michelson. "Unlike one day
tournaments where you need to be almost perfect; with the two day format you can spread your
liability over the two days. Put two good days together and you can win.
"I look for horses that are improving and offer double digit value. Couple that with a
vulnerable favorite and you have a good race to play.
"It is a good idea to partner with someone you know for the tournaments [James'
father was also in the contest]. They can act as a sounding board for your selections.
It also gives you different perspective on the race."
On Brisnet.com
"I found the information in Winner's Choice selection sheets to be extremely helpful to
me during the championship," said Michelson. "It provided me with the basic race facts and
key handicapping angles for all the contest races."
Brisnet customers dominated the leader board throughout the two-day competition. Seventeen members placed in the top 20 and nine were in the top 10.
Michael Conway (Glencoe, Illinois), took the $75,000 second-place prize for totaling $208.80 in his bankroll. Conway also led the Twin Spires Club team to a win in the NHC team championship. The winning team split a prize of $15,000.
"Ultimate PPs offer a wealth of information," stated Conway. "They help you identify contenders and help you concentrate on the important factors of the race. I enjoy reading the Handicapper's Edge, especially the Spot Plays. One of the winners I had in my qualifying win was a Spot Play."
Michael Elsass, part of Churchill Downs #2 team, rounded out the top three with $205.40 in his bankroll, earning $30,000 for third-place. Damian Roncevich (Honolulu, Hawaii), finished day one in second place and hung around the leaderboard the entire contest to eventually finish in fifth place. Roncevich took home $10,000 in prize money.
"My objective in two day tournaments is to peak on the second day," explained Elsass, a veteran tournament player. "I was in 26th place after day one and rallied to finish third. I missed out on the day two daily prize by $2.00. Thinking everyone would be swinging for the fences on the final on the second day, I made a conscious decision to play a little more conservatively. It worked well for me as I had eight horses hit the board on day two.
"I am relying on BRIS more and more. I pay attention to the BRIS numbers and race pars. The Ultimate Race Summary is a must. It is my fail safe."
Other Brisnet members finishing in the top 10 included Bill Shurman, who was the day one leader and sixth overall; Richard Gaetano and David Kassmier, who tied for seventh; ninth-place finisher Don Sullivan; and 10th-place finisher Calvin Manns. The sixth through 10th-place finishers each won $5,000 in prize money. A total of $20,000 ($10,000 a day) was also offered to the top daily finishers. Shurman took home Friday's daily top prize of $5,000, with Roncevich receiving $3,000 for second, and Conway earning $2,000 for third. Brisnet members Elsass and Justin Carey won $3,000 and $2,000, respectively, for second- and third-place daily prizes on Saturday.
Team Brisnet.com, which consisted of Florence Rotman, Pete Colwell and Jeffrey Blaylock put in a valiant effort in the tournament to finish 29th among the 70 teams. A new team for 2005 will be sent based on the April 9 - 23 online qualifier at Brisnet.com. See inside this newsletter for more details.
Brisnet Success
Brisnet.com is now home to all six Handicappers of the Year. For the 2005 tournament, members captured an impressive�$376,000 of the $412,400 in prize money. In the six years the popular contest has been conducted, Brisnet members have won well over a million dollars!
The success in Las Vegas did not stop there. The following weekend Michael Ray of Las Vegas took home the record $384,000 grand prize in the Coast Casino Horseplayers World Series. Four of the top five finishers were Brisnet.com members including 5th place finisher Robert O'Shea, an Ultimate PP user who led all 768 entries over the first two days of the tournament.
Overall 14 of the top 30 finishers at the Orleans Hotel and Casino were Brisnet members, bringing home just under $600,000 of the lucrative prize pool. Through numerous online qualifiers in 2004, Brisnet.com sent 12 contestants to the World Series. Online qualifiers are also planned for 2005.
Brisnet congratulates all its members who were winners this past year and wishes them continued success in the future.
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Racing's Best Online Tournament Returns
The Brisnet.com Online Handicapping Challenge is set for the weekends of April 9 - 23, offering three separate opportunities to qualify for the 2006 National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas.
The winners from each of the three Saturdays will secure a spot to clash for the coveted title of Handicapper of the Year next January at Bally's in Las Vegas. Brisnet.com will be picking up the tab for airfare, NTRA fees and hotel accommodations, $2,500 value each.
As always, it's FREE to play exclusively for Brisnet.com members. Visit Brisnet.com/challenge for contest details, rules, and free registration. Mark your calendars for the weekends of April 9 - 23.
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The PICK6 PLAYERS' POOL Returns for BIG CAP Day
Join BrisBET.com this week and participate in the Pick6 Players' Pool for the Big Cap this Saturday!
The TwinSpires Pick6 Players' Pool is back for the Santa Anita Handicap and the guaranteed $1 million pool on Saturday, March 5. This is the third opportunity for account wagering members to pool their resources into one large Pick6 ticket. BrisBET.com account holders can contribute as little as $10 to the pool, and the expert panel will utilize those funds to select tickets for the Pick Six on Big Cap Day.
The first-ever national Pick6 Players� Pool was introduced by TwinSpires last year for the Breeders' Cup, and the result was five winning tickets paying a pre-tax amount of $280,748.
The TwinSpires Pick6 Players' Pool struck again at Hollywood Park on Nov. 28, hitting for one winning Pick6 and multiple consolation tickets for a total of $132,024.80.
Once again, the pool experts will be led by team captain Brad Anderson, a businessman from Columbus, OH, who is known in racing for hitting on Pick Sixes including one Pick Six for $1.3 million at Hollywood Park in 2004. Rich Nilsen of Brisnet.com who is a four-time DRF/NTRA finals qualifier, and Ron Ruchtie, who has personally cashed in on over 75 Pick Six tickets, make up the panel of three expert handicappers.
There is certainly no guarantee of another success, but it's fun to participate and offers a rare opportunity to be part of a huge Pick-6 ticket!
ABOUT BRISBET.COM
Unlike other sites, you do not have to pay for live video or to place a wager with
BrisBET.com. You also receive FREE Brisnet Past Performances and selection sheets for the
tracks you bet on daily*. Can your track, otb or wagering service do that?
There's no monthly membership fee at BrisBET.com. You betcha!
No other wagering service offers so many great benefits. Join BrisBET.com, the site that caters to horseplayers and offers wagering on all the top tracks. Click here to open an account or call 1-800-597-5661.
Join BrisBET.com and take advantage of the "Bet $100 GET $100" new members promo**. Also, mark your calendars for March 19, the day of 10% cash rewards for wagers on Tampa Bay Downs.
* Thoroughbred PDF PPs only. See site for complete details.
** see site for complete offer details. Must be at least 21 years old and reside in a state
where account wagering is available. Wagers processed by TwinSpires.
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HANDICAPPER'S REPORT
3 FREE Daily Clocker Reports in March
3 FREE Daily Clocker Reports in March
In a game where the handicapper must make numerous assumptions and assessments in every race, the keen insights of an experienced clocker can help the handicapper make more accurate assessments. That's where Handicapper's Report (HR) comes in.
Until recently one had to access several different reports in order to obtain all the workouts gems from Handicapper's Report, but that was changed recently with the introduction of a new and improved Daily Clocker report. Now, the Fit-and-Ready runners, workouts prior to last race, and most recent workout analysis are provided all in one report. The result is arguably the best workout detail found anywhere.
To showcase the enhanced Daily Clocker Reports, Brisnet.com and Handicapper's Report have teamed up to provide you 3 FREE downloads in March, an $18 - 24 value.
Each report provides you with access to the private clockings and personal observations of racing's most respected private clockers. How can this improve your game? The information contained in the HR Daily Clocker Reports will give you a better view of the current fitness and ability of the horses you're considering to wager on or against. Also, the information contained in the Clocker Reports can give you a unique perspective on a horse that can't be inferred from the past performances. And, since the information provided by HR's private clockers is not widely disseminated, it has tremendous wagering value.
Currently available for Southern California and New York (Keeneland coming in April), Handicapper's Report Daily Clocker Reports is a tool you'll want to add to your handicapping arsenal. Try it today!
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WINNING WITH WORKOUTS - $142.20 Blockbuster Score!
In the regular weekly feature of the FREE Handicapper's Edge online newsletter, Handicapper�s Report presents examples of how to use workouts in your handicapping, employing actual results with horses featured in our reports.
Today�s Topic: Occasionally a clocker will suggest a horse is pointing for a particular race
A knowledgeable clocker will not only judge the quality of a particular workout but at times may point out the type of race in which a horse should be entered. Sometimes suggesting a horse should be effective based on a workout at a low claiming level. Sometimes suggesting a horse can move up significantly. And sometimes suggesting a horse will outperform his odds in a particular race.
On Saturday Jan 29, in the Sunshine Millions at Gulfstream Park our Fit and Ready lister MUSIQUE TOUJOURS shipped to GP for the �Millions Classic, quite a step up in class. He won and paid $142.20 with the following works:
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The Best STABLE ALERT just got Better!
RACE ALERT has been added as a free feature for the Stable Alert member version at Brisnet.com. This new feature allows users to track entries and results of all horses that have run in a particular race. Race Alert follows horses from that race in all subsequent starts, whether it be their last start or several races back. It's ideal for tracking key races, potential key races, or any race a handicapper has deemed noteworthy.
Maybe you saw a maiden race that you thought should produce several next-out winners? Stable Alert will notify you by email the next time any horse from that race is entered anywhere in the country. It's that simple. You'll be amazed what this can do for your bottom line.
No other email notification service offers such a feature. Race Alert is just another innovative h andicapping tool from the site you've come to rely on! Best of all, it's free for Brisnet.com members who use Stable Alert. Take advantage today.
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March 2005 Racing Calendar
[Click Here] - Updated on the 1st of every month
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