LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 4, 2015) – With great anticipation building for American Pharoah’s attempt at the coveted Triple Crown title this Saturday, Breeders’ Cup has launched a new Media Challenge program surrounding its Million Dollar Finish fantasy game. For each of the 10 Million Dollar Finish races featured on the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win & You’re In” on NBC and NBCSN, Breeders’ Cup will donate $1,000 to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in the name of the racing personality who scores the most fantasy points. The roster of horse-racing personalities competing in the Media Challenge includes Matt Bernier, Jill Byrne, Tom Leach, Eddie Olczyk and Ray Paulick.
Saturday’s Belmont Stakes is the first chance to play and win with Million Dollar Finish and to follow along with the Media Challenge. The media picks for the final leg of the Triple Crown, and all Million Dollar Finish races, will be posted online at: http://www.milliondollarfinish.com/.
Offering more prizes this year than ever before, the Million Dollar Finish game will award the fantasy player with the highest score for each of the 10 designated races a once-in-a-lifetime VIP trip for two to the sold-out 2015 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course. Million Dollar Finish players will also have the chance to win $1 million during the Breeders’ Cup Classic race at the World Championships on October 31, 2015.
The panel of experts for the Media Challenge will include:
Matt Bernier (@bernier_matt) – Player Development Handicapper for Daily Racing Form
Paul Bessire (@predictmachine) – General Manager and Co-founder of Predicteform.com and PredictionMachine.com
Michael Beychok (@beychockracing) – 2012 Handicapper of the year
Jason Blewitt (@jasonblewitt30) – NYRA Racing Analyst and host of NYRA’s National Racing Report and Belmont Insider
Steve Byk (@Steve_Byk) – Host of “At the Races” on SIRIUS 220, SM 206, Online 962
Jill Byrne (@betonbyrne) – Director of Programming at Churchill Downs
Jose Contrreas (@Losponies) – America’s Best Racing Ambassador
Acacia Courtney (@missct2014) – Columnist for America’s Best Racing
Kevin Cox (@brooklyncowboy1) – Handicapper for Saratoga Bets
Michael Dempsey (@TurfnSport) – Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and turfnsport.com
Katie Gensler (@katiegensler) – Handicapper from Keeneland Race Course
Victoria Garofalo (@itsmevictoriag) – America’s Best Racing Ambassador
Tom Leach (@tomleachKY) – Voice of the Kentucky Wildcats and host of The Leach Report
Eddie Olczyk (@EddieOlczyk) – Member of NBC’s Horse Racing coverage
Ray Paulick (@raypaulick) – Publisher of Paulick Report
Mike Penna (@HRRNBaron) – Host of Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN)
Peter Rotondo, Jr. (@retro411) – Swiss Army Knife, Vice President of Breeders’ Cup
Team Rotondo – Stars of Esquire Network’s HORSEPLAYERS featuring Lee Davis (@leedavis303) and Peter Rotondo, Sr. (@PETERFROTONDO)
Ellis Starr (@Ubercapper) – National Racing Analyst at Equibase
Dan Tordjman (@DanonymousMan) – America’s Best Racing Ambassador
Dave Tuley (@ViewFromVegas) – Writer for ESPN.com and ViewFromVegas.com
Michelle Yu (@themichelleyu) – Handicapper for Santa Anita
“The Media Challenge provides a fun way for fans at home to play along with our media personalities and experts all summer long,” said Justin McDonald, Breeders’ Cup Vice President of Marketing & Digital Media. “Between the Media Challenge, 10 VIP trips to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Kentucky and the $1 million grand prize in October, we are excited to provide our fans new ways to win and engage each week during the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races.”
One of horseracing’s only fantasy games, Million Dollar Finish is free to enter and play, and fans can register and submit their picks for each race online at: http://www.milliondollarfinish.com/.
About Breeders’ Cup
The Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships. The Breeders’ Cup also administers the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The 2015 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 13 Grade 1 races and purses totaling $26 million, will be held October 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup Web site, www.breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
About Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance
Based in Lexington, KY, the TAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization designed to serve as both an accrediting body for aftercare organizations that retire, retrain and rehome Thoroughbreds following the conclusion of their racing careers, and a fundraising body to support these approved organizations. Funded initially by seed money from Breeders’ Cup, Ltd., The Jockey Club, and Keeneland Association, the TAA is comprised of and supported by owners, trainers, breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals and other industry groups. In 2013, TAA awarded $1,000,000 to 23 accredited organizations and gave out an additional $2,400,000 to 42 accredited organizations in 2014. To learn more about TAA, visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org.
No purchase necessary to enter or win. The Promotion registration period begins on or about April 28, 2015 at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends on October 31, 2015 at 5:40 p.m. ET. Promotion is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States & D.C., who are 18 years of age or older. See Official Rules at www.MillionDollarFinish.com/rules for exact registration times for each race, additional eligibility restrictions, prize descriptions/restrictions/ARVs and complete details. Void where prohibited. PROMOTION IS DEVISED AS A NON-GAMBLING PROMOTION and is intended solely for entertainment purposes. Promotion is sponsored by Breeders’ Cup Limited. Breeders’ Cup Limited is the sole sponsor of the Promotion. NBC Sports and NBCUniversal Media, LLC are not sponsors of the Promotion and are not associated with the administration of the Promotion in any way. Entrants are providing information to sponsors and not to NBC Sports and NBCUniversal Media, LLC.
