annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Problem (BCBC) The event is an occasion held at the side of horse racing’s largest championship day, giving handicappers the prospect to beat the perfect scores of their lives and change into champion jockeys. This 12 months, the champion dave smithThe 50-year-old monetary advisor from Lexington, Kentucky, beat out 635 entries to win a complete of $607,800 in prize cash and the title of 2025 BCBC Champion from October thirty first to November. 1 at Del Mar
Smith defeated a area of skilled handicap event excessive rollers to take house the highest prize within the official handicap event of the Breeders’ Cup World Championship in Horse Racing. In 2025, BCBC had a pockets of $1,587,500. Of word, the handicapping event prize cash was larger than most of the precise Breeders’ Cup championship races over the weekend.
Smith turned two entries value a complete of $20,000 (two entries value $10,000 every) into his ultimate take-home pay. This consists of $144,800 in actual cash parimutuel bankroll and $463,000 in prize cash.
Smith, who shouldn’t be usually a event participant, was persuaded by pals to compete within the BCBC throughout a summer season go to to Saratoga Race Course. He certified for BCBC by competing in a $500 feeder event on Horseplayers.com.
“I mentioned to my spouse, ‘I’ve to go! I’ve to go to Del Mar,'” Smith mentioned.
Requested if he anticipated this win to occur, Smith replied, “I would not have been stunned. I am a winner,” earlier than shortly admitting, “I am simply not at all times a winner in horse racing.”
BCBC presents deep-pocketed contributors the prospect to win and make huge bucks by betting huge on the Breeders’ Cup’s giant pari-mutuel pool. This occasion yearly attracts big-time bettors and handicapping event aces from across the nation who goal all these handicapping contests all year long.
“I commerce shares for a dwelling. I like the monetary markets. That is why I put puzzles collectively,” Smith mentioned of his handicap. “It is the identical factor with horse racing, besides you are not coping with a CEO or CFO, you are coping with a horse athlete.”
Within the BCBC format, $7,500 of a participant’s entry payment goes towards their actual cash bankroll, and the remaining $2,500 goes into a big prize fund that’s returned to the highest 20 gamers within the type of wallets.
Contributors should wager a minimal of $600 per race (no most) on at the least three Breeders’ Cup races on Friday and 7 Breeders’ Cup races on Saturday. The permitted guess sorts are Win, Place, Present, Exacta, Trifecta and Each day Double, excluding Particular Double.
Smith began the event slowly in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup race. He cashed in a few of his tickets, however ended up shedding Friday’s portion of his bankroll heading into Saturday’s recreation day. However Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup was a vastly profitable day for Smith.
Smith considerably elevated his bankroll within the first 4 of 9 Breeders’ Cup races on Saturday. He turned an $840 value of guess on the PNC Financial institution Breeders’ Cup filly dash into $2,164, turned a $1,100 value of guess into $3,150 on the Turf Dash, turned a $900 value of guess into $1,800 on the Dash, and turned a $6,900 value of guess into $10,700 on Distaff utilizing the next mixtures: I modified it to {dollars}. Wins, positions, exhibits and double bets on Splendora, Shisospicy, Bentornato and Scylla.
Smith, who had a strong bankroll at that time within the event, started placing cash into play. Smith’s bankroll was again on monitor after Moral Diamond’s upset loss within the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf, leading to a $5,300 loss. He received a complete of $12,500 on Win, Place, Present and Exacta bets on the Classics Without end Younger and Sierra Leone, and after some losses within the mile, he staked all remaining $19,000 on each day double bets on Filth Mile and Filly Turf to attain the decisive knockout blow within the event. These bets included an $8,000 2x win on Naissos and the filly. Gezora returned pari-mutuel winnings totaling $144,800.
Smith’s ultimate funds gave the runner-up a win. Ken McMahan45, from Lexington, Kentucky, additionally constructed a formidable pari-mutuel whole of $139,930 for himself, including on his second-place prize of $304,800. McMahan is well-known on the event circuit, having certified for the Nationwide Horse Gamers Championship (NHC) for 13 consecutive years. He has already double certified for his 14th look on the NHC Finals in 2026. McMahan additionally completed eighth in his second entry, and his two top-10 performances made him the second huge winner of the weekend alongside Smith. Between the funds and prize cash from the 2 entries, McMahan took house $578,480.
The remaining contributors within the high 10 had important bankroll margins. michael martinelli He completed third with a bankroll of $105,000 and prize cash value $165,100. Rounding out the highest 5 had been: philip shelton 4th place: $101,000 ($114,300 in prize cash); Fahad alani He completed in fifth place with a bankroll of $98,737 and prize cash of $88,900. The remainder of the highest dave nichols, Linda RodriguezKen McMahan’s second entry, Lawrence Bergenand tyler hoffman. The event awarded money prizes to the highest 20 gamers.
BCBC additionally served as a 15-seat qualifier for the subsequent Nationwide Horseplayers Championship to be held March 13-15, 2026 in Las Vegas. The NHC is the one present event with extra deep pockets than the BCBC, bringing in additional than $3 million yearly.
The 2025 BCBC attracted 635 entries, 50 greater than the 585 entries acquired in 2024. Stephen Wellsa bar proprietor in Fordville, North Dakota, scored a victory. Different current BCBC champions embody: Sean Boremana 43-year-old skilled gambler from Lexington, topped a area of 571 in 2023. and Drew CourtneyThe 34-year-old race fan booked an all-in ticket on Flightline for 2022, beating out 549 entries.
The most important variety of 2025 BCBC athletes participated on the monitor from the Breeders’ Cup website in Del Mar. Gamers may additionally take part on-line on ADW platforms corresponding to Xpressbet, TwinSpires, TVG, NYRA Bets and HPIbet. A number of others performed at places on Santa Anita’s official satellite tv for pc course. Winner Dave Smith performed on the monitor in Del Mar and runner-up Ken McMahon performed on-line with Expressbet. The highest eight gamers all performed at Xpressbet or Del Mar.
