Accumulating $158,000 by betting More Than Looks in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), Steven Wells, a bar owner from Fordville, North Dakota, won a record-setting edition of the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC).
The 16th annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, Thoroughbred racing’s biggest live-money tournament, was held Nov. 1-2 and drew a record 585 entries as top horseplayers wagered on the 41st Breeders’ Cup World Championships’ two-day program at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California.
The tournament players generated nearly $7.3 million in wagering handle, with over $4 million of that total wagered by a record number of entries on-track (337) at Del Mar, representing more than 20% of the total on-track handle.
In the 2024 BCBC, each player was required to fund a $2,500 buy-in and a $7,500 betting bankroll ($10,000 total). All buy-in monies were applied to the prize pool, making a record total prize pool of $1,462,500. Players made real wagers (win, place, show, exacta, trifecta and daily double) with their $7,500 bankroll over the two days (22 races) and kept all monies earned from their wagering.
Wells, 51, finished with a total score of 152,000 points. Combined with his first-place prize of $421,200, he earned a grand total of $573,200. Tyler Sprague of Las Vegas, NV, finished second, with 130,600 points, and with his $280,800 prize money added, amassed a total of $411,400. Tyler Hoffman of Sylmar, Calif., finished in third place, garnering 115,500 points, and combined with prize money of $152,100, earning a grand total of $267,600.
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In addition to those wagering at Del Mar, players participated in the BCBC from official satellite locations at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., and Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Players also participated online at TVG.com―the official wagering partner of Breeders’ Cup―Xpressbet.com, Twinspires.com, NYRABets.com, 4NJBets.com, and HPIbet.com.
Wells, whose father and grandfather owned and raced Quarter Horses growing up in Arizona, has played in the BCBC since 2014.
“I am very satisfied,” he said. “I’ve won a lot of live money tournaments, but this is the biggest.”
Wells also keeps an eye on horses he likes in major stakes, and had his sights on More Than Looks since this summer at Saratoga Race Course, figuring he might get a big price on him at the Breeders’ Cup.
On Breeders’ Cup Saturday, Wells started his rally when he earned $17,500 betting Thorpedo Anna to win the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) and followed up with $100 exacta score on Rebel’s Romance (IRE) and Rousham Park (JPN) in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), which netted $22,000.
Wells didn’t get the big price he figured on More Than Looks in the Breeders’ Cup Mile but settled for a shade under 7-1, and the 4-year-old returned $15.80. A $158,000 bankroll catapulted Wells to tournament champion.
Second-place finisher Sprague amassed his $130,600 bankroll through all-in wagers on Lake Victoria (IRE) in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) on Friday, then an all-in wager on Henri Matisse (IRE) in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). He then rolled that balance into a $44,000 Win wager on Rebel’s Romance in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf on Saturday.
Complete tournament results are available here.
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