Horse Racing Tournament Talk: Weekend recap, upcoming horse racing tourney's, & big winners [May 15, 2026]

It's time for our horse racing tournament talk. We will gather every week to discuss last weekend's tournaments, assess upcoming tournament potential and congratulate our weekend winners. Join us as we bring you everything you need to know about tournaments. 

INDEX

Horse Racing Tournament Weekend Recap

This week we are highlighting the massive tournament week from opening week of Churchill Downs that included Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby!

Opening night on Saturday included a $1,000 KDBC Qualifier that had 82 entries and gave away 8 KDBC seats. Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday each had a small money Bet and Set Qualifier straight into the KDBC that each gave away one KDBC seat for as little as an $86 buy-in!

Thurby Day had another $1,000 KDBC Qualifier with 81 entries and gave away 8 more KDBC seats. On Friday, we ran a $1,000 Kentucky Oaks Betting Challenge that had $25,000 in added cash prizes. That tournament had 285 and gave away 28 KDBC seats along with the cash prizes. 

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This weekend's horse racing tournaments' big winners

Michael Doheny took the win in that tournament to earn $12,500 on top of a KDBC seat! Tyler Whisman was a very close second to earn $5,000 and a KDBC seat. Jake Whitley, Michael Caposio, Michael Domabyl, and Mark Streiff finished out the other positions earning cash prizes. 

Finally, the Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge finished with 235 entries that created a $352,500 prize pool that included one 2026 BCBC seat, two 2027 NHC seats, three 2027 KDBC seats, and $317,500 in cash prizes!

Edward Deicke nailed the Kentucky Derby going all-in on a Win bet on Golden Tempo that took his bankroll from $3,054 to a whopping $73,662.98 and a KDBC win! Deicke took home a BCBC seat and $127,000 in cash in addition to his final bankroll. 

Matthew McJunkin took an early lead with two big hits throughout the day and held onto second place with a final bankroll of $63,458.10. That finish came with an NHC seat and $63,500 in cash. 

Christopher Larmey, Michael Domabyl, Andrew Asaro, Noah Sharkey, Seth Morris, Mark Streiff, Darren Yarwood, and Kenneth King rounded out the top 10 earning prizes on top of their final bankrolls. 

Upcoming Tournaments

We now shift focus onto the $3,500 Stephen Foster Betting Challenge taking place at Churchill Downs at the end of June. This weekend highlights a $600 Churchill Downs SFBC Qualifier on Sunday afternoon. 

General Tournament FAQ

How do horse racing tournaments even work?

Horse racing tournaments operate differently than standard parimutuel betting. Instead of wagering against the track's house pool, players compete against one another to earn the highest bankroll or point total within a specific set of races.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TOURNAMENTS

What are the different types of horse racing tournaments?

Feeders: Low buy-in, with a primary goal to win entry to a larger, more expensive, tournament.

NHC Qualifiers: Competitive, with the primary goal to earn a spot at National Horseplayers Championship.

Cash Games: The entry style is direct with the goal to win a percentage of the total entry-fee prize pool. 

How do you bet on horse racing tournaments?

Betting on horse racing tournaments is quick and easy through TwinSpires with plenty of ways to bet. 

• Click on any of our tournament lists that showcases upcoming tournaments.
• Check out our tournaments tab in the top menu navigation
• Or simply click here to discover everything you need to know about tournaments! 

What are the rules of horse racing tournaments?

These are general rules for Tournaments. CLICK HERE TO VIEW TWINSPIRES TOURNAMENT RULES!

• Most tournaments fall into two categories:
  • Mythical Bankroll: Utilizes a mythical budget that does not use real money.
  • Live Bankroll: Uses real money and your bankroll to place real bets. 
• Regardless of format, which are Mythical Bankroll versus Live Bankroll, these general rules still apply.
• Mandatory vs. Optional Races
  • Mandatory means you must place a bet on specific races. 
  • Optional means you have the freedom to choose which races to play from a provided list to reach a required total. 
• Wager Types: Most contests limit you to specific bet types. 
• Deadlines 
  • For Pick and Pray contests, selections must be locked in before the first race of the day.
  • Live formats can usually adjust your pick up until post time of each individual race.