Horse Racing Tournament Talk: Weekend recap, upcoming horse racing tourneys, & big winners [April 4, 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. 

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Horse Racing Tournament Weekend Recap

The highlight from last week in TwinSpires Tournaments was the Arkansas Derby KDBC Qualifier on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

There were 64 entries in that qualifier, meaning six KDBC seats were up for grabs! The top seven players in the final prize positions were the only players to more than double their starting bankroll of $500.

This weekend's horse racing tournaments' big winners

Frank Mustari hit a massive double early in the card that gave him enough bankroll to hold on throughout and take the win. Dylan Donnelly hit a huge exacta in the Arkansas Derby to take second and a KDBC seat. 

The other four KDBC seats went to Ryan Petrunyak, Vincent Pitonzo, Matt Miller, and Michael Guadagno. Jake Whitley hit a nice trifecta in the Arkansas Derby to climb up to seventh and take home a nice consolation prize of $2,000. 

Upcoming Tournaments

This weekend highlights the $1,000 Blue Grass KDBC Qualifier at Keeneland on Saturday with three differently priced cash tournaments as well! We are also debuting our new Bet and Set tournament format this weekend at Keeneland!

Live-Money Contest Talk: The Leaderboard Show with HHH Racing Podcast

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.