Joe Applebaum, a successful horseman and reseller through the Off the Hook Partnerships, cashed a cold $13,000 exacta on last Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic and emerged the winner of the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge at Santa Anita.
This year's BCBC, Thoroughbred racing's biggest live-money tournament, featured 396 players on site at Santa Anita, at satellite locations at Aqueduct, Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park and online at TwinSpires.com. The contest required the player to fund $10,000–a $2,500 buy-in and a live bankroll of $7,500. Participants were allowed to make win, place, show, exacta and trifecta wagers on a total of 22 races for first-prize money of $300,000, second prize of $200,000 and $110,000 for third.
Applebaum was in 47th place heading into the Classic and originally planned on making a win bet only on Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), but opted for the exacta and a return of $65,000 (less a $1,000 penalty). That catapulted him past the field and ahead of Charlie Davis, who finished with $61,505.
“I was thrilled to win it,” said Appelbaum, who took home $364,000 from the tournament. “It's the largest live-money tournament and to prevail here I feel incredibly fortunate.”
Appelbaum has enjoyed success in racing partnerships and pinhooking through Off the Hook, including Informed Decision (Monarchos) who later went on to win the GI 2009 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Off the Hook has won 14 graded stakes, including grade one wins by Turbo Compressor (Halo's Image) and GII Suburban H. winner Zivo (True Direction).
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