Mike Hurst wins $2,000 Racing Rachel's Warriors Final
- Tammy Knox
- Oct 31, 2019
- 2 min read
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Oct. 31, 2019) – Dilettante is a horse that Mike Hurst of Indianapolis will not forget for a long time. The five-year-old Unbridled’s Song gelding ridden by Malcolm Franklin romped to victory as a 26-1 longshot in the fourth race of the afternoon Wednesday, Oct. 30 at Indiana Grand. It was the key to Hurst’s victory in the $2,900 final of Racing Rachel’s Warriors contest.
Racing Rachel’s Warriors contest, which is free to all Caesars Rewards players, began Wednesday, April 17 and was held each Wednesday throughout the 2019 meet. The top handicapper from each week advanced to the final. Hurst was able to qualify for the final in mid-August and brought his “A” game to the final to go up against 27 other weekly winners for the top prize of $2,000.
“I’m really a turf player,” said Hurst. “But I liked the eight (Dilettante). He showed good early gate speed and after he hit, I was able to back him up with the seven (Sacred Kiki Bird) in the fifth race.”
Sacred Kiki Bird, ridden by Orlando Mojica, was also a mild upset to catapult Hurst into the lead. However, he was not overconfident heading into the final two races of the contest.
“I got a little worried because I had a goose egg in the sixth race,” added Hurst. “I was excited to hear I was the winner. I appreciate this and have a lot of friends here at Indiana Grand. This is a good way to wrap up the season.”
Hurst, who is a regular horseplayer at Indiana Grand, completed the five-race contest with a bankroll of $124.60 compared to Elizabeth Grady and Mary Lou Spearing, who tied for second place in the contest with a tally of $104.00. Both Grady and Spearing shared second and third place prize money for a total of $375.00 each. Carmela Biggs finished fourth with a total of $58.40 worth $100 in prize money while Diana Chaney finished fifth with $53.40 to earn $50 in prize money.
Racing Rachel’s Warriors, named after Indiana Grand’s on-air racing analyst Rachel McLaughlin, is the most popular of 10 free daily contests offered during the racing season. The contest requires participants to select a horse from five races each Wednesday. Standings are based on payouts from the selected horses with payouts for the top three official finishers. Overall, Hurst completed the contest with two wins, one second and one third in five races.
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