The eighth and final week in the Xpressbet Beat the Host contest features 1/ST handicapper Eddie Olczyk as the daunting target. Players have one last chance to topple the host’s total and qualify for the March 11 Beat the Host Championship. They can also take their shot at their share of $60,000 in weekly and seasonal prizes. Register here.

So far this season, 650 players have qualified for the Beat the Host Championship round over 7 prior weeks. Walter Calwell swooped to the top of the seasonal leaderboard after last week, amassing $505 cumulative. That total put him $16 over previous leader Thomas Bassett, who now sits second. John Reid and William Epp are within $50 of the top going into the finale.

Bassett will be battling Olczyk head-to-head for a $6,500 Sweep the Host bonus, as the only player this season to have topped the hosts’ weekly total all 7 events. Bassett already secured a $4,000 consolation prize at minimum for outlasting the hosts longest in the competition.

Beat the Host encompasses 10 races each contest Saturday, split between Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita. In the event of a potential weather cancellation, Oaklawn Park will be subbed this week. The host picks the races, which are published each Friday at Xpressbet.com. Contestants place $5 win bets on the Xpressbet platform for each of the 10 Beat the Host races, earning their parimutuel winnings as well as rising up the leaderboard and potentially topping the experts.

Beat the host’s total once to qualify for the BTH Championship (maximum 2 seats per qualifier). Weekly prizes include $1,000 to the contestant with the highest accumulated dollar total, as well as $750 to second and $250 to third. The March 11 Beat The Host Championship will pit all weekly winning players against one another in pursuit of seats in the lucrative Pegasus World Cup Betting Challenge, Xpressbet Santa Anita Derby Challenge and Xpressbet Florida Derby Challenge tournaments.

So which hosts stand in your way?

Jan. 7--Jeremy Plonk (1/ST)
Jan. 14--Millie Ball (Santa Anita & XBTV)
Jan. 21—Brian Nadeau (Gulfstream Park)
Jan. 28--Jeff Siegel (1/ST & XBTV)
Feb. 4--Tom Quigley (Santa Anita)
Feb. 11--Ron Nicoletti (Gulfstream Park)
Feb. 18—Michelle Yu (Santa Anita & XBTV)
Feb 25--Eddie Olczyk (1/ST)

Registration is open: sign up today and play Saturday.