Saturday’s Week 5 of the 2024 Xpressbet Beat the Host free handicapping contest features the Holy Bull Stakes from Gulfstream and Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fearless. Horseplayers will be matched against Gulfstream simulcast host and handicapper Brian Nadeau (@brian_j_nadeau) over the final five races at Gulfstream Park and the first five at Santa Anita.

The 19th annual Xpressbet Beat the Host contest saw Jeff Siegel post two winners in the 10 races last week. A total of 589 players have qualified for the BTH Championship round by topping the hosts totals through four weeks, only 44 topping Siegel. Just 10 players remain alive to Sweep the Host after Siegel eliminated 13 prospects.

Week 4’s top player, Kyle Newcomb, earned the $1,000 prize with a parimutuel total of $214.50 Kevin Garcia earned $750 in prize money for his $180.00 runner-up total, while Richard Dahlgren’s $162.00 total was good for the $250 third prize. We have a new leader atop the seasonal standings as Brian Jones at $444.00 is one of four players over the $400 mark. Jones has been consistent throughout, not placing in the top 3 in any individual week to date.

Overall, eight contest weeks challenge horseplayers to out-earn our hand-picked hosts in a series of 10 parimutuel win bets ($5 each) at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita. Those able to Beat the Host bankroll total at least once in any contest week will earn their way to the BTH Championship Round on March 9 and play for approximately $60,000 in weekly and seasonal prizes.

Here is the 2024 host run-down:

COMPLETE: Saturday, January 6 - Pete Aiello
COMPLETE: Saturday, January 13 - Millie Ball
COMPLETE: Saturday, January 20 - Tom Quigley
COMPLETE: Saturday, January 27 - Jeff Siegel
THIS WEEK: Saturday, February 3 - Brian Nadeau
Saturday, February 10 - Frank Mirahmadi
Saturday, February 17 - Jeremy Plonk
Saturday, February 24 - Eddie Olczyk

Weekly cash prizes total $2000 each Saturday with Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship and 1/ST Ultimate Betting Challenge seats valued at $6,000 each among the season standings prizes. Lucrative tournament seats also are on the line in the Beat The Host Championship Round as well as a potential $6,500 Sweep the Host bonus shared among players who defeat the hosts’ totals in each of the 8 weeks.

Last season, Thomas Bassett was the lone player to take down all 8 hosts and earned the full $6,500 Sweep the Host prize. Bassett also won the season leaderboard bankroll chase at $571 accrued. Watch his reaction here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypxd0IWJSZI

Last year’s Beat the Host competition saw 664 horseplayers earn their way to the Championship Round, which was won by Andy Muhlada.

Registration is open for Saturday’s Xpressbet Beat the Host. To sign up free and get more information, visit https://www.xpressbet.com/tournaments.