It’s crunch time as Week 7 of 8 in the 2024 Xpressbet Beat the Host free handicapping contest comes this Saturday. It features 1/ST BET and Xpressbet longtime handicapper Jeremy Plonk. He’ll put his picks up against contestants over the final five races at Gulfstream Park and the first five at Santa Anita.

The 19th annual Xpressbet Beat the Host contest saw Santa Anita track announcer Frank Mirahmadi post the season’s second-highest host total of $67.00 last week. A total of 635 players have qualified for the BTH Championship round by topping the hosts totals through four weeks, only 15 new players topping Mirahmadi. He also knocked out 3 of the 4 players who had remained alive to Sweep the Host. Alexander Bertram is the lone player eligible for a potential $6,000 bonus if he can top the hosts in Weeks 7 and 8.

Week 6’s top player was Rick Quayle, who earned the $1,000 prize with a parimutuel total of $164.50. David Gorgie earned $750 in prize money for his $161.00 runner-up total, while Jim Swanson’s $150.50 total was good for the $250 third prize. Kyle Newcomb, who won Weeks 4 and 5 of the contest, maintains the season lead at $667, adding $65 to his total last week in a bid to three-peat. Brian Jones remains in second this week at $577.

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
COMPLETE: Saturday, February 3 - Brian Nadeau
COMPLETE: Saturday, February 10 - Frank Mirahmadi
THIS WEEK: 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. 

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 the Tournaments page.