One of Saratoga’s biggest Saturdays of summer will be spotlighted in this week’s Fun in the Sun handicapping contest at Xpressbet. The Grade 1 Whitney could be the race of the year so far in 2026 and goes as the 12th of 14 races on the card Saturday. The final 5 races at Saratoga and first 5 races at Del Mar make up the weekly contest, entering its fourth week of qualifying for the season. Other stakes in the contest mix this week also include the Fourstardave and Saratoga Derby as well as Del Mar's Best Pal.

Week 3 featured a runaway victory and season-best bankroll total from Ellis Starr, whose $345 in returns was $111 better than runner-up Dave Nichols at $234. Starr bagged $1,144.50 in prize money, while Nichols earned an extra $476.88 for his efforts. For Nichols, he became the 2026 season’s first 2-time qualifier for the Labor Day Final Table. Other Week 3 qualifiers included Donald Murdock ($184 bankroll, $286.12 in prize money), Greg Knepper ($175.60 bankroll) and Theresa Salerno ($169.50 bankroll).

Fun in the Sun contestants play for weekly prize money and a chance to join each week’s top-5 players in the tournament’s Final Table on Labor Day. The FITS progressive jackpot for the Final Table stands at $12,497 after the first 3 qualifying rounds with $10,000-added from Xpressbet.

The 9-week Fun in the Sun handicapping contest runs 8 Saturdays from July 18-September 5 and concludes with the Final Table on Labor Day Monday, September 7.

Entry is just $25 each qualifying round week and players utilize a $100 live bankroll on the final 5 races from Saratoga and first 5 races from Del Mar ($10 parimutuel win bets in each of the contest races). The top-5 players in accumulated earnings each week qualify for a seat in the final table, where just 40 entries will square off for the grand prize (players can qualify up to 2 entries in the Final Table). Weekly prize pool money will be on the line for the top-3 finishers each Saturday (70% of entry fees paid out weekly, 30% carries over to the Final Table pool).

The Final Table format began in 2020 and past champions include Robert Rosen (2020), Wayne Tam (2021), Kevin Saunders (2022), Joe Tambasco (2023), Gordon Maruya (2024) and Andy Muhlada (2025).

2026 Tournament Dates
Saturday, July 18, 25
Saturday, August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Saturday and Monday, September 5 and 7 (Final Table)

Buy-In
$125 Buy-In per week, split between $100 Bankroll + $25 Entry Fee

How to Play
Tournament consists of the last five (5) races each Saturday at Saratoga and the first five (5) races each Saturday at Del Mar. Players must make a $10 Win bet on one (1) horse in each race via the Contest Wagerpad.

Weekly Prize Pool
70% of Entry Fees are paid out each week as the Weekly Prize Pool

Weekly Prizes
Top Five (5) finishers each week automatically qualify for the Final Table
1st Place Finisher – 60% of Weekly Prize Pool + Final Table Seat
2nd Place Finisher – 25% of Weekly Prize Pool + Final Table Seat
3rd Place Finisher – 15% of Weekly Prize Pool + Final Table Seat
4th Place Finisher – Final Table Seat
5th Place Finisher – Final Table Seat

Final Table Prizes
30% of Entry Fees carried over to the Final Table
$10,000-added prize pool courtesy of Xpressbet
1st Place Finisher: 55% of Final Table Prize Pool
2nd Place Finisher: 25% of Final Table Prize Pool
3rd Place Finisher: 10% of Final Table Prize Pool
4th Place Finisher: 5% of Final Table Prize Pool
5th Place Finisher: 5% of Final Table Prize Pool
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For more and to register, visit the Tournaments page.