The Del Mar summer meet is here, and that’s great news for contest players who will enjoy plenty of opportunities to compete for cash and prizes in a variety of events during the meet.

Del Mar is bringing back its popular Free Online Handicapping Contest for the 2023 summer season, and you can play every day of the meet by making picks on selected races on Del Mar’s website at www.dmtc.com, starting on opening day. Earnings are tabulated based on your picks throughout the meet, and the entrants who handicap the best will be eligible for a slew of prizes, including VIP Del Mar meet packages for the 2024 season and much more. Go to www.dmtc.com/handicapping/challenge to sign up and play.

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Handicapping tournament high rollers also will have their share of options at the Del Mar summer meet. Early in the meet on July 29-30, Del Mar will host the Del Mar Handicapping Challenge, an on-track-only event with a $6,000 buy-in, which includes $2,000 toward the prize fund and a player’s $4,000 live bankroll. Players attempt to accumulate the highest earnings on the live races at Del Mar. With an expected 125 entries, the prize fund would be $250,000, which includes $155,000 in cash prizes plus six qualifying entries into the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) valued at $10,000 apiece, plus as many as eight qualifying berths into the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC).

If you can’t make it to the Del Mar Handicapping Challenge, Del Mar will be hosting another high-roller handicapping tournament, The Pacific Classic Betting Challenge, on Sept. 2, which will feature a $4,000 buy-in and a similar format as the earlier Del Mar Handicapping Challenge complete with many BCBC and NHC qualifying berths on the line. Unlike the Del Mar Handicapping Challenge, however, the Pacific Classic Handicapping Challenge is not an on-track-only event. Players can also participate online at TVG.com.

Finally, if the high-roller tournaments are too rich for your blood, Del Mar will host a much more reasonably priced mid-range tournament, the Del Mar Charity Handicapping Challenge, on Sunday, Aug. 13 with a $600 buy-in. The tournament is expected to reach its capacity at 150 entries and will offer a purse of $30,000, including cash payouts, two qualifying spots into the NHC, two qualifying spots into the Pacific Classic Handicapping Challenge, and a $10,000 BCBC entry to the winner. The $600 buy-in will include a player’s $300 live contest bankroll and $300 that goes toward the prizes. The reason this tournament is called the Charity Challenge is because all additional proceeds from the event will go to benefit LRF Cares, Little Red Feather stable’s non-profit aftercare organization dedicated to finding new homes and second careers for retired racehorses.

For more information about Del Mar’s summer meet handicapping tournaments or to sign up, go to the handicapping contests section of Del Mar’s website at www.dmtc.com.