John Whitehill won the November Player’s Choice Tourney at ASD with a huge bankroll of $136.60!
By G.S. Thompson
Retired bricklayer John Whitehill outdistanced the field to win the November Player’s Choice Handicapping Tournament at ASD last Saturday with a big winner at Woodbine, and he wasn’t the only local to do some good at the Ontario track on contest day.
Whitehill built his $60 bankroll to $136.60 to take home the $1,000 first prize, bragging rights and the trophy, and it wasn’t the first time he’s won the tourney. Both he and his long-time partner Bonnie Simmonds have won both the summer and winter handicapping tournaments more than once.
“Another trophy to dust off,” he laughed, while also intimating that he hadn’t won a tourney since before COVID. “But it’s been a while.”
The 75-year-old Winnipeg native has been playing the races for more than six decades. He and Simmonds, 77, have been together for over 30 years, forming one of the most successful handicapping partnerships in ASD tournament history. The duo has won the summer tournament multiple times, earning trips to Las Vegas for their efforts.
Whitehill finished $24.10 in front of runner-up Earl Grantham ($112.50), followed by Ken Stewin ($104.80), Dave Giannotti ($100.70), and Myron Fedoruk ($95.20). “It’s tough to win,” said Whitehill. “There are some tough handicappers in the group.”
His winning formula combined careful handicapping with what he calls “hunches,” instinctive plays based on years of experience reading the form. “I kind of favour pace a little bit,” said Whitehill. “And if I’m having trouble finding the speed in a race, I’ll play a hunch.”
Whitehill’s biggest winner of the day came in Race 9 at Woodbine with Pretty Liza, ridden by former ASD rider Dane Nelson, who paid $35.60, $16.60, $8.40 across the board. He also cashed nicely in Race 10 at Gulfstream Park with 12-1 shot Full Disclosure, who paid $27.60, $10.30, $4.60.
Former ASD owner-trainer Joe Russo (far right) and ASD jockey Dane Nelson teamed up to win the ninth race at Woodbine on tournament day with Pretty Liza ($35.60), Whitehill’s biggest winner of the day.
Another key score came earlier in the card when Whitehill backed Nelson aboard 20-1 longshot Daou in Race 7. Though the horse finished second, it returned $15.40 to place. “He led all the way and I thought he had it won, but he gave it up late,” said Whitehill. “But I still got about $25 for the place and show.”
Whitehill’s approach to tournament play suits his style perfectly. “I take a little riskier chances,” he said. “I’m not a favourite player. I’ll take anything from 5 to 1 to 50 to 1.” That willingness to play longshots paid off handsomely on Saturday, as his key winners all went off at generous odds.
The veteran horseplayer had high praise for the track and its management. “I’m liking how the tournaments are being run,” he said. He particularly appreciates the current format that caps winning payoffs at 20-1, 10-1 and 5-1 for win, place and show respectively, preventing the contests from becoming pure longshot-flyer exercises.
“Years ago, if you played a horse and they paid $120 to win, that’s what you got,” said Whitehill. “Everybody was just betting the longest shots on the board. When they put in that cap, I think that was the greatest idea. There’s no handicapping when you’re just betting the longest shots.”
It was a huge day at Woodbine for former ASD owners, trainers and jockeys. Besides Dane Nelson’s first and second-place finishes, trainer Marj Patterson won the first race with Mia Mitole ($14.30), trainer Devon Gittens won the second race with Hyper Holiday ($12.90), jockey Keveh Nicholls won the sixth race aboard Artful Diamond ($9.40), and jockey Juan Crawford won the eighth race with Ry Pie ($12.80), and jockey Fraser Aebly won the eleventh race aboard Foresters Exec ($58.00).
You could have just played the horses with ASD connections and won the tourney.
We’re all winners here.