Labriola wins $68,000 Bradley Teletheater Handicapping Challenge

(Wins $20,000 and entry into DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Tournament)

Windsor Locks, July 9, 2001 - Mike Labriola made his last $200 wager a winning one to capture the $68,000 Bradley Teletheater Handicapping Challenge, Sunday, July 8.

Trailing by $260, Labriola made a $200 place wager on 7-2 Red Eye in Hollywood Park's eighth race. The leader going into the last race of the two-day contest, Peter Van Zandt, had no more wagers to make and could only watch.

In the stretch, 5-2 favorite Spicy Stuff came over and interfered with Red Eye causing Jockey Gary Stevens to pull up on his horse. The inquiry sign went up shortly after the horses crossed the wire and the winner was eventually disqualified and placed second. Red Eye paid $4.80 to place, giving Labriola the victory with $10,720 contest dollars.

Labriola, 49, who works for the Defense Department and lives in Richmond CA, won the $20,000 first place prize. Van Zandt, who was third after the first day of the contest with $6,640 contest dollars, had only one winning bet Sunday when he won Hollywood's sixth race with 18-1 shot, Wall Street Rally ($38.60).

Van Zandt, of Binghamton, NY, finished with $10,500 contest dollars to win the second place prize of $10,000. Robert Schintzius of Williamsville, NY was third ($9,230), winning $6,500 in prize money. John Iannone, Jr, of Carteret, NJ, was fourth ($9,100), earning $4,500 in prize money.

The top four finishers qualify for the Daily Racing Form/ National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Tournament to be held in Las Vegas in 2002.

This is the fourth handicapping tournament victory for Labriola who won tournaments at Caesar's in 1989, the Hilton in 1994 and the Sands in 1997.

Labriola was in 13th place with $4,580 going into the second day of the contest. In addition to his winning place bet, he scored with three $200 win wagers. He earned the contest cap of $42 when Thermopylae won Churchill's fifth race. He also won ($12.40) with Fairway Foe in Hollywood's fourth race and with Sugar Free ($5.40) in Hollywood's seventh race.

Richard Labriola, of Flushing, NY and who is Mike's brother, was the leader after the first day ($7,140). He won the Saturday one-day prize of $750. Larry Marcus, Avon, CT, earned $250 for finishing second on day one. Iannone, who was fourth in the contest, was the Sunday one-day winner ($7160), earning $500.

A solid field of handicappers competed in the fourth Bradley Handicapping contest.

Last year's champion John Gilberg finished in 190th place with $340 in contest dollars. Other notable contestants include 1998 Bradley Champion and New York Post turf writer Ed Fountaine (12th), Horseplayer Magazine publisher Tom Quigley (82nd), 1999 Bradley Champion Dave Crupi (85th), 2000 NTRA National Champion Steve Walker (99th), St. Louis Blues hockey coach Joel Quenneville (102nd), Boston Herald Turf writer Ed Gray (113th), 2001 Sports Haven Handicapping Champion Charles Carito (123rd), NBC racing analyst Bob Numeier (126th), former NBC-News correspondent Richard Valeriani (133rd), Manchester Journal-Inquirer sports writer Sherman Cain (168th) and 2000 Sports Haven Handicapping Champion Ron Butkiewicz (175th).

Players are given a mythical bankroll of $2,000 to wager each day. Contestants had to make 10 $200 wagers on races from Belmont, Churchill Downs and Hollywood Park. The wagers had to be win, place and show.

Autotote owns and operates Connecticut Off-Track Betting, which includes the Bradley Teletheater, Sports Haven in New Haven, branches located in Bridgeport, East Haven, Norwalk, Torrington, Waterbury and West Haven and RaceView Centers in Bristol and New Britain.

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