Riders' Cup showdown
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Clayton Davis has all but assured himself the Riders’ Cup Championship in the performance division increasing his lead to 5,220 points over Jimmy McConnell. McConnell, with 3,140 points, increased his lead for second over Herbert Derickson, who didn’t attend Tunica. If Jimmy shows in most of the Riders’ Cup classes at both shows this weekend he has secured second.
The battle for fourth place is close with Casey Wright holding a 1,150-point lead over John Allan Callaway. With a five-times point show this is close enough that the results in those classes will be huge.
Tyler Baucom, the North Carolina native, is currently in sixth place and is in town to take advantage of five-times points Friday night. Scott Beaty, presently sits in seventh place and is only 1,300-points behind. Clay Sanderson, currently in eighth, is 2,780 points behind Baucom, so he too could move past Baucom if a big weekend works in his favor.
The difference between ninth and 12th is only separated by 1,500 points so Bill Callaway, Justin Harris, Brad Beard and Michael Wright all could finish in the last two spots that pay on a percentage basis. The difference between 10th and 11th is close to a $1,500 difference. That current difference between Harris at 10th and Beard in 11th is 330 points, basically a dead heat going to the final weekend.
The pleasure division also is very close. Jeff Laughlin, in first place, leads second place holder Robert Nelms by 790 points, a razor thin margin. Justus Carter, currently in fourth is only 1290 points ahead of Patrick Thomas going in to the final weekend. The difference between sixth and 10th is 1,970 points. Hannah Myatt, in sixth, leads seventh place Joe Lester by 700 points.
With such hot competition, trainers should remember that the Trainers’ Thanksgiving Classic is five-times points on Friday night and Walking For Angels is a two-time point show on Saturday night. There are four pleasure and eight performance Riders’ Cup classes at the Trainers’ Thanksgiving Classic and Walking For Angels has four pleasure and nine performance Riders’ Cup classes so don’t miss the exciting conclusive battles this weekend. The excitement will continue from Tunica to the end.