Here's a new twist to this year's game. Aside from the regular prizes, contestants can also compete for a pool of money players contribute. $10 entry, top 10 players get paid. Interesting idea. The overall game is still free. ( I know there's already a thread on RTTR, but I thought this deserved it's own)
Here are the rules:
PAY TO PLAY OPTION:
The Road to the Roses fantasy challenge is free to play. However, new to this year's Road to the Roses game is a "Pay for Play" option. First, and most important to note, that this is a completely optional feature. If you choose not to use this feature, you will still be able to play the game just as you have in years past with all other features and functionality available to you. You also remain eligible for the top 25 regular prizes, the weekly prizes, and the stage prizes. Odds of winning and amount of the entry pool depends on the number of players and selecting the proper horses, trainers and jockeys from the official lists.
Briefly, here is how "pay for play" works:
As a player in the game, you can run through the payment process in the upper-right corner of the website.
For a small $10 fee, you will become eligible for cash payout.
All players in the game that pay, their money will go into one pool.
At the end of the game, the top 10 "paying" players will receive cash payout. See Prizes for distribution of the entry pool to the top 10 pay to playing participants.
Any ties in the monetary payouts will be broken using the Derby 133 attendance estimate.
Players may sign up multiple stables in the Pay to Play option, but must have a unique email address and username for each stable. In other words, the same person at the same address may sign up as many stables as they desire, at a cost of $10 per stable. Note that Pay to Play participants are also eligible for the regular game prizes in addition to any monies available.
Very important to note that if you do not pay, you are not eligible for a payout! However, you do have the option to sign up and create your stable without immediately paying, yet can still become eligible for the cash prizes. There is a ten-day window from after time of sign-up in which a player can change their status from playing for free to Pay for Play. You will see this option and how much time you have remaining to change your status when you log in to view your stable. After the ten days have expired, and you have not chosen to Play for Pay, that option is no longer available.
The final pool size will be determined at the conclusion of the signup for the game, which is April 27, 2007. All payments must be verified by Churchill Downs Incorporated prior to announcing the Pay to Play pool total dollar value.
http://www.roadtotheroses.com/G=46/official_rules.phtml