March, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Over $3 Million In Cash, Prizes Up For Grabs At National Horseplayers Championships

The 24^th National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) presented by Caesars Entertainment, Horseshoe Las Vegas, and Racetrack Television Network (RTN) kicks off next Friday, March 10, running through Sunday March 12, at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. The field of an estimated 750 entries will yield one ultimate winner, who will go home with an estimated $750,000 and an Eclipse Award as Horseplayer of the Year.

The NHC, the world's richest and most prestigious handicapping contest, features more than 600 top horseplayers competing for an estimated $3.2 million in cash and prizes. All qualifiers will receive a complimentary four night stay at the Horseshoe Las Vegas and travel reimbursements which total more than $1 million. The complete field and total prize breakdown will be finalized following the Last Chance/First Chance Contest, held Thursday on the eve of the NHC.

In addition to its three presenting sponsors ― Caesars Entertainment, Horseshoe Las Vegas and RTN ― the NHC is supported by official partners Daily Racing Form, EquinEdge, Four Roses Bourbon, and Race Lens.

Interested spectators will have the ability to watch and listen to the action unfurling at the NHC in multiple places. Rachel McLaughlin, Racing Analyst at Horseshoe Indianapolis, will be hosting the NHC broadcast which can be watched on NTRA's YouTube channel and will be available on all NTRA social media platforms. Additionally, At the Races with Steve Byk will broadcast live on SiriusXM satellite radio (Sirius 219; XM 201) from the Horseshoe Las Vegas and online at www.stevebyk.com daily, from 9-12 a.m. ET/6-9 a .m. PT on Friday and Monday, with bonus NHC coverage at www.SteveByk.com/listen-live-SiriusXM slated for 2-8 p.m. ET/11 a.m.-5 p.m. PT) next Friday-Sunday. America's Best Racing and Hawthorne will also be streaming live from the event.

Of the 23 years of past champions, at least 11 will be returning to attempt to become the first repeat winner of the NHC – Judy Wagner (2001), Steve Wolfson, Jr. (2003), Stanley Bavlish (2007), Michael Beychok (2012), Jim Benes (2013), Paul Matties, Jr (2016), Ray Arsenault (2017), Chris Littlemore (2018), Scott Coles (2019), Justin Mustari (2021) and David Harrison (2022). While many NHC veterans will be returning, there will also be many fresh faces at the Horseshoe this year. Among those will be 2022 Breeders Cup Betting Challenge winner Drew Coatney, who will be making his first NHC appearance along with 142 other rookies pending the results of next Thursday's Last Chance/First Chance Contest at the Horseshoe Las Vegas.

All of the current 621 participants qualified via contests hosted by 34 racetracks, casino race books, handicapping contest websites, Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) platforms, simulcast distribution networks, horse owner associations, media outlets, and other Thoroughbred racing organizations. Outlets that held qualifiers to the #NHC2023 included At the Races with Steve Byk, Bally's Las Vegas, Breeders' Cup, Canterbury Park, Colonial Downs, Del Mar, FanDuel TV, FTHA, Gulfstream Park, Hawthorne, Hialeah, Horseplayers.com, Horsetourneys.com, Horseshoe Indianapolis, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Laurel Park, Little Red Feather, Lone Star Park, Los Alamitos, Meadowlands, Monmouth Park, NTRA, Race Lens, Sam Houston Race Park, Santa Anita Park, Saratoga Bets, Sport of Kings, Tampa Bay Downs, Treasure Island, The Big One, and Xpressbet.

The tournament format for the NHC is meant to be the best possible test of overall handicapping ability by picking winners. Players attempt to earn the highest possible bankroll based on mythical $2 Win and Place wagers. Assigned “mandatory” races – eight per day on Day 1 and Day 2, and seven at the Final Table – are announced at least 36 hours prior to each contest day via direct e-mail to players and publicly on Twitter (@NTRA) and NTRA.com.

The NHC field will be reduced to the top 10 percent of players after the first two days. The highest 10 cumulative scores after the Semifinals round on Sunday morning will fill out the Final Table. Bankrolls amassed during Day 1, Day 2 and the Semifinals round will roll over to the Final Table, with the 10 finalists settling the NHC score in seven “mandatory” assigned races.

To sign up for the 2023 NHC Tour, go to www.ntra.com/membership.

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Coast-To-Coast Pick 5 to Support TAA

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be the beneficiary of a special charity Pick 5 wager featured on CNBC during its next stop on the 1/ST Racing Tour Saturday. The upcoming day of coast-to-coast racing features 13 stakes races including the GI Santa Anita H., as well as the GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park and the GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita Park.

NBC Sports will produce and air a two-hour telecast from 4-6 p.m. (ET) on CNBC. Five of the six stakes broadcast on the show will be part of a special All-Graded Stakes 1/ST COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5. The bet is a $1 minimum with a 15% takeout.

1/ST Racing and Gaming and NBC are working together on the special charity Pick 5 bet with the winnings to be allocated to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. NBC reporters Nick Luck and Britney Eurton will team up to face off against NBC analysts Randy Moss and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey in a friendly competition. Each team will have $500 to bet on the Coast-To-Coast Pick 5 with the winnings being donated to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

1/ST Racing & Gaming will donate $1000 to Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance no matter the outcome of the wagers.

“We are proud to support the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and are always looking for ways to raise awareness and donations to support their great work. This Saturday's 1/ST Racing Tour is shaping up to be an epic day of racing. With 13 stakes races and 263 horses entered at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park, we thought we'd add to the excitement with a little help from our friends at NBC,” said Aidan Butler, Chief Executive Officer, 1/ST Racing & Gaming.

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Museum Accepting Photo Finish Submissions

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is now accepting submissions for the fifth annual juried photography exhibition, Photo Finish. Entries may be submitted by professional as well as amateur photographers and must relate to the sport of Thoroughbred racing in America. Any aspect of the racing experience may be depicted, including, but not limited to, racing scenes, the backstretch, and emotions of the crowd.

Two submissions will be allowed per person. All submissions must be received by June 30. Application forms will be available at the Museum's Visitor Services desk and can be downloaded from the Museum's website here: https://racingmuseum.org/photo-finish.

A panel of judges representing both the racing and arts communities will select photographs for the exhibition, which will open in the von Stade Gallery in November.

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Status of Cave Rock and Faustin? Baffert: ‘Don’t Know’

The training and next-race status of sophomore 'TDN Rising Stars' Cave Rock (Arrogate) and Faustin (Curlin) remained unclear Thursday, with trainer Bob Baffert texting a “Don't Know” emoji when asked to outline the game plans for the colts respectively slotted at Nos. 5 and 6 on the most recent TDN Top 12 rankings for the GI Kentucky Derby.

The two were apparently not among a contingent of at least 11 other 3-year-old colts transferred out of Baffert's care prior to a Feb. 28 deadline that would have enabled them to accrue qualifying points and race in the May 6 Derby.

Those transitions were necessitated by a ban imposed by Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), that prohibits Baffert's trainees from garnering qualifying points or racing in the Derby while under Baffert's control.

CDI first imposed that two-year punishment in June 2021 because of a string of drug positives in horses Baffert trained, including two in CDI's most prominent races, the 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks and the 2021 Derby.

On Feb. 17, a federal judge denied Baffert a preliminary injunction that the Hall-of-Fame trainer had sought to be eligible to race in this year's Derby.

A Mar. 1 report by Ron Flatter in Horse Racing Nation quoted Baffert say saying that Cave Rock and Faustin were “still under my care” without any elaboration on their next-race targets.

Cave Rock was the beaten favorite when second in last November's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. That's the lone loss in his impressive four-race career, which includes Grade I victories in the Del Mar Futurity and American Pharoah S. He has two registered works this year, most recently going four furlongs in :49.40 (18.22) at Santa Anita Feb. 20.

Faustin is 1-for-2, having registered a stylish win on opening day of the Santa Anita winter/spring meet and a second in the Jan. 29 GII San Vicente S. He worked twice in February, most recently going five furlongs in a bullet :58.80 (1/46) at Santa Anita Feb. 18.

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