Handicapping tournaments | Horse Racing Free Tips

$3.5 Million In Cash And Prizes Up For Grabs In National Horseplayers Championship

The 23rd NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) presented by Racetrack Television Network, Caesars Entertainment, and Bally's Las Vegas kicks off Friday in Las Vegas, Nev., with over 500 horseplayers from across the continent competing for more than $3.5 million in cash and prizes, including $725,000 to the winner.

Competitors range from professional gamblers analyzing every angle looking for a giant payday to deer-in-the-headlights rookies happy just to be here. All of them have one thing in common; there are no buy-ins at the NHC, thus everyone has earned their way into the prestigious event by qualifying in an NTRA-sanctioned qualifying contest held during the previous 12 months.

The contest runs Friday to Sunday at Bally's Las Vegas.

The NHC is the richest and most prestigious handicapping contest in the world. In addition to its unequaled cash prize the winner earns an Eclipse Award and the title of “Horseplayer of the Year.”

The NHC cash prize pool of $2,339,550 will be paid out to the top 10%, which means the top 64 finishers from a field of 643 entries will get a check of at least $10,000. The field comprises 509 individuals, 134 of whom are “double-qualified” with the maximum of two entries. A portion of the cash prize pool also goes to $50,000 in prizes for the Consolation Tournament open to the remaining 90% of players who do not make the cut after Day 2, as well as to three Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge entries worth $10,000 apiece. The cash prize scale boasts six-figure checks for the top four – $725,000 to the winner, $200,000 for second, $150,000 for third, and $100,000 for fourth. The top 10 that make up the Caesars Race and Sportsbook Final Table, Presented by Global Tote, a BetMakers Company, are guaranteed at least $50,000.

All qualifiers earned at least four nights at Bally's Las Vegas (rebranded this week Horseshoe Las Vegas as part of a multi-million dollar rebrand and renovation) and virtually everyone received travel stipends. NHC Tour prizes from 2021 NHC qualifiers account for another $355,500 to be officially awarded at Sunday night's annual Champions Dinner.

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.

This year's track menu for mandatory and optional races comprises Aqueduct, Fair Grounds, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park, Oaklawn Park, Santa Anita Park, and Tampa Bay Downs. Sunday's stakes-laden Houston Racing Festival card at Sam Houston Race Park will be eligible only for Final Table play.

“Interest in the NHC and NHC Tour has never been stronger,” said Keith Chamblin, NTRA chief operating officer and NHC tournament director. “We're so appreciative of the team at Bally's, our partners who hosted qualifiers in 2021, the NTRA staff, and, of course, horseplayers for all their support that makes the NHC a better experience every year.”

Players who do not make the Semifinals cut will still compete on Day 3, in a separate $50,000 Consolation Tournament.

A full scoreboard will be updated regularly at ntra.com/nhc, where fans and players can also find each day's contest race menu and news updates.

At the Races with Steve Byk will broadcast live on SiriusXM satellite radio (Sirius 219; XM 201) from Bally's 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) Friday-Sunday. TVG will be reporting from Las Vegas throughout the event. Additional news and exclusive content will be shared on Twitter via the official NTRA account, @NTRA.

The NHC field is led by defending NHC champion Justin Mustari, who in 2021 at age 26 became the youngest NHC champion in the event's history.

As the 2021 NHC winner, Mustari received an automatic berth into this year's tournament to defend the title he won only six months ago, when the 2021 NHC was held in late summer due to a COVID postponement. Mustari amassed a winning bankroll of $370.80 over the three-day tournament from 52 mythical $2 Win and Place bets. He will seek to become the first-ever two-time winner of the NHC, as will nine other past winners that have qualified. The other qualifying champions are Thomas Goldsmith (2020), Scott Coles (2019), Chris Littlemore (2018), Ray Arsenault (2017), Jose Arias (2014), Michael Beychok (2012), Stanley Bavlish (2007), Steve Wolfson, Jr. (2003), and Judy Wagner (2001).

As the winner of the 2021 NHC Tour, Joseph (Kevin) Costello won $100,000 and an NHC berth. He is eligible for a $5 million bonus if he goes on to win at the 2022 NHC finals.

In its 23rd year, the NHC is the most important tournament of the year for horseplayers and is the culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments. NHC players 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.

The #NHC2022 qualifier hosts were: Aqueduct, At the Races with Steve Byk, Bally's Las Vegas, Belmont Park, Breeders' Cup, Canterbury Park, Colonial Downs, Del Mar, Gulfstream Park, Hawthorne, Hialeah, Horseplayers.com, Horsetourneys.com, Indiana Grand, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Little Red Feather, Lone Star Park, Los Alamitos, Meadowlands, Monmouth Park, NTRA, NYRA Bets, South Florida HBPA, Santa Anita, Saratoga, Sport of Kings, Race Lens, Tampa Bay Downs, The Big One, TourneyBets, Treasure Island, TVG, and Xpressbet.

The tournament format for the NHC is meant to be the best possible test of overall handicapping ability. 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 Mandatory Race Selection Committee is comprised of Steve Alford of William Hill, Jim Mulvihill of the Colorado Horse Racing Association, Brian Skirka of Monmouth Park and Eric Wing of HorseTourneys.com

The remaining 10 races on Day 1 and Day 2 and all 10 plays in the Semifinals round will be optional wagers on races at one of the seven designated tournament tracks.

On Saturday, the NTRA also will host an invitation-only online tournament, the 8th Annual NTRA NHC Charity Challenge presented by Four Roses Bourbon. A field of approximately 75 will compete for the $5,000 charitable prize with $2,500 set to be donated in the winner's name to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the other $2,500 going to the winner's charity of choice.

In addition to its three presenting sponsors―RTN, Caesars Entertainment, and Bally's Las Vegas―the NHC is supported by official partners Daily Racing Form, EquinEdge, FanDuel Group, Four Roses Bourbon, NYRA Bets, Race Lens, TVG, and 1/ST Bet. The Final Table, where only the top 10 players advance to determine final placings based on seven climactic races, is sponsored by Caesars Sportsbook and Global Tote, A BetMakers Company.

The NHC is the most important tournament of the year for horseplayers and is the culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino race books, off-track betting facilities, and horse racing and handicapping websites, each of which sends its top qualifiers to the national finals. There are no bye-ins to the NHC. Each year, the NHC winner joins other human and equine champions as an honoree at the Eclipse Awards. For more information on the NHC, visit NTRA.com/nhc.

The post $3.5 Million In Cash And Prizes Up For Grabs In National Horseplayers Championship appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Chicagoan Kevin Costello Wins National Horseplayers Championship Tour Title

Joseph (Kevin) Costello, a 53-year-old executive from Chicago, Ill., rode the strength of four victories and 14 top 10 finishes in handicapping contests to run away with the 2021 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour title. Costello, who has qualified to the NHC each year since 2016, earned $75,000 for winning the NHC Tour and is eligible for a $5 million bonus if he captures the 2022 NHC Jan. 28-30 at Bally's Las Vegas.

“I always wanted to have the knowledge that I'm consistently good and that's what the Tour does,” said Costello, who became enamored with Thoroughbred racing after watching Unbridled win the 1990 Kentucky Derby and learning that the horse was stabled for a portion of his career at Arlington Park near Chicago. Costello said he does all of his handicapping using a pen, a piece of paper and the Daily Racing Form Classic past performances. “I handicap races the way our grandparents did,” he said.

Costello won the Last Chance, First Chance NHC qualifier in Las Vegas on the eve of the 2021 NHC and won three other contests, including two at his hometown racetrack of Hawthorne Race Course, over the course of 2021. Costello concluded the 2021 Tour season with 22,540 points amassed from his top seven scores. James Henry finished in second place with 20,218 points and $30,000 in Tour earnings, followed by Jay Johns (20,139, $20,000), Rob Henie (19,935, $20,000) and Brian Chenvert (19,770, $20,000). The complete 2021 Tour results can be found at https://www.ntra.com/nhc/leaders/.

Previous winners of the NHC Tour include: Sally Goodall (2020), David Snyder (2019), David Gutfreund (2018), Mike Ferrozzo (2017), Cheryl McIntyre (2016), Jonathon Kinchen (2015), Eric Moomey (2014), Brent Sumja (2013), Mark Streiff (2012), Paul Shurman (2011), Tom Noone (2010), Bryan Wagner (2009) and Sam Brooks (2008).

More than 5,000 NHC Tour members participated in 2021 handicapping qualifiers leading to the 2022 NHC. The 2022 NHC Tour season begins January 27 with the Last Chance, First Chance Contest at Bally's. To sign up for the 2022 NHC Tour, go to www.ntra.com/membership beginning January 17. For more information on the NHC Tour benefits and to view the official rules go to www.nhctour.com.

The NHC Tour is a yearlong bonus series offering additional prize money and qualifying berths to the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC). Membership in the NHC Tour is mandatory in order for top finishers of sanctioned NHC qualifying events to be eligible to compete in the NHC Finals in Las Vegas. Membership in the NHC Tour is open to adults 21 years of age or older and requires a one-time, annual membership fee of $50. The NHC Tour membership must be in place prior to the start of any given qualifying tournament in order for one to qualify for the NHC Finals at that qualifying tournament.

The post Chicagoan Kevin Costello Wins National Horseplayers Championship Tour Title appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Steve Wolfson Jr. Continues Family Tradition With High Rollers Contest Win At Tampa Bay Downs

Steve Wolfson Jr., and his father, Steve Wolfson Sr., had one of those afternoons Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs that horseplayers file away in their memory banks for a lifetime.

The high school social studies teacher and the long-time horseman made the three-hour drive from Ormond Beach on Florida's east coast to enjoy an afternoon of racing at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar and, not coincidentally for Steve Jr., to compete in the High Rollers Handicapping Contest Presented by HorseTourneys.

“We haven't traveled much the last couple of years because of COVID,” said the younger Wolfson, “so it was a chance enjoy great racing, and it was a glorious day to be outdoors. It never gets old, but it's best when it's shared.”

And by coming home with the top prize of $23,000, plus his final contest bankroll of $1,779.20, Wolfson Jr., couldn't have had a more fulfilling day. “It was a wonderful time with the person who introduced me to racing,” he said. “It was a really good ride over, and better coming back.”

Both Wolfson Jr., and second-place finisher John Kaiser of Krotz Springs, La., qualified for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association/National Handicapping Championship from Jan. 28-30 at Bally's Las Vegas. Kaiser's final bankroll was $1,690, and he earned an additional $9,200 for finishing second (top-10 below).

Individuals who play handicapping contests are rarely lacking for confidence, but many in the field of 112 players with an appreciation for the challenge involved were respectful – if not fearful – of the Wolfson name. Steve Jr., and his dad, who did not compete, are members of the National Handicapping Championship (NHC) Hall of Fame.

Wolfson Jr., won the 2001 NHC Championship at Bally's Las Vegas, collecting a cool $100,000, while his father finished fourth. In 2017 at Treasure Island in Las Vegas, the younger Wolfson finished second, earning $250,000.

Wolfson Sr., had put on some handicapping tournaments in the 1990s that were the forerunner of the NHC events, setting the standard for subsequent contests in terms of player hospitality and amenities. Wolfson, Jr., praised Saturday's Tampa Bay Downs event as a first-class production, with all the intensity, camaraderie and ups and downs serious players thrive on.

“Whenever you bring people together like that, there is so much energy flowing that it's tremendous fun. It's just nice to have people there in person sharing the excitement and not at home behind their computers,” Wolfson Jr., said.

The High Rollers champion comes by his love of racing, and his knowledge of handicapping, through vast experience around Thoroughbreds. Wolfson Sr., and his brother, the late Gary Wolfson, were prominent Florida breeders and owners who owned 497-acre Happy Valley Farm in Marion County, and young Steve often traveled with them to major racetracks for big races throughout the country. Another uncle, Marty Wolfson, was a successful trainer from 1972-'18.

Going back another generation, Wolfson's grandfather, the late Louis Wolfson, owned Harbor View Farm, which bred and owned 1978 Triple Crown winner and two-time Horse of the Year Affirmed. Young Steve attended the 1978 Kentucky Derby as a 10-year-old and the 1978 Belmont Stakes nine days after turning 11, wondering like so many others how the heck 18-year-old jockey Steve Cauthen did it.

“That was a wonderful introduction to the highs of horse racing. It has been in my blood a long time,” Wolfson said.

In Saturday's contest, Wolfson displayed his bona fides in the fourth race, placing $100 of his bankroll to win on Dos Vaqueros. “It was such a weak condition (horses 4-years-old-and-upward who had never won two races, sprinting six furlongs for a claiming price of $8,000), and he showed a bullet workout and a five-furlong workout in (1:00 1/5). It seemed like that was enough,” Wolfson said.

It was, but hardly anyone else followed suit, both in the contest room and elsewhere. Dos Vaqueros, 5-1 on the morning line, paid $24 to win.

Wolfson managed his bankroll judiciously after that big score, and his $60 win wager in the ninth race on Cajun Casanova, who paid $5.80 to win, clinched the top position.

John Kaiser staged a whirlwind rally to finish second, hitting the last three races on the card at $100 to win a pop. He will be making his seventh appearance at the NTRA/NHC and hoping to cash big for the first time.

“I didn't have that early long shot, so I had to stay patient,” Kaiser said. “I didn't want to reach too far, and I was able to stay consistent.” He won four of his five wagers on the day, with his score on first-time starter In the Union, a Todd Pletcher-trained colt who paid $13.60 to win in the eighth race, fueling his comeback.

“The atmosphere was excellent and having HorseTourneys step up to sponsor the tournament was really nice,” Kaiser said. “I really enjoyed it, and the people who ran the contest did a great job.”

Here are the top-10 finishers, along with their final bankroll figures and additional earnings in parentheses:

Steve Wolfson, Jr., $1,779.20 ($23,000); John Kaiser, $1,690 ($9,200); Evan Trommer, $1,590 ($6,900); Jose Giron, $1,356 ($4,600); H. Vincent Griffo, $1,200 ($2,300); Edward Enbong, $1,180; Andy Muhlada, $1,145; Brody Wolfgram, $1,070; Andrew Hennosy, $1,010; Henry Gruss, $1,000.

The post Steve Wolfson Jr. Continues Family Tradition With High Rollers Contest Win At Tampa Bay Downs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Tampa Bay Downs, HorseTourneys Teaming Up For Jan 8 High Rollers Handicapping Contest

The annual High Rollers Handicapping Contest Presented by HorseTourneys is Jan. 8 at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla., with first prize (based on 100 players) of $20,000. Players are required to deposit $1,000 to enter, with $500 serving as the player's bankroll for wagering and the remaining $500 going to the prize pool. At the conclusion of the tournament, any dollar amount remaining in the bankroll remains the property of the player.

Wager types permitted are win, place and show only, with each player making five $100 win, place and/or show bets during the tournament. The player with the highest bankroll takes top prize (50 percent of the prize pool), plus a seat in either the 2022 or 2023 National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas, plus accommodations.

To enter, register at www.tampabaydowns.com and make the required $1,000 payment by noon on Jan. 8. For details, contact Margo Flynn at mjflynn@tampabaydowns.com or (813) 855-4401, extension 1368.

Thoroughbred racing continues Sunday, Dec. 26, with a nine-race card beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET. Sunday is also the first day of the track's annual “Calendar Giveaway,” with the 2022 edition given away free to the first 5,000 patrons. The calendar features a variety of images certain to enhance fans' enjoyment of the track and the horses.

The post Tampa Bay Downs, HorseTourneys Teaming Up For Jan 8 High Rollers Handicapping Contest appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post