Tag: National Thoroughbred Racing Association

Hall Of Fame Horseplayer Wagner Among Latest NHC Qualifiers

Each week, the NTRA will provide a rundown of those who have qualified for the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) the previous weekend. A total of four players earned automatic entries into the 2022 NHC from tournaments on Horseplayers.com.
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. The 2021 NHC is slated to take place in the Bally's Events Center from August 27-29 with the 2022 NHC set for January 28-30 at Bally's.
Last weekend 12 players gained entries into the 2022 NHC through Horseplayers.com, HorseTourneys.com, and Xpressbet contest sites. They are as follows:
Richard Pearson of San Juan Capistrano, CA has qualified for the first time.
“I'm beyond excited. I never dreamed I would actually qualify, but I'd come close (4th) the previous week,” said Pearson, who grew up in Yorkshire, England. “I was playing in a charity golf tournament when I saw I'd won, and let's just say there was a definite breach of golf course etiquette at that moment.” He bagged 17-1 Fleetridge at Tampa Bay Downs last Friday, which was among his biggest qualifying scores. Richard got a “bucket list” thrill as a part-owner of Red King with Little Red Feather Racing at last year's Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. While there, he nailed a place bet on 94-1 Hot Rod Charlie in the TVG Juvenile, which paid $51.60.
Judy Wagner of New Orleans is a member of the NHC Hall of Fame and an active participant in the success of the tournament since its early days. Judy, who won the 2001 NHC, has now qualified for the 13th time. She is a member of the NTRA Board and serves on the NHC Players Committee.
George Turner, Jr. of Middletown, MD, has qualified for his third NHC.
Blaise Guadagno of Levittown, NY, has qualified for his fifth NHC.
Dylan McIntosh of Pembroke Pines, FL, has qualified for his fourth NHC. His best tourney was the 2016 NHC when he cashed for $24,000 and a 12-place finish.
Russell Priola of South Wales, NY, who first qualified for the NHC in 2007, earned his 10th qualification last weekend.
Dale Day of Yukon, OK, is the track announcer at Remington Park. This is the first time that Day has qualified for the NHC. “It is great and I feel very fortunate to qualify in a free contest with more than 1,800 participants,” said Day, who won eight of 15 races last weekend, two of them at 10-1 and one at 15-1.
On how Day became interested in playing the horses: “I was intrigued from childhood. Seeing my grandpa with money after a trip to the races when I was in second grade, let me know there was something possibly lucrative in playing the races once I was old enough.”
Mark Heider of Laguna Hills, CA, has qualified for a second NHC after his tournament debut in 2011.
Mitchell Hiatt of Omaha, NE, has qualified for his first NHC.
Xpressbet
Patrick Gianforte of Cary, IL, has qualified for his 15th NHC. Last year, he cashed for $13,000 and placed 33rd overall.
Joseph Rosen of Hidden Hills, CA, earned his second qualifying spot for the 2022 NHC after qualifying on April 18 on Horseplayers.com. Joe was the 2018 NHC Rookie of the Year.
John Behnke of Golden, CO, has gained his second qualification for the 2022 NHC after getting his first one on March 12 on Horseplayers.com.

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NTRA Releases 2020 Legislative Action Campaign Annual Report

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) 2020 Legislative Action Campaign (LAC) Annual Report is now available on the association's website and can be downloaded at the following link: https://www.ntra.com/wp-content/uploads/21-290-029-LAC-2020-Annual-Report-FINAL.pdf.

The report reviews the NTRA's federal legislative activities in 2020 and the fundraising programs that support them. Specifically, the report includes:

  • A federal legislative summary of issues that are important to horse racing and breeding, including the latest on the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, Sports Betting, Three-year Racehorse Depreciation, Immigration and other legislation;
  • A list of 2020 contributors to the NTRA's Legislative Action Campaign through the ¼% Check-off Program and other related NTRA fundraising programs;
  • Sale company calendars; and
  • Member discount information from NTRA partners like John Deere, Sherwin-Williams, Office Depot and Big Ass Fans

“We thank the buyers, sellers and consignors who supported our federal legislative advocacy in 2020 by participating in the ¼% Check-off Program through sales hosted by our partners at Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton, Ocala Breeders Sales (OBS), the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association (WTBOA) and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA),” said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “We appreciate these sale companies for all they do to help facilitate the Check-off Program and we also thank the farms, breeders and National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour members who contributed through other fundraising programs. It was a difficult year in many ways but, once again, the industry rallied in support of our efforts on Capitol Hill.”

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Medina Spirit Rises To No. 1 On NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll; Malathaat Jumps To Fifth

Following his stirring half-length victory in Saturday's Grade 1 147th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit, has risen to No. 1 in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top 3-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll.

Sent away at 12-1, Medina Spirit, a Florida-bred son of Protonico, gave Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh Kentucky Derby win and a fourth Derby victory for Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. Medina Spirit, seventh in last week's poll, received 34 first-place votes and 374 points to take over the top spot from Godolphin's 2020 2-year-old champion Essential Quality, who finished fourth as the 5-2 Derby favorite. Trained by Brad Cox, the previously unbeaten Essential Quality, who led the Top 3-Year Old Poll since the first week on Feb. 16, is now in second place, with two first-place votes and 315 points.

The Cox-trained Mandaloun, who finished second in the Derby by a half-length, moves from 12th to third place this week. Owned by Juddmonte, Mandaloun has 284 points. Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, Strauss Bros Racing and Gainesway Thoroughbreds' Hot Rod Charlie, third in the Derby, drops back one position to fourth place with 266 points for trainer Doug O'Neill.

Shadwell Stable's bay filly, Malathaat, zooms from 20th to fifth place following her dramatic win by a neck over Search Results in the Grade 1 147th Longines Kentucky Oaks last Friday. The undefeated Malathaat, trained by Todd Pletcher, has one first-place vote and 179 points.

Gary and Mary West's homebred Concert Tour, winner of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, rises from eighth to sixth place in the poll. Also trained by Baffert, Concert Tour has 95 points. A third Baffert-trained runner in the top 10 is WinStar Farm and CHC's Life is Good, who improved from ninth to seventh place. Off the Triple Crown trail due to injury, Life is Good has one first-place vote and 94 points.

Another major mover this week was Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior, who captured Saturday's Grade 2 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Jackie's Warrior goes from 31st to eighth place, garnering 82 points. Hronis Racing and Talla Racing's Rock Your World, drops from second to 9th place this week after a 17th-place finish in the Derby while being compromised at the start. Trained by John Sadler, Rock Your World has 69 points. Maintaining 10th place is another Asmussen-trained colt, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, who finished sixth in the Derby and has 65 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide, Group 1 Saudi Cup runner-up Charlatan, and reigning older dirt female champion Monomoy Girl again hold down the top three positions in this week's National Thoroughbred Poll. Trained by Mike Stidham, Mystic Guide received 31 first-place votes and 350 points. The Baffert-trained 4-year-old Charlatan has six first-place votes and 322 points. The 6-year-old mare Monomoy Girl, trained by Cox, is in third place with 229 points.

Robert and Lawana Low's 4-year-old Colonel Liam (199 points), who finished in a dead heat for first with Domestic Spending in Saturday's Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs, is now in fourth place, exchanging positions with Korea Racing Authority's Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup winner Knicks Go (184 points).

Michael Lund Peterson's Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter Gamine (161 points), rises from seventh to sixth place after winning Saturday's Grade 1 Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery at Churchill Downs. St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska (141 points), who defeated Monomoy Girl in Oaklawn's Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 17, is now in seventh place.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield re-enters the top 10, moving from 12th to eighth place with one first-place vote and 133 points after taking last Friday's Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes presented by Sentient Jet at Churchill Downs. The Cox-trained 4-year-old filly Shedaresthedevil (84 points), winner of Churchill's Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes presented by TwinSpires, jumps from 14th to ninth place. Competing the Top 10 is Klaravich Stable's 4-year-old Domestic Spending (55 points), who climbs to 10th from 56th place in last week's poll off the dead heat with Colonel Liam.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll concludes following the Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 6.

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Essential Quality Retains His Lead In NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll

Undefeated Essential Quality, the likely favorite for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on May 1, remains at the top of this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top 3-Year-Old Poll.

Essential Quality, a striking gray Godolphin homebred, trained by Brad Cox, breezed five furlongs in 59.60 on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. He is undefeated in five starts, including his most recent victory in the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 3. The Eclipse Award-winning two-year-old male of 2020 received 34 first-place votes and 373 points in this week's poll.

Hronis Racing and Talla Racing's Rock Your World, winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3, retains second place. Trained by John Sadler, Rock Your World has one first-place vote and 286 points.

St. Elias Stable's Known Agenda, winner of the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby on March 27 for two-time Kentucky Derby- winning trainer Todd Pletcher, has moved into third place with one first-place vote and 265 points, and has switched positions with Grade 2 TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie.

Trained by Doug O'Neill, who also has saddled two Kentucky Derby winners, Hot Rod Charlie has one first-place vote and 263 points. Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Highly Motivated, a game second to Essential Quality in the Blue Grass for trainer Chad Brown, rounds out the top five with 167 points.

Keith Asmussen and Erv Woolsey's Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner Super Stock moves up one spot to No. 6 this week. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Super Stock has 138 points. Zedan Racing Stables Inc's Medina Spirit, who finished second to Rock Your World in the Santa Anita Derby, rises to seventh place with 114 points. Gary and Mary West's homebred Concert Tour, who was withdrawn from Kentucky Derby consideration over the weekend, drops to eighth place with 109 points. Life is Good, who is sidelined with an injury and will miss the Triple Crown, is in ninth place with one first-place vote and 75 points. Another Steve Asmussen runner, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, second in the Louisiana Derby, is in 10th place with 52 points.

The racing world is still buzzing following last Saturday's rousing finish in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park, where St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska defeated two-time Eclipse Award-winner Monomoy Girl by a nose. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska zoomed to sixth place in this week's National Thoroughbred Poll. Godolphin's 4-year-old Mystic Guide, winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup, maintains the No. 1 ranking with 29 first-place votes and 358 points. Charlatan, runner-up in the Group 1 Saudi Cup, retains second place with eight first-place votes and 330 points. Despite her defeat, Monomoy Girl (253 points) remains in third place, followed by Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup winner Knicks Go in fourth (231 points). Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Turf winner Colonel Liam moves up one spot to fifth place (191 points), and is followed by Letruska (183 points). Last year's Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter, Gamine, is in seventh place (99 points) followed by Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap winner Idol in eighth (86 points). After finishing third in the Apple Blossom, Swiss Skydiver is now in ninth place (78 points). She is followed by Grade 3 Count Fleet Handicap winner C Z Rocket in 10th place (49 points).

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll concludes following the Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through November 6.

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