Tag: NHC

NHC Rundown: 2012 Champion Beychok Qualifies For 12th NHC Appearance

Each week, the NTRA will provide a rundown of those who have qualified for the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) the previous weekend.
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 now slated take place in the Bally's Events Center from August 27-29.
Friday, October 9
HorseTourneys.com
Bob Gianquitti of Lake Worth, Fla., is dual qualified for the fifth straight year and will make his eighth appearance overall at NHC 2021.
Ken Jordan of Farmingdale, N.J., is now dual qualified for his 11th trip to the NHC. The runner-up in the 2015 edition of the tournament has cashed four times for a total of $282,600.
Saturday, October 10
HorseTourneys.com
David Joy of Scott Bar, Calif., will be making his first trip to the NHC.
Keeneland:
Peter McFarland of Nicholasville, Ky., will be making his second NHC appearance having cashed for $6,550 in 2017.
Dennis Tiernan of Mill Valley, Calif., is now a 10-time NHC qualifier having first qualified back in 2000.
Jeff Arthur of Chesapeake, Va., will be heading to the NHC for a fifth time.
Eric Kurzhal of South Bend, Ind., is now dual qualified for his sixth NHC appearance. Kurzhal cashed for $1,050 in 2020.
Ron Myeress of Seven Hills, Ohio will take dual qualifier status into his first NHC appearance.
Mark Rudy of Milwaukee, Wisc., is now dual qualified for what will be his 11th NHC appearance. Rudy, who qualified for his first NHC in 2008, has cashed twice previously for a total of $25,200.
Nick Tammaro of Houston, Tex., is now dual qualified for the fifth time and will be making his seventh overall NHC appearance when he heads to Las Vegas in 2021.
Tim Stupka of Sioux Falls, S.D., will be playing in the NHC for the 11th time having first qualified in 2000. Stupka cashed for $1,700 in 2017.
Sunday, October 11
HorseTourneys.com
Rock Edwards of Schaumburg, Ill., will be making his second NHC appearance.
Michael Beychok, the 2012 NHC Champion, is heading back to the tournament for the 12th time. In addition to his record-setting $1 million payday in 2012, Beychok – a resident of Baton Rouge, La. – cashed for $2,500 in 2011 and $10,800 in 2015.

The post NHC Rundown: 2012 Champion Beychok Qualifies For 12th NHC Appearance appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

2021 National Horseplayers Championship Moved from February to August

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has rescheduled the upcoming 2021 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC), originally slated for Feb. 12-14, to Aug. 27-29 due to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. The NHC, a culmination of a year-long series of tournaments of which the winner is honored at the Eclipse Awards, will be held at Bally’s Las Vegas.

“With the support of our partners at Bally’s and Caesars Entertainment, we have secured dates that provide us with a great opportunity to host a world-class event in the safest possible environment for our participants, guests and employees,” said the NTRA’s chief operating officer Keith Chamblin.

According to the NTRA, the 2021 date change will not impact the current 2020-21 NHC Tour, which concludes Jan. 23. The 2022 NHC will be scheduled for its usual February dates.

The post 2021 National Horseplayers Championship Moved from February to August appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Kentucky Downs Staging Pair Of Online Handicapping Tournaments During 2020 Meet

America's most unique racetrack is staging a one-of-a-kind online handicapping tournament twosome during the RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs.

The Kentucky Downs Turf Handicapping Challenge presented by Daily Racing Form, America's only tournament using exclusively grass racing, will award multiple seats at the 2021 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) and the 2020 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) during stand-alone tournaments on Sunday Sept. 13 and Wednesday Sept. 16. The twist is that the player with the highest aggregate two-day total will be crowned the National Turf Handicapping Champion, receiving additional prize money and a BCBC spot, worth $10,000.

The separate online tournaments are live-money events, meaning that entrants use a real bankroll and get to keep whatever they might earn. The competition will be based on Kentucky Downs' all-grass cards, with the Sept. 13 contest also offering the option to play turf races from New Jersey's Monmouth Park. Betting in the tournaments will be conducted through Xpressbet, TVG and 4NJBets online-wagering platforms.

The Sept. 13 tournament has a $1,000 buy-in, with $500 comprising the player's bankroll and the other $500 going to the prize pool. The buy-in is $600 for the Sept. 16 tournament, with $300 going to the prize pool and $300 for the contestant's bankroll. Players must compete in both tournaments to be eligible to earn the distinction of being National Turf Handicapping Champion.

Both contests require entrants to bet a minimum of $50 (win, place, show and/or exacta) on a minimum of 10 races on Sept. 13 and six on Sept. 16. Complete rules will be available soon on kentuckydowns.com. Monmouth Park marketing director Brian Skirka is the tournament director. Players must pre-register with Skirka by emailing bskirka@monmouthpark.com or by calling 732-571-6595.

“We were looking at an online tournament even before we had to make the tough decision to go spectatorless at our live meet because of the COVID surge,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs' senior vice president and general manager. “Our betting product has become so popular across the country that we wanted to let as many people as possible participate, and we wanted to come up with prizes to make it worth their investment in time and money.

“Horseplayers' enthusiasm for our American-best large fields and low takeout has led to a 244-percent increase in wagering on Kentucky Downs since 2015. This is one way of showing our appreciation. We are the nation's turf-racing capital and we want to showcase that by having a National Turf Handicapping Champion.”

Regular tournament player Adam Aiken, who coincidentally is moving from Springfield, Mass., to Nashville in early September, makes a point to bet Kentucky Downs' elite meet and was thrilled to hear about the track's tournaments. He applauds the idea of a two-day overall champion.

“That's an interesting format, kind of a unique and different format that isn't around anywhere else,” Aiken said, adding with a laugh, “It obviously gets you to want to play the second one. You have three chances in a way” to win the big prizes.

Aiken said he'll be firing away on his mobile device to try to be anointed Turf Champion.

“I'll be playing wherever I am,” he said. “I was in a tournament where I finished fourth and 13th and I was at a wedding…. I love turf racing. I love turf sprints. I always play Kentucky Downs. The big fields and low takeout are just the ticket for serious handicappers.”

Based on 100 entries in the Sept. 13 tournament, the total prize pool will be $50,000, including four NHC prize packs (including flight reimbursement up to $400 and hotel) and one BCBC berth. The top five finishers will split $5,000, with $2,500 to the winner and an estimated $2,956 toward the cash awarded to the National Turf Champ. The top 10 finishers also receive a free spot in the Sept. 16 contest.

Prize money paid to the Turf Champ will increase along with the number of entries. At 150 entries, five NHC prize packs and two BCBC berths will be awarded.

Based on 80 entries in the Sept. 16 contest, the total prize pool will be $24,000, with the top three finishers earning an NHC prize pack and splitting $3,000, including $1,500 to the winner, with remaining cash going to the champ. Additional seats could be awarded based on final participation.

“I'm honored that Ted reached out to me to assist with putting on this unique tournament,” Skirka said. “Kentucky Downs is known for some of the biggest fields and best turf racing around, and I'm excited to help make this first-of-its-kind contest a success. From my experience, I think players will really gravitate to a tournament featuring such wide-open, competitive and high-class racing.”

Players must be an NHC Tour member prior to the start of the contest to be eligible for NHC seats.

Horsetourneys.com will stage online feeder tournaments, providing low-priced ways to win spots into both contests.

The post Kentucky Downs Staging Pair Of Online Handicapping Tournaments During 2020 Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Monmouth’s Online $2,000 Pick Your Prize Handicapping Challenge Returns On Saturday

Monmouth Park Racetrack's $2,000 Pick Your Prize Handicapping Challenge will return for its fifth renewal on Saturday, July 25 and will take place online through TVG and Xpressbet.

The popular handicapping contest – which hosted 222 on-site entries in 2019 – will offer 18 seats to the 2021 National Horseplayers Championship, four seats to the 2020 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge, and $65,000 in cash based on an estimated 200 entries.

“In a year that has seen a lot of plans change, we're thrilled to be able to offer our $2,000 Pick Your Prize Challenge online this Saturday,” said Brian Skirka, Monmouth Park's marketing manager and tournament director. “We already have players from 18 different states registered and I look forward to a continued rush of sign-ups. I'd like to thank the teams at TVG and Xpressbet, as well as Sportech, Amtote, and the Breeders' Cup, for all of their hard work and support leading up to what I know will be a great contest on Saturday.”

Boasting a unique format, the Pick Your Prize Challenge allows top finishers to select their prize(s) from a prize board. To accommodate this year's online event, a “prize selection conference call” will be set up amongst top finishers.

To register, all players must contact Skirka by Friday, July 24, at noon at bskirka@monmouthpark.com or by calling 732-571-6595. Participants across the country can only play through TVG or Xpressbet, while New Jersey residents are required to participate via 4NJBets – which is operated by TVG.

The Pick Your Prize Handicapping Challenge has a buy-in of $2,000. Players start with a bankroll of $1,000 with wagering on Monmouth Park races only. Players must bet $100 or more on at least 10 races. Only win, place, show and exacta wagers are permitted.

Based on 200 entries, the top four contest finishers will receive two selections from the prize board.  Finishers five through 25 will receive one selection. All prizes and selection procedures are based on the final number of entries.

“In 2019, the 27th-place finisher at Pick Your Prize won an NHC seat,” Skirka said.  “To me, that makes this contest a player's best opportunity of the year to qualify for Vegas.”

The post Monmouth’s Online $2,000 Pick Your Prize Handicapping Challenge Returns On Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights