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Mustari Leads NHC After Day 2, Championship Concludes Sunday

Justin Mustari of Des Plaines, Illinois, holds a slim advantage over 2014 champion Jose Arias following the second day of competition in the 22nd National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) presented by Racetrack Television Network, Caesars Entertainment, and Bally's Las Vegas.

Mustari has amassed $283.30 leading 563 entries in the richest and most prestigious handicapping contest in the world. Arias, of Bell Gardens, California, has $278. All players made mythical win-place wagers on 17 races Friday and 18 races on Saturday from seven North American racetracks. Mustari began the day in 14th place with a mythical bankroll of $135.70.

Mustari, 26, is participating in his third consecutive NHC. He took the lead in the final eligible race of the day, Del Mar's 11th, selecting $8 winner U.S. Danger.

“It's definitely pretty crazy,” Mustari said. “I had one of those days where you just try to put yourself in a good position. I hit my last three or four races. I just played horses I thought would win and didn't worry about playing prices like a lot of people do.”

Mustari said after the contest day was done that he would try his best to relax by going to dinner with his family. His father Frank and his uncle Dan also qualified this year, and the Mustaris are well-known regulars in the contest world.

“I learned everything from my dad,” Mustari said. “He's been playing horses since he was young. That's how I got into the game. I started playing contests as soon as I turned 21.”

Mustari works for his dad's insulation contracting company. He double-qualified at Hawthorne Race Course (the other entry finished out of the money in 266th).

Arias held the lead going into the final eligible race and sits in the enviable second position entering the Semifinal round.

“It's a blur right now,” he said of the afternoon, citing Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes winner Ginobili ($12.80) as one of his best plays of the weekend and crediting owners Slam Dunk Racing and trainer Richard Baltas for their handling of the emerging top-class sprinter.

Defending champion Thomas Goldsmith will continue on to the Semifinals with both of his entries – one in 38th place with a $184.60 bankroll and the other in 42nd with $183.20

Other recognizable names making the cut are defending 2020 NHC Tour winner and 2021 NHC Hall of Fame inductee Sally Goodall (39th, $184.20) and husband-and-wife duo Cheryl McIntyre (47th, $178.50) and Mike McIntyre (48th, $176.80), right next to one another in the standings.

The three-day NHC concludes Sunday at Bally's. The top 56 entries after Saturday will carry their mythical bankroll into Sunday's Semifinal round, which will require mythical win-place wagers on 10 races from a menu of 22 races. The top 10 from the Semifinal round advance to Sunday afternoon's DraftKings Final Table to determine the 2021 NHC champion. The grand prize winner will receive the $725,000 first-place prize and an Eclipse Award as Horseplayer of the Year.

Greg Knepper of West Lawn, Pennsylvania earned $157.00 to win the individual Day 2 honors. That effort earned him a free berth into the 2021 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge.

Sarah Wiener, Norma Mendoza, Sally Goodall, Jeannie King, Karen Richards, and Cheryl McIntyre comprise a group of six female players who are in the top 56 moving on to Sunday's Semifinal round.

This year's track menu for mandatory and optional races is comprised of Del Mar, Ellis Park, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park, Saratoga Race Course, and Woodbine Racetrack. All but Gulfstream and Golden Gate are part of the NHC for the first time.

The National Horseplayers Championship is presented by Racetrack Television Network, Caesars Entertainment, and Bally's Las Vegas and sponsored by 1/ST BET, Breeders' Cup, Capitol OTB, Century Bets, Daily Racing Form, Draft Kings, EquinEdge, FanDuel Group, Four Roses Bourbon, Hawthorne Racecourse, Hialeah Park, HorsePlayers.com, HorseTourneys.com, Keeneland, Monmouth Park, NYRA Bets, Roberts Communications, Santa Anita Park, STATS® Race Lens, The Stronach Group, TVG, and Xpressbet.

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NHC Rundown: 2020 NHC Champion Thomas Goldsmith Qualifies For 2022 Championships

Each week, the NTRA will provide a rundown of those who have qualified for the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) from the previous weekend. A total of eight individuals qualified for the 2022 NHC, led by Thomas Goldsmith, who won the 2020 NHC title. Dave Wang, of Las Vegas, became a double qualifier.

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 Aug. 27-29 with the 2022 NHC set for Jan. 28-30 at Bally's.

Last weekend's qualifiers, and their respective contest sites, are as follows:

Horseplayers, Friday, 7/9/2021

Dave Wang of Las Vega, NV, has double qualified for the 2022 NHC.

“I am excited to be double qualified for the 2022 NHC,” said Wang. “Obviously, two entries are better than one but I think this is especially true in the mandatory races. I am usually torn between two horses in the generally full-fields of the mandatories—-now I can play them both.”

His key race was the eighth at Belmont, when Dancingwithdaffodls came from off the pace in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming race and won by a half-length, paying $46.20. “I had a decent shot at pulling an upset at a big price, said Wang. “Fortunately, “I got lucky,” and added, “I love playing in the NHC finals and I hope I can use my two entries to double the fun and maybe some big money.”

Kirk Tesar of Ankeny, IA, has qualified for his fifth NHC.

Lone Star Park, Saturday, 7/10/21

Thomas Goldsmith of Montgomery, Texas won the 2020 NHC. He has now qualified for his fourth Championship appearance.

Mark Simonovich of Richardson, TX, has qualified for his third NHC.

Ellen Patrick-Leavell of Irving, TX, has qualified for her seventh NHC. In last weekend's Lone Star Summer Challenge tournament, Ellen needed a strong comeback and saw a horse named Streak of Silver in the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity that “jumped out at me that was going off at 17-1.” Ellen wagered $100WP and Streak of Silver broke on top as was never headed; paying Ellen $2,510 and “skyrocketing me from 32nd to second place.” She played it safe for the last two races and wound up finishing third overall in the Summer Challenge, and earned a NHC seat in 2022.

An NHC Mentor, Ellen's major career was the time she became the first female to win a Last Chance/First Chance tournament, which was held in January 2017 – earning $22,165 ― at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. Ellen qualified for her first NHC in 2008 and played in the January 2009 Championship at Red Rock Resort.

George Brant of Ft. Worth, TX, has qualified for this second NHC.

Belmont Derby Day Challenge NYRA Bets Saturday, July 10, 2021

James Herthum of Whitesboro, NY, has qualified for his first NHC

Ellis Starr of Lexington, KY, is a first-time NHC qualifier, who is the National Racing Analyst for Equibase, and writes regularly for the site, and for America's Best Racing, covering the major races and handicapping challenges around the country.

To qualify last week, Starr nailed a $100 exacta on European runners Bolshoi Ballet and Tokyo Gold in the Belmont Derby Invitational, which returned $1,940 and placed him in the top 10. In Belmont's following race, he wagering $1,000 on Fox Ranger to win and cashed for $2,550, and an NHC 2022 slot.

“Having tried to qualify for many years, I feel lucky and honored to have joined the ranks of so many great handicappers who participate in the NHC annually,” said Starr, who began attending the Southern California tracks when he was about eight years old.

Horsetourneys.com Sunday, 7/11/21

Craig Hom of San Francisco has qualified for his 12th NHC. He grew up playing the Dollar Fridays at Bay Meadows. Hom hit five winners in 12 races, all at around 5-1. His biggest winner paid $18.10. “Often times the difference in a contest isn't by 'such and such' dollars but they flip on the whisker of a photo finish.”

Hom is looking forward to returning to Las Vegas. “After a year like 2020, (I'm) really excited to be back in a big room with fellow horseplayers. Have made a lot of good friends through these on site contests. Feels great to qualify again. Never take it for granted. It's definitely not easy.”

Michael Kiatipis of Toronto, has qualified for his second NHC.

Click here for the full NHC Leaderboard

Click here for upcoming NHC qualifiers

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Breeders’ Cup Launches 12th Betting Challenge

Registration for the 12th Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC), which will be held in conjunction with the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Racecourse Nov. 6-7, is now available at www.breedersCup.com/BCBC. This year’s BCBC total cash prize pool is expected to be $1 million based upon a minimum of 400 players registered. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, players will not be able to participate at Keeneland this year. All BCBC tournament play will be conducted online at www.TVG.com, the official Breeders’ Cup wagering partner, www.Xpressbet.com, NYRA Bets and at designated satellite locations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., and Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fl. Additional satellite locations, such as Santa Anita Park and Del Mar in California, will be announced at a later date if they are able to host players.

For the 2020 BCBC, a $2,500 buy-in and $7,500 betting bankroll ($10,000 total) are required of each player. All buy-in monies are applied to the prize pool. Players can bet into the Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta and Daily Double pools with their $7,500 bankroll over the two days and keep all monies earned from their betting.

“The excitement and prestige of playing in the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge continues to grow as the ultimate test in live-money Thoroughbred racing tournaments, with horseplayers tackling the large and ultra-competitive fields of the World Championships races,” said Tim Schram, BCBC Tournament Director.

Additionally, the 2020 BCBC will feature a $3 million National Horseplayer Champion (NHC) Tour bonus that will be awarded to any horseplayer who wins the BCBC and the NTRA Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in January 2021. As part of a reciprocal agreement with the NHC, Thomas Goldsmith, winner of this year’s NHC in February, is eligible for a $3-million bonus should he win this year’s BCBC. Players can earn free entry into the BCBC by winning a BCBC Qualifying Tournament. For details on upcoming live and online qualifying tournaments, go to www.Horseplayers.com.

In the 2019 BCBC, a record 457 players entered the competition and Brad Anderson of Sarasota, Fl. won after making a $25,900 wager on 9-2 Vino Rosso in the Longines GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, the final race of the tournament. Anderson finished with a total score of 145,040 points and, with a first-place prize of $343,000, saw total winnings of $488,040.

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