Santa Anita Park will be hosting the Autumn Handicapping Challenge on October 4-5.  The contest is a mega live-bankroll event with entry fees of $4,000, $3,000 of which comprises the player’s bankroll.

-Premier weekend of racing with six stakes races.

-Maximum two entries per person.

 –Qualifying players earn NHC Tour Points.

 **All monies predicated on 100 entries.

Please read carefully the following:

1. Players may now withdraw from their account balances at HorseTourneys. Please make sure to review the policies/guidelines as listed on the Withdrawal page.

2. Real money/bankroll building events have been added to the contest lineup. ALL real money/bankroll building contests will currently carry MAXIMUM gross takeout of 10 percent. This is the lowest takeout available from any horse racing tournament website.

3. Players from the states of Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana and Washington are prohibited from withdrawing funds from accounts due to state regulations; however, players from these states may continue to participate in all contests for the purposes of pursuing entries to on-site events through qualifiers at HorseTourneys (such as the NHC and HPWS).

4. ALL real money and bankroll building events will now have pre-determined prizes. Entries will NOT expand as they do for direct Feeder and Qualifier events depending on participation. Contests will run subject to the MINIMUM ENTRIES needed to run the event, which are listed to the right of the entries display and within individual contest descriptions.

5. In real money and bankroll building event, the MINIMUM ENTRIES required is equivalent to the prizes designated minus 10 percent (therefore, if a contest fills only to the minimum, HorseTourneys incurs a 10 percent loss on the event in addition to additional percentage points for fees associated with deposits). Because the minimums required to run a contest already represent a meaningful loss, the entry minimums MUST be adhered to for all events. It may take some time to determine the appropriate ranges of contests that activity on HorseTourneys will support. Therefore, we ask for your patience, as contests that don’t fill to minimums may be a common occurrence as we endeavor to determine appropriate levels and reduce cancellations as much as possible.

6. Entries for DIRECT Feeder and Qualifier events (such as the NHC and HPWS) will continue to be able to be expanded, with prize parameters determined by the number of entries participating in the contests.

7. Taxpayer information MUST be provided before withdrawals will be permitted for an account. See the Withdrawal page for details on how to provide taxpayer information. You do not need to wait to request a withdrawal to provide us your taxpayer information. A single 1099-MISC form will be filed with the IRS for any players with net withdrawals versus entry fees of more than $600 per year.

The handicapping contest community is saddened to learn of the passing of past NHC Champion Ron Rippey. Rippey, who just earlier in August won over $132k at the Wynn Handicapping Challenge, was an ardent promoter of both Thoroughbred and Harness racing throughout his over 30 years of work with the New Jersey Star-Ledger and was a top-flight handicapper and regular performer on the contest circuit. Above all, he was the consummate gentleman who was always in cheerful spirits.

My personal experience with Ron dates back to 2006, as I was administering the NHC that year, the same year he won the prestigious Championship.  I was the first person to congratulate him just moments after his longshot crossed the finish line first in the last contest race to seal the victory.  I recall how calm and gracious he was at that time.  Since then, Ron and I stayed in regular contact, either by communicating via e-mail, or by sharing lengthy phone calls at least several times a year, mostly with Ron recounting his recent experiences and his always-good suggestions on how to improve things in whatever I was involved in at the time.  Despite struggling with many trying health issues over recent years, Ron was always upbeat and always focused on the positive.  He held great pride in his long-term tenure at the Star-Ledger and took his position as a public handicapper very seriously.  He truly loved the game and was a respected comrade on the contest trail.  Those of us that had the privilege to know him will surely miss having him around.  Our sincerest condolences to his wife Arlene and the rest of the Rippey family.

Read the Story at the New Jersey Star-Ledger

Have You Tried an “In The Money” Contest Yet?

Check Out These Results!

The format is doing exactly as projected–producing one or a small number of winners, meaning great ROI for winners – and it’s fun!

Recent Results (based on $15 entry fees):
July 29: 3 winners won $130 ea. (ROI: 7.6)
July 30: 3 winners won $198 ea. (ROI: 12.2)
July 31: 2 winners won $297 ea. (ROI: 18.8)
Aug 1: 1 winner won $229 (ROI: 14.2)
Aug 2: 1 winner won $148 (ROI: 8.8)
Aug 3: 7 winners won $90 (ROI: 5.0)
Aug 4: 4 winners won $142 (ROI: 8.4)
Aug 5: 1 winner won $162 (ROI: 9.8)
Aug 6: 1 winner won $297 (ROI: 18.8)
Aug 7: 1 winner won $229 (ROI: 14.2)
Aug 8: 1 winner won $243 (ROI: 15.2)

Both Pick & Pray and Live format In the Money games offered daily. Look for higher stakes entry fees soon.

If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out the new SPEED PICKS option, which is available for any entry (with the exception of the All-Optional Format).  The Speed Picks Option allows players to make selections for all races in an entry on one screen in parlay-card style format.  It’s a great option for more experienced users and especially those that play multiple entries.

A tutorial is available that explains how to use the new feature.  To view it, click here.

Below is a screenshot of the top finishers in the recent July 13 Arlington Handicapping Challenge.  Congratulations to the top finishers!

For complete standings, click here.

PRESS RELEASE

NEW YORK CITY (Thursday, June 19, 2014) – The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) today announced that the estimated purse for the 16th Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC), presented by Racetrack Television Network, Sovereign Stable and Treasure Island Las Vegas, has been increased 25 percent to a record $2 million. The 2014 NHC purse was $1,590,000.

An additional $200,000 in previously announced prize money will be distributed as part of the 2014 NHC Tour, bringing the estimated NHC and NHC Tour purses to $2.2 million.

The purse increases are fueled by robust participation in NHC qualifying contests by NHC Tour members (Tour membership is a requirement to be eligible to qualify for the NHC).

“Virtually all of our qualifying tournaments – onsite and online – continue to perform very well,” said Keith Chamblin, Senior Vice President of the NTRA. “We have more than 1,350 new Tour members thus far in 2014. The NHC will only grow as more people are introduced to tournament contests and experience the thrill of competing for a spot in Las Vegas and a chance at the winner’s share of $2 million in prize money. These are life-changing sums being offered to the top finishers.”

The 16th NHC will be held January 23-25, 2015 at Treasure Island Las Vegas. The 2014 NHC Tour schedule and the official rules for the 2015 NHC have been posted online at NHCTour.com. For the second year in a row, the Championship will feature a three-day format with a Final 50 and Final Table of 10.

Three tournaments scheduled for Saturday, June 21, offer NHC berths, including two online contests currently open for registration. DRF Bets (DRFBets.com) hosts the first of two Super Summer Challenge preliminary rounds leading to a July 5 final with four NHC spots up for grabs and HorseTourneys.com presents a “Live Format” NHC Qualifier with three guaranteed NHC entries available. The Belmont Park Handicapping Challenge at Belmont Park is sold out.

About the NHC

In its 16th year, the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship, Presented by Racetrack Television Network, Sovereign Stable and Treasure Island Las Vegas is the most important tournament of the year for horseplayers. There are no “buy-in” entries at the NHC. It is the culmination of a yearlong series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino racebooks, off-track betting facilities and horse racing and handicapping websites, each of which sends its top qualifiers to the national finals. Every year, the NHC winner joins other human and equine champions as an honoree at the Eclipse Awards. The 15 NHC Champions since the event’s inception, in chronological order, are Steven Walker, Judy Wagner, Herman Miller, Steve Wolfson Jr., Kent Meyer, Jamie Michelson, Ron Rippey, Stanley Bavlish, Richard Goodall, John Conte, Brian Troop, John Doyle, Michael Beychok, Jim Benes and Jose Arias.

Arlington International Racecourse and Trackside Off-Track Betting are pleased to announce their biggest tournament ever – the 2014 Arlington Handicapping Challenge set for Sunday, July 13.

The Arlington Handicapping Challenge is a live-money tournament with NO additional entry fee over and above the $2,000 betting bankroll.  The top five finishers in the tournament will earn their way to major national tournaments including the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Challenge (NHC) and the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) with four NHC berths and one BCBC berth available.

The first qualifier at HorseTourneys is scheduled for Sunday, June 1.  Players can win the $2,000 entry to the event plus $500 in travel reimbursement.  Entries are $98/each with a package awarded per every 30 entries participating in qualifiers.

Daily direct feeders into the main qualifiers will be available for $27.

For complete info on the Arlington/Trackside Handicapping Challenge, click here.