LEXINGTON, KY (August 24, 2026) – The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that Marshall Gramm has withdrawn from the 2027 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC). Further, after consultation with the NHC Players Committee, the NTRA has deemed all NHC contest participation and NHC Tour membership for Gramm be suspended pending further investigation by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) alleging rules violations by Gramm.
The 2027 NHC will be held March 5-7, 2027, at the Horseshoe in Las Vegas and will offer a $1,000,000 grand prize and an estimated $5.5 million in total prizes and awards.
“For more than a quarter century, the National Horseplayers Championship has realized unprecedented growth thanks primarily to sustained participation by horseplayers,” said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. “Their passion and support fuels not only the NHC, but the entire ecosystem of our sport and industry.”
About the NHC
The NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC), presented by Caesars Race and Sportsbook, Racetrack Television Network, and Horseshoe Las Vegas, is the richest, most important and most prestigious tournament for horseplayers in the world and is the culmination of a yearlong series of 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 in Las Vegas. Each year, the NHC winner joins other human and equine champions as an honoree at the Eclipse Awards.
About the NTRA
The NTRA, based in Lexington, KY, and Washington, DC, is a broad-based coalition of more than 100 horse racing interests and thousands of individual stakeholders consisting of horseplayers, racetrack operators representing more than 80% of the U.S. pari-mutuel wagering handle, more than 30,000 owners, breeders and trainers, and other affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity, welfare and integrity of Thoroughbred racing through consensus-based leadership, legislative advocacy, safety and integrity initiatives, fan engagement and corporate partner development. The NTRA owns and manages NTRA.com; the NTRA Top Thoroughbred and NTRA Top 3-Year-Old weekly media polls; the Eclipse Awards; the National Horseplayers Championship; NTRA Advantage, a corporate partner sales and sponsorship program; and HORSE PAC®, a federal political action committee.
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