Breeders’ Cup Limited and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) have combined forces to launch a new online qualifying contest platform, HorsePlayers.com, the two organizations announced today. HorsePlayers.com will serve as the official online qualifying site for both the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and the NTRA’s newly re-branded National Horseplayers Championship (NHC).
HorsePlayers.com will offer low-cost “feeder” contests and one-day qualifiers where players can win entries to the two richest, most prestigious handicapping contests in the world. Contest players will enjoy the benefits of a coordinated BCBC and NHC qualifying schedule, a low takeout structure, single site registration and seamless play in BCBC and NHC qualifiers on the same contest platform.
Fans are encouraged to visit HorsePlayers.com now and register for a free account. Contest play is already under way and this weekend features a NHC qualifier Saturday and a BCBC qualifier Sunday. HorsePlayers.com will offer both “Pick and Pray” and “Live” formats.
“Through research, development and our collaborative efforts, the Breeders’ Cup and NTRA—two non-profit organizations dedicated to improving Thoroughbred racing—have created and launched HorsePlayers.com with an eye toward providing a platform that will best serve the contest player,” said Alex Waldrop, NTRA President and Chief Executive Officer.
“The Breeders’ Cup is thrilled to partner with the NTRA on HorsePlayers.com which will further align the industry’s two richest handicapping contests while using contest play to drive interest and engagement in Thoroughbred racing,” said Craig Fravel, Breeders’ Cup President and Chief Executive Officer.
The NHC and BCBC first collaborated in an official capacity last year with the introduction of the $3 million NHC Tour Bonus – the largest prize ever offered in the handicapping contest world – for any horseplayer that can win the BCBC and NHC successively, in either order. Current NHC Champion Ray Arsenault is eligible for a $3 million bonus should he go on to win this year’s BCBC at Del Mar.
About the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge
Now in its ninth year, the $1 million-estimated BCBC has become one of the most sought after prizes on the tournament calendar. The BCBC, which offers 15 seats to the NHC in addition to cash prizes, is a highly lucrative and exclusive live bankroll handicapping contest with a $10,000 buy-in required to participate. Players enjoy first class access to the two best days of racing in the world with VIP seats that include buffet lunch each day and other amenities. Online and on-site qualifying tournaments, offering $10,000 berths into the BCBC as prizes, continue throughout the summer and fall leading to the November Breeders’ Cup. For more on the BCBC, visit www.breederscup.com/bcbc.
About the National Horseplayers Championship
In its 19th year, the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (formerly known as the NTRA National Handicapping Championship) is the richest and most prestigious contest in the world 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. Each year, the NHC winner joins other human and equine champions as an honoree at the Eclipse Awards. The most recent NHC offered record prize money and awards totaling more than $2.9 million. NHC 19 will be held February 9-11, 2018, at Treasure Island Las Vegas.
NHC Tour membership ($50) is mandatory to be eligible to qualify for the NHC. Online registration for the 2017 NHC Tour is open at http://ntra.kinsta.cloud/membership.
About Breeders’ Cup
The Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships. The Breeders’ Cup also administers the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The 2017 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 13 Grade I races with purses and awards totaling more than $28 million, will be held November 3-4 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., and will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. The Breeders’ Cup culminates with the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, named the Longines World’s Best Horse Race in 2016 by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup Web site, www.breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.
About the NTRA
The NTRA, based in Lexington, Ky., is a broad-based coalition of more than 100 horse racing interests and thousands of individual stakeholders consisting of horseplayers, racetrack operators, owners, breeders, trainers and 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 the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance; NTRA.com; the Eclipse Awards; the National Horseplayers Championship; NTRA Advantage, a corporate partner sales and sponsorship program; and Horse PAC®, a federal political action committee.