LAS VEGAS (Sunday, January 30, 2022) – David McCarty, leader of the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) presented by Racetrack Television Network, Caesars Entertainment, and Bally’s Las Vegas entering the Semifinals, is the oldest player left in the contest at 79 years young.

McCarty’s tour de force comes just six months after the NHC crowned its youngest winner, Justin Mustari, who was 26 at the time of his triumph in August. The average age of NHC qualifiers has been steadily falling for several years and has never been younger, with this year’s average at 55. Less than 10 years ago the average NHC qualifier was 65.

Nonetheless, experience seems to be what matters this year. Instead of rocketing up the TVG Leaderboard with inexplicable bombs, success at #NHC2022 seems to depend on cobbling together consistent winners, regardless of price.

The average age of the top 10 entering the Semifinals is 60. Two are under 50 – 2019 NHC winner Scott Coles, 37, and first-time NHC qualifier David Wang, 30.

Two 80-year-olds contested this year’s NHC – Joe Davidson and Mike Yarusso – but neither advanced past Saturday’s cut.

Wang Latest Contender from Goodall Clan

Sitting at fourth entering the Semifinals was David Wang, 30, the youngest player among the top 20. The Las Vegas resident hails from the First Family of Handicapping, as he is the nephew of NHC Hall of Fame power couple Richard Goodall and Sally Goodall. Richard won the 2008 NHC and Sally won the 2021 NHC Tour. Both Goodalls are among the most prolific and successful contest players in history.

Wang, who works for his uncle Richard’s healthcare accounts receivable company, is making his fourth NHC appearance.

“Richard got me into racing and it’s been quite a journey,” Wang said. “I play here and there, not too much, but I’m glad I made it here.”

Wang’s passion is food and he enjoys cooking with his wife. Pressed for a local restaurant recommendation, Wang did not hesitate with an enthusiastic endorsement of Yunnan Tasty Garden in Chinatown.

“We’ve been going there for 10 years, since they opened, at least every two weeks,” Wang said. “It’s just the bomb.”

Paros Top First-Time Qualifier Entering Sunday

First-time qualifier Frank Paros of Jupiter, Fla., made it to the NHC as the 10th-place finisher, and last to receive a prize, at a Canterbury Park qualifier in July. The 62-year-old native of Johnstown, Pa., who now works as a general contractor in Florida, only played in his first contest last year. Now he sits in the top five at the NHC as Sunday morning’s Semifinals round gets underway.

“I’m not one of these guys,” Paros said, implying he feels overmatched by the room of experienced handicappers even while the TVG Leaderboard suggests such feelings might be unfounded. “I only started playing horses five years ago.”

Paros also earned a Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge spot from Canterbury. He finished 117th of 522 entries at the BCBC and took home $4,021.

Paros, who has been in Florida for 42 years, only recently focused on horses after spending much of his last few decades betting greyhounds at the Palm Beach Kennel Club.

“We’re big Steelers fans and Art Rooney owned the Kennel Club so we played dogs there our whole lives,” Paros said. “Then they banned dog racing two years ago so that’s accelerated my interest in horses. My dad played horses his whole life, though. He passed away two years ago and he’d be shocked that I’m here at the NHC.”

In addition to its three presenting sponsors―RTN, Caesars Entertainment, and Bally’s Las Vegas―the NHC is supported by official partners Daily Racing Form, EquinEdge, FanDuel Group, Four Roses Bourbon, NYRA Bets, Race Lens, TVG, and 1/ST Bet. The Final Table, where only the top 10 players advance to determine final placings based on seven climactic races, is sponsored by Caesars Sportsbook and Global Tote, A BetMakers Company.

About the NHC

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. There are no bye-ins to the NHC. Each year, the NHC winner joins other human and equine champions as an honoree at the Eclipse Awards. For more information on the NHC, visit NTRA.com/nhc.

About the NTRA

The NTRA 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. NTRA press releases appear on NTRA.com, Twitter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).

#