Belmont Park Handicapping Challenge First Stop on North American Tour
Horseplayers, a new docuseries for the Esquire Network, will feature successful handicappers on their quest to reach the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) in January 2014 in Las Vegas. The series is being produced for Esquire Network by Go Go Luckey, who also produced the popular reality series Jockeys, and begins filming this weekend at the Belmont Park Handicapping Challenge at Belmont Park in New York.
Horseplayers travels the country as the handicappers crisscross North America betting on Thoroughbreds at some the world’s most iconic racetracks, while competing to earn a spot at the NHC in Las Vegas. Following shooting at the three Triple Crown events and this weekend’s tournament at Belmont Park, Horseplayers is scheduled to be on location at handicapping tournaments at Monmouth Park, Del Mar, Saratoga, Woodbine, Arlington Park, Keeneland, Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, before concluding at the NHC in Las Vegas.
“The horseplayer is a vital part of our industry, and we are delighted that this new series will feature racing fans in action at some of our sport’s most beautiful racetracks,” said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the NTRA. “Handicapping is one of the most exciting, challenging and rewarding aspects of Thoroughbred racing, and tournament play leading to the National Championship in Las Vegas adds another dimension that we believe can grow the appeal of Thoroughbred racing.”
The Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC), presented by Sovereign Stable and Treasure Island 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.
The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA website.
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