August 2022
Welcome back to the August edition of NHC at the Post, your monthly update on all the happenings of the National Horseplayers Championship Tour, and more. There were a lot of exciting contests in July. Both online and in-person, from east coast to west, events were jam packed and we could barely rein in the fun.
July proved to be another exciting month on the Tour with 52 members qualifying to the 2023 NHC.
Chris Podratz of Santa Clarita, Calif. celebrated more than just Independence Day on the 4th of July. He also was the winner at the LA County Fair NHC Qualifier at Los Alamitos. Podratz is one of the most accomplished contest players in America. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Podratz has now qualified for the NHC every year since 2010. Podratz earned his 2023 berth thanks to his victory at Los Alamitos. Dennis Decauwer also punched his ticket to the NHC at Los Al. Decauwer is one of the best known and most respected NHC ambassadors and is the Vice Chairman of the NHC Players’ Committee.
In Texas, Lone Star Park held its annual Summer Betting Challenge on Saturday, July 16 at the Lone Star Bar & Book. The top four out of the 87 entries were awarded NHC prize packages. All players started with a $1,000 bankroll. Bill Rendino finished in first-place with a $3,902 bankroll and earned an NHC seat. Michael McKee, Nick Tammaro, and Kim Dixon finished in second, third, and fourth respectively winning NHC 2023 seats. Click here for the official results.
In the Battle Born State, Treasure Island (TI) hosted their Wager to Win XXVII on the weekend of July 23-24. With a sold-out crowd in the Golden Circle Sportsbook & Bar, TI awarded approximately $37,000 in cash prizes along with two NHC seats. Frank Polk of Oklahoma City, OK, finished in first place, winning $18,900 in cash and a coveted seat to the 2023 NHC. Steve Decaspers was glad he traveled from Forest Park, IL, as he finished in second and third place, amassing cash prizes of $11,340 and claiming the second NHC seat. “We were able to overcome a cancelled race at Monmouth and a NO CONTEST race at Saratoga on Sunday. Everyone had a fun-filled weekend of competition at the TI,” said Tony Nevill, Director of Race & Sports Operations at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino.
That same weekend in the Garden State, Monmouth Park hosted the Haskell Handicapping Challenge. With 229 online entries, Frank Mustari finished in first place. Travis Stone, race caller for Churchill Downs, and Joe Calvo won seats to the 2023 NHC. There are many other contests coming up at Monmouth Park – August 27 for the Travers with 3 NHC seats guaranteed and newly added qualifiers on October 8, December 3, January 7 and February 4 – all $300 buy-in, on-track only, 2 NHC seats guaranteed.
The month of contests wrapped in the Golden State where the Del Mar Summer Challenge hosted 106 players (130 total entries) all on track July 30-31. Two NHC seats were awarded to Frank Scatoni and Ray Sainz. Frank, the former editor of “The HorsePlayer Magazine” and co-author of “Six Secrets of Successful Bettors,” is the daily host of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s Newcomers’ Seminar and Sunday’s Handicapping Seminar. Ray, from West Hills, CA, will be making his NHC debut. The next contest at Del Mar will be the Pacific Classic Betting Challenge which can be played on track or online at TVG.com.
Last but not least, July was hot online for Horseplayers.com and the 31 NHC Tour members that won NHC seats on the official online qualifying site of the NHC and BCBC. Click here to see who qualified on Horseplayers.com in July. Paul Matties, 2016 NHC Champion, will be joining his brother, Duke Matties at NHC 2023. Five first-time NHC Tour members qualified on Horseplayers.com in July – Frank Taddeo, Jeff Aldstadt, Bob White, Anthony Schiavone, and Stephen Doyle.
Five contests were hosted on Horsetourneys.com in July awarding 9 NHC berths. David Harrison, 2022 NHC Champion, will be competing for back-to-back NHC Championships in March. Steve Wolfson, Jr., 2017 NHC Hall of Fame inductee, will also be joining the NHC field in 2023. The next NHC qualifier on Horsetourneys.com will be held on August 7.
Dennis Decauwer and Chris Podratz
Frank Polk
Steve Decaspers
Travis Stone
Bill Rendino