September Recap

September was a busy month of NHC contest play across the US and Canada.

Kentucky Downs hosted its King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge on Saturday, September 7^th. Prizes included 5 NHC seats, 2 BCBC entries, and a minimum of $50,000 in cash prizes. Dr. Ronald Tang won the contest, taking home a BCBC entry and $33,450. He was also crowned the King of the Turf Champion and earned the title of National Turf Handicapper of the Year. Wade White, Nick Noce, Steve Lehman, Paul Shurman, Christy Moore, Charles Thompson, Jr., and Lyle Norby all will be representing Kentucky Downs at the March NHC.

The NTRA hosted its fourth NHC Tour Members Only contest on Sunday, September 15^th. Daniel Jablanski, first-time qualifier Sam Raur, Robert McIntyre, and George Howard bested the field of 1,500 Tour members and secured their seats to the NHC 2025.

Kentucky-bred Win for the Money won the $1 million Rogers Woodbine Mile, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” race. On that same day Chris Larmey and Mike Kavana won their berth to the 26^th NHC in the Woodbine Mile contest.

Horseplayers.com and Horsetourneys.com will award 26 NHC seats in September. Dean Malizia and Mike Langthorne will be making their first appearance at the NHC. Joe Johnson and Luke Peltz will be making their ninth!

Currently, there are 423 NHC entries and 80 double qualifiers. Click here to see who is on their way to the NHC to be held March 14-16, 2025 at Horseshoe Las Vegas.

Luke Peltz

Robert McIntyre

Charles Thompson, Jr.

The NHC Tour First-Half kicked off on March 2, 2024 and ran through September 2, 2024. A Tour member’s top four scores accumulated throughout this period count toward the NHC Tour First-Half Year Leaderboard standings. Chris Inman took home the First-Half Tour Leaderboard winner honor earning 13,603 points and winning an entry to this year’s Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge valued at $10,000

Inman’s notably high scores that contributed to his victory included the Last Chance First Chance contest which is held in Las Vegas on the eve of the NHC. That contest allocated him 4,125 points. His next three highest scores were earned on Horseplayers.com (4/19, 2,659 points; 6/28 3,300 points; 7/12 2,769 points). Second place went to Brett Wiener, winning a $10,000 cash prize with 13,602 points, and third place went to Gregory Lewis who won an entry to the BCBC with 12,868 points.

“I generally never even look at the NHC Tour leaderboard as I rarely play enough over the course of the year to be much of a factor, Inman said. “However, when I won the First Chance Last Chance and then followed it up with a couple high finishes in the Friday $75 online contests, I noticed that I had a legitimate chance to finish in the top 3, so the plan was to focus on the $75 contests on Fridays because they offer the most points. I was lucky enough to get another top 10 or so finish which made me tough to catch. It has certainly added some excitement weekly chasing the Tour and at a very reasonable price point. I’m very excited to earn the BCBC entry as this will be my first time competing in that tournament. Looking forward to playing at Del Mar in November and enjoying the races from the track.”

After a thrilling summer of competition, the sixth annual Beat Byk NHC Challenge has come to a close and David Erwin of Charlottesville, Virginia took home the grand prize, his first ever berth to the National Horseplayers Championship next March. This year’s contest drew more than 12,000 entries throughout the 8 weeks of competition, which saw entrants “Beat Byk” 14 out of 17 times. The Beat Byk final qualifier on September 14 had 918 individuals who played for the winning ticket.

“I’ve been trying to qualify for the NHC for a few years, but I do not have time to put the work in to play in very many contests,” said 2024 Beat Byk winner David Erwin. “I started playing in contests about 10 years ago and have played in several Beat Byk challenges. I’m very happy to get to go to the NHC this year and thank Steve Byk for offering this contest.”

Read the full press release and more about the Beat Byk contest on NTRA.com.

Registration is officially open for the Keeneland BCBC-NHC Fall Handicapping Challenge 2024, a live money handicapping contest on Saturday, October 12th, with a card featuring the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1). Prizes for this $3,500 contest include 10 NHC spots (based on number of entries, 6 BCBC berths, and thousands in cash awards.

“Keeneland’s BCBC-NHC Challenge in October has become an essential stop on the road to the NHC,” said Keeneland Tournament Director Jim Goodman. “With 10 NHC spots and 6 BCBC spots up for grabs, along with the opportunity to take home over $50,000 in first place money, the top handicappers in the country are drawn to Lexington for the premier fall meet. The Challenge joins the Spring Grade One Gamble as two of the most prestigious tournaments in the country. Keeneland is proud to send approximately 28 players to the NHC each year, and we expect a stellar field to participate on October 12th.”

The entry fee is $3,500, with $2,500 going to live bankroll and $1,000 to the prize fund. Players must wager at least $400 in at least five races at Keeneland and a minimum of $2,500. For those spending the weekend at Keeneland, a $400 Handicapping Challenge will be held on-track on Friday, October 11th. Registration, all rules, and contest information can be found here.

Please contact Jim Goodman at jgoodman@keeneland.com for further information.