LEXINGTON, Ky. (Thursday, October 8, 2015) – Texan phenom and current National Handicapping Championship (NHC) Tour leader Jonathon Kinchen plus veteran contest pros Chris Larmey, Dan Slattery and Paul Weizer will head a panel of NHC Tour All-Stars offering free handicapping advice in advance of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at a special “Bourbon, Brews & Bombs” happy hour on Thursday, October 29, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at JDI Grille & Tavern, 319 Cedar Street, in Lexington, Ky.
While the event is free to the public, space is limited and guests will be admitted strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. An assortment of complimentary appetizers and a full cash bar will be available throughout the evening in JDI’s private third-floor event space.
More participating handicappers from the ranks of the NHC’s all-time greats will be announced in coming weeks. In addition to picks and strategies provided throughout the evening, guests will leave with an exclusive Breeders’ Cup tip sheet featuring suggested plays from the NHC Tour All-Stars.
“Bourbon, Brews & Bombs” is presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), which owns and operates the National Handicapping Championship (NHC). Since 2000, the NHC has been the world’s richest and most prestigious handicapping contest. NHC 17, set for Jan. 28-30, 2016, at Treasure Island Las Vegas, will carry an estimated purse of $2.5 million, making it the third-richest event in the U.S. Thoroughbred racing industry behind only the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic and $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Kinchen has set the handicapping contest world on fire in the past 12 months, highlighted by a historic performance at NHC 16 in which he finished Final 50 play with both of his entries among the top 10. The 32-year-old resident of Austin, Texas, took home $84,000 that day.
Larmey is one of the NHC Tour’s most accomplished and respected players with 10 NHC appearances to his credit. The 55-year-old engineer based in Kennewick, Wash., finished second on the 2013 NHC Tour. He is chairman of the NHC Players’ Committee and will return to Las Vegas in January for his 11th NHC try.
Slattery, based in Bethesda, Md., also is a handicapping tournament veteran who has appeared in multiple renewals of both the NHC and BCBC.
Weizer won $184,000 at the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. He is a vice president of Academic Affairs at Fitchburg State University outside of Boston. NHC 17 will mark his 10th appearance at the finals.
For questions about “Bourbon, Brews & Bombs,” contact Michele Ravencraft of the NTRA at (859) 422-2657 or via e-mail at mravencraft@ntra.com.
About NHC
In its 17th year, the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship 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 Web sites, 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. In addition to the founding title sponsor, the NHC is presented by Racetrack Television Network and Treasure Island Las Vegas.
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 NTRA Top Thoroughbred and NTRA Top 3-Year-Old weekly media polls; the Eclipse Awards; the National Handicapping Championship; NTRA Advantage, a corporate partner sales and sponsorship program; and HORSE PAC, a federal political action committee. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases appear on NTRA.com, Twitter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).