NEW YORK CITY (Thursday, July 17, 2014) –Dr. John Ferraro, a 65-year-old oncologist from Clifton Park, N.Y., won a fractional interest in a 2-year-old racing prospect syndicated and managed by Sovereign Stable in a prize drawing held today. The winner was selected from 768 entries in a contest sponsored by Sovereign and held exclusively for NHC Tour members.

Ferraro will travel to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this weekend to select which one of four unraced juveniles readying for the Saratoga Race Course season he will become a partner in. The options are: Draft Day, a New York-bred colt by leading stallion Kitten’s Joy purchased out of the OBS June sale; Picture Day, a Kentucky-bred by Include who worked one-eighth of a mile in :10 at OBS April; Take a Bow, a New York-bred filly by Utopia acquired at OBS June; and Written in Stars, a Florida-bred filly by Northern Afleet bought at OBS March.

As a partner, Ferraro will receive 2 percent of his horse’s net earnings throughout its career, which the physician declared would be donated to the Capital District Cancer Resource Foundation in upstate New York.

“I just entered at the last minute and we live right near Saratoga so it’s perfect,” said Ferraro, who has owned small shares of racehorses in the past. “It’s always exciting when you have even a little bit of a horse.”

Ferraro looks forward to reacquainting himself with the perks of ownership, including paddock and winner’s circle access, as well as visits to the barn during training hours.

“Going out there in the morning is terrific,” Ferraro said. “You get a cup of coffee and a Danish and take it all in. It’s something everyone should experience if they get the opportunity.”

Information on the four prospects mentioned above, and other racing opportunities from Sovereign, can be found online at sovereignstable.com.

The winners of additional prizes – including 10 paid NHC Tour memberships for 2015 and Sovereign Stable merchandise – will be announced in next week’s edition of the “NHC News” e-newsletter.

The DRF NHC Tour is a yearlong series offering $200,000 in additional prize money and 20 or more qualifying berths to the National Handicapping Championship (NHC). Membership in the 2014 DRF NHC Tour (ntra.com/en/nhc/become-a-member) requires a one-time membership fee of $50, which is valid for the calendar year. The top 150 NHC Tour points leaders at the end of the year will be guaranteed entry into the 2015 NHC, where the overall, season-ending NHC Tour points leader will win $75,000 and be eligible for a $2 million bonus should he or she capture the 2015 NHC.

The 16th Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship, presented by Racetrack Television Network, Sovereign Stable and Treasure Island Las Vegas, is set for Jan. 23-25, 2015 at Treasure Island. The NHC will offer a record $2 million-estimated purse and at least $750,000 to the winner, along with an Eclipse Award as the Handicapper of the Year.

The Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship is the most important tournament of the year for horseplayers. There are no “buy-in” entries at the NHC. It 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. Each year, the NHC winner joins other human and equine champions as an honoree at the Eclipse Awards. The 15 NHC Champions since the event’s inception, in chronological order, are Steven Walker, Judy Wagner, Herman Miller, Steve Wolfson Jr., Kent Meyer, Jamie Michelson, Ron Rippey, Stanley Bavlish, Richard Goodall, John Conte, Brian Troop, John Doyle, Michael Beychok, Jim Benes and Jose Arias.

About Sovereign Stable

Sovereign Stable, Inc. is a horseracing management company that provides a unique and affordable entry point into the highest levels of Thoroughbred racing. Partners in Sovereign enjoy full participation in the ownership experience and are offered the opportunity to spread their risk over multiple horses. Sovereign Stable, Inc. acts as Racing Manager for each partnership, overseeing the day-to-day management of each horse. Past Sovereign standouts include Grade I winner Negligee and 10 stakes winners. Sovereign’s current trainers are John Terranova and George Weaver.

About the NTRA

The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of more than 80 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 NTRA.com, Twitter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).