October 5, 2022 (Lexington, Ky.)—Following a review of the circumstances surrounding its National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) online qualifier contested on Friday, September 30 on HorsePlayers.com, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), in consultation with the NHC Players’ Committee, determined that there will be no change in the order of finish in the contest. The contest results are now “Official.”
The Players’ Committee unanimously found that no NHC rules were violated. Identical selections were made by the eventual winner of the NHC Qualifier on Horseplayers.com. Those same selections were also entered in a contest under a spouse’s name on HorseTourneys.com, which does not fall under the dominion of the NTRA or the NHC. The circumstances surrounding this contest were different and unique compared to NHC qualifiers in past years that led to the disqualification of one or more individuals.
The review included an analysis of selections from the September 30 contest, a review of participant patterns of play in NHC qualifying contests over the past two years, communications with the individuals involved, and substantial input received from the NHC Players’ Committee, a group of 13 individuals representing NHC customers and dedicated to the improvement of the NHC Tour and Championship.
A total of 28,420 entries have participated in 158 NHC qualifiers thus far in 2022 with much of the participation coming online. While these online contests provide a unique set of challenges to monitor, the NTRA will continue to review participation through random analysis of player selections, improvements in technology, and other measures designed to protect the integrity of the NHC.
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