nhc tour membership

Horseplayer Contests FAQs: What is the NHC Tour?

With horse racing taking center stage in the gambling industry, many new players are seeing online contests but have no idea what they are or even how to begin playing. Even longtime bettors may have never tried contests, perhaps from a lack of information or popular myths surrounding them.

Each week, I will answer frequently asked questions about horseplayer contests and provide quality information so that you can feel confident about entering them.

My first article explained where to find horse racing contests and the difference between the two formats most often used. My second article discussed the handicapping techniques that tend to produce contest victories and the importance of sticking to your own opinions, rather than someone else’s.

Before you get too deep into playing contests, it is important to know about the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour and if you should join it. Though the Tour is not for everyone, it is a great way to play the races differently, meet new people, and travel to tracks that you have never been.

A guaranteed seat in the Tour is widely used as a top prize in most major contests, but joining it is not mandatory, so new players can still enter contests without paying the $50 annual membership fee. As tracks around the country slowly resume live racing, it is important to know about the NHC Tour and how it can benefit you.

For those new to the contest world, the NHC itself is an annual year-end, three-day tournament where some of the best handicappers across the states gather to shoot for a piece of the $2.9 million prize pool. Other major events – such as the “Grade 1 Gamble,” the “Breeders Cup Betting Challenge,” and the “Pick Your Prize” – are nice, but contestants can simply buy their seats at those tables.

What makes the NHC so special is that each and every participant at the contest had to earn his/her way there. No matter the size of your bankroll, the NHC is the great equalizer.

Each horseplayer’s journey to the NHC is different and always seems to have a story behind it. Me, I got lucky during a live event at Del Mar that awarded NHC seats. A few races fell the way that I had envisioned and my bankroll strategy helped me end the day in second (along with a nice chunk of change in my pocket):

Mike Somich qualified by first winning a small contest that gave him a free spot in a bigger contest that offered a free NHC seat – then he won that contest, too. Earning an NHC entry is not an easy task, and many respected handicappers are shut out each year, so it is that much more rewarding if and when you get your own.

Each horseplayer treats the NHC differently. I was a Tour rookie in 2019, so once I qualified for the NHC, I told myself that I would treat it as my reward for a hard-working year. Throughout the weekend, the NHC did a fantastic job making us all feel special for playing in the contest.

My first article talked about the horseplayer community having a family-like atmosphere where we support each other and cheer when fellow horseplayers cash big tickets, and the NHC was no different. I spent the three-day weekend at Bally’s reconnecting with familiar faces and meeting legendary contest players that I had followed closely all year.

Taking a shot at $2.9 million in cash prizes while gathering with some of the more respected handicappers in one room, not to mention spending three days in Las Vegas, all sounds great, but how can you get there? This is where the Tour comes into play.

The Tour has a year-long leaderboard that supplements your journey to the NHC while awarding prizes along the way. The $50 annual Tour fee needs to be covered BEFORE you can qualify for the NHC, so make sure that you pay before you play in the contest, or else any NHC entry you might have won goes to the next Tour member in the standings. This is the same rule no matter what contest you enter.

The decisions to join and when are personal decisions for you to make. For me, it was a simple decision. As a member of the Tour, the contests that award at least two NHC entries also give out points based on the finishing position, as well as participation points. The player with the most Tour points at the end of the season is crowned that year’s champion.

Tour points are also essential to those who have not yet qualified for the NHC because each year, the top 50 players who did not earn a berth are granted a seat. The next NHC will have 75 players because the current pandemic forced several contests to shutter, so if you need any more incentive to join the Tour and give contest playing a shot, there you go!

Feel free to let me know what questions you want answered in future articles over the coming weeks, and remember: There is only one way to ensure you will not do well in contests, and that is to not try.

Sean Alvarez is a regular on the horseplayer tournament circuit. Follow him on Twitter @smoothturn2 .

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NHC Tour Title for 2022 Goes to Jay Johns

LEXINGTON, Ky. (February 17, 2022) ― Jay Johns, of Meridian, Idaho, has officially won the 2022 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour. Johns, who has been playing in contests for almost two decades, earned $75,000 for winning the NHC Tour and is eligible for a $5 million bonus if he captures a win at the 2023 NHC March 10-12 at the newly rebranded Horseshoe Las Vegas.

“It’s such an honor coming out on top in this yearlong tour against arguably the absolute best handicappers out there. It’s quite a mind challenge on both picking horses and tournament strategy,“ Johns said after learning of his victory. “I finished third last year and was determined to improve on that. I’m just happy I won and a big congrats to all those folks competing with me. They made it difficult and exciting to the very last weekend.”

Johns, the President of IHOP Restaurants (formerly International House of Pancakes), finished the 2022 Tour season with 22,370 points from 34 contests. Trey Stiles finished in second place with 22,019, and Dylan Donnelly finished in third with 21,998 points. Tim Kindlon was the top rookie finisher of the year, coming in with 17,460 points. Kindlon will be honored at the NHC Champions Dinner on Sunday, March 12 with the Jim Nace Award, named in honor of the longtime contest player who passed away in 2019. The top 20 finishers of the 2022 Tour win cash prizes. The complete 2022 Tour results can be found at https://www.ntra.com/nhc/leaders/.

PAST WINNERS OF NHC TOUR

Previous winners of the NHC Tour include: Kevin Costello (2021), Sally Goodall (2020), David Snyder (2019), David Gutfreund (2018), Mike Ferrozzo (2017), Cheryl McIntyre (2016), Jonathon Kinchen (2015), Eric Moomey (2014), Brent Sumja (2013), Mark Streiff (2012), Paul Shurman (2011), Tom Noone (2010), Bryan Wagner (2009) and Sam Brooks (2008).

More than 5500 NHC Tour members participated in 2022 handicapping qualifiers leading to the 2023 NHC, to be held March 10-12 at Horseshoe Las Vegas. The 2023 NHC Tour season begins March 4. To sign up for the 2023 NHC Tour, go to www.ntra.com/membership. For more information on the NHC Tour benefits and to view the official rules go to www.nhctour.com .

Source: NTRA.com

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Rich Nilsen is an 18-time qualifier to the National Handicapping Championship (NHC), an event he has cashed in four times in 16 attempts. He was the first player to finish in the top 10 twice. A former executive with Brisnet.com & Churchill Downs, Rich is also a graduate of the University of Louisville Equine Business Program.

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National Horseplayers Championship features new Sunday contest

The 25th National Horseplayers Championship kicks off in one month and will be bigger than ever before. With more than 700 entries and nearly $4 million in cash and prizes, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association introduced a new facet of the competition, the Silver Sunday contest, which will be held on March 17.

This contest will replace the Sunday consolation contest, where only entries that did not make the semifinal round would participate in a 10-race contest for prize money.

The Silver Sunday contest will be available to all individuals competing in the tournament with no entry fee. Every individual will receive a maximum of one entry and will have to place mythical win-place bets throughout March 17 on 10 optional and seven mandatory races. The seven mandatory races will coincide with the NHC final table.

The 25 highest bankrolls, including ties, will receive a share of $100,000 in prize money. The five highest finishers will win an entry into the 2025 NHC, and the top 10 percent will receive on-track 2024 NHC Tour points. Full contest rules can be found at ntra.com .

Additionally, a separate online contest consisting of the seven mandatory races that compose the 2024 NHC final table will be offered online on March 17 to NHC non-qualifiers only and will offer five berths to the 2025 NHC as well as tour points.

Both the Silver Sunday contest and the online contest for non-NHC qualifiers will be free to play and limited to one entry per individual. Both contests will require a 2024 NHC Tour Membership in advance of the start of the contests.

The NHC features more than 600 top horseplayers competing for an estimated $4 million in cash and prizes. All qualifiers will receive a complimentary four-night stay at the Horseshoe Las Vegas and travel reimbursements, which total more than $1 million. The complete field and total prize breakdown will be finalized following the Last Chance-First Chance Contest, held Thursday on the eve of the NHC.

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Horse Racing News

NTRA Announces New Silver Sunday Contest At 25th National Horseplayers Championship

The 25 th National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) presented by Caesars Entertainment, Horseshoe Las Vegas, and Racetrack Television Network (RTN) kicks off in one month and will be bigger and better than ever before. With more than 700 entries and nearly $4 million in cash and prizes, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today a new facet of the competition, the Silver Sunday Contest which will be held on Sunday, March 17. This contest will replace the Sunday Consolation Contest where only entries that did not make the Semi-Final Round would participate in a 10-race contest for prize money.

New to the 25 th NHC program, the Silver Sunday Contest will be available to all individuals competing in the tournament with no entry fee. Every individual will receive a maximum of one entry and will have to place mythical Win/Place bets throughout Sunday, March 17 on ten optional and seven mandatory races (the seven mandatory races will coincide with the NHC Final Table). The top 25 highest bankrolls, including ties, will receive a share of $100,000 in prize money. The top five highest finishers will win an entry into the 2025 NHC and the top 10% will receive on track 2024 NHC Tour points. Full contest rules can be found on ntra.com .

Additionally, a separate online contest consisting of the seven mandatory races that comprise the 2024 NHC Final Table will be offered online on Sunday, March 17 to NHC non-qualifiers only and offer five berths to the 2025 NHC as well as Tour Points. Both the Silver Sunday Contest and the online contest for non-NHC qualifiers will be free-to-play contests and limited to one entry per individual. Both contests will require a 2024 NHC Tour Membership in advance of the start of the contests. The online contest will be hosted on HorseTourneys.com.

The NHC, the world’s richest and most prestigious handicapping contest, features more than 600 top horseplayers competing for an estimated $4 million in cash and prizes. All qualifiers will receive a complimentary four-night stay at the Horseshoe Las Vegas and travel reimbursements which total more than $1 million. The complete field and total prize breakdown will be finalized following the Last Chance/First Chance Contest, held Thursday on the eve of the NHC.

All information on the 25 th NHC can be found at www.ntra.com/nhc including the 2024 full schedule of events , the 2024 Official Rules , and more. To sign up for the 2024 NHC Tour and win your way to next year’s NHC visit to www.ntra.com/membership .

About the NHC

The NHC 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 websites, each of which sends its top qualifiers to the national finals. There are no bye-ins to the NHC. Each year, the NHC winner joins other human and equine champions as an honoree at the Eclipse Awards and is named Horseplayer of the Year. For more information on the NHC, visit NTRA.com/nhc .

ABOUT THE NTRA

The NTRA, based in Lexington, Ky. and Washington, D.C., 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.

This article first appeared on Paulick Report and was syndicated with permission.

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PASTTHEWIRE

Home of all that is horse racing.

Kevin Costello Wins 2023 NHC Tour 

March 1, 2024

Kevin Costello. (NTRA Photo)

First horseplayer to ever win the tour twice in its 16-year history

NTRA Press Release

LEXINGTON, Ky.– Kevin Costello, of Chicago, Illinois, has officially won the 2023 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour, making him the first horseplayer to ever win the tour twice having previously won the 2021 Tour. Costello, who has qualified to the NHC each year since 2016, earned $75,000 for winning the NHC Tour, won a seat to the 2025 NHC, and is eligible for a $5 million bonus if he takes home the grand prize at the 25 th  NHC March 15-17 at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. 

“Eight years ago, I set out with a goal of winning the NHC Tour. I had no idea at the time if I would be capable of doing it,” Costello said. “Although there are other prizes in the tournament world that are more lucrative than the Tour, the Tour always meant something special to me because of the necessity to perform consistently well over the length of a full season. Thankfully in 2021, I had the satisfaction of achieving that goal. To achieve it again in 2023 is a feeling beyond any expectation of which I had previously imagined. As much as I enjoy the sense of accomplishment and the pride I take in my play, it all pales in comparison to the best prize of all that I’ve received in these 8 years, and that is a new community of friends, tournament directors, competitors, and media folks who have enriched my life more than any title or prize money ever could. I very much look forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas.”

Costello finished the 2023 Tour season with 24,053 points from 31 contests. Michael Mulvihill finished in second place with 22,991 points, Evan Trommer finished in third place with 22,709 points, Sally Goodall finished in fourth place with 22,600 points, and Brett Wiener finished in fifth place with 22,399 points. The complete 2023 Tour results can be found  here.

Costello is the only player to have won the tour a second time since it was introduced in 2008. Previous winners of the NHC Tour include: Jay Johns (2022), Kevin Costello (2021), Sally Goodall (2020), David Snyder (2019), David Gutfreund (2018), Mike Ferrozzo (2017), Cheryl McIntyre (2016), Jonathon Kinchen (2015), Eric Moomey (2014), Brent Sumja (2013), Mark Streiff (2012), Paul Shurman (2011), Tom Noone (2010), Bryan Wagner (2009) and Sam Brooks (2008).

The NHC Tour is a yearlong bonus series offering additional prize money and qualifying berths to the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC). Membership in the NHC Tour is mandatory in order for top finishers of sanctioned NHC qualifying events to be eligible to compete in the NHC Finals in Las Vegas. Membership in the NHC Tour is open to adults 21 years of age or older and requires a one-time, annual membership fee of $50. The NHC Tour membership must be in place prior to the start of any given qualifying tournament in order for one to qualify for the NHC Finals at that qualifying tournament.

Over the past 24 years, nearly 4,000 people have filled more than 10,000 NHC entries and have been awarded nearly $50,000,000 in prizes. This year the NHC will host more than 600 individuals and will award nearly $4 million in cash and prizes. This is the tenth NHC Hall of Fame class to be inducted after being voted on by their peers. 

To sign up for the NHC Tour, go to  www.ntra.com/membership .

@jonathanstettin @bbopjz Fantastic writing, thoroughly enjoyable read.

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Home » Archive » Top News » NHC Introduces 'Silver Sunday' Contest at NHC

NHC Introduces 'Silver Sunday' Contest at NHC

This year's 25th renewal of the National Horseplayers' Championship (NHC) presented by Caesars Entertainment, Horseshoe Las Vegas and Racetrack Television Network (RTN) will include a new wrinkle. The 'Silver Sunday' contest will take place Sunday, Mar. 17 and will replace the Sunday Consolation Contest, where only entries that did not make the semi-final round would compete in a 10-race contest for prize money.

The 'Silver Sunday' contest will instead be open to all individuals competing in the tournament with no fee to enter. Individuals will receive no more than one entry and will be asked to place mythical win/place wagers on 10 optional and seven mandatory races on Mar. 17. The seven mandatories will coincide with the NHC Final Table. The top 25 highest bankrolls, including ties, will be eligible for a share of $100,000 in prize money. The top five finishers receive an entry into the 2025 NHC and the top 10% will receive on-track 2024 NHC points. Click here for the full contest rules.

A separate online contest including the seven mandatory races that comprise the NHC Final Table will be offered online on Mar. 17 to NHC non-qualifiers only and offer five spots in the 2025 NHC as well as Tour Points. Both the Silver Sunday Contest and the online contest for non-NHC qualifiers will be free-to-play contests and limited to one entry per individual. Both contests will require a 2024 NHC Tour Membership in advance of the start of the contests. The online contest will be hosted on HorseTourneys.com.

This year's NHC features more than 600 horseplayers competing for an estimated $4 million in cash and prizes. Click here for additional information.

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This story was posted in Top News and tagged handicapping , Las Vegas , National Horseplayers Championship , Silver Sunday contest .

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2021 nhc tour winner costello captures 2023 tour prize, he is eligible for a $5 million bonus if he wins the nhc march 15-17 in las vegas..

• March 1, 2024

Kevin Costello

Kevin Costello, of Chicago, Illinois, has officially won the 2023 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour, making him the first horseplayer to ever win the tour twice having previously won the 2021 Tour. Costello, who has qualified to the NHC each year since 2016, earned $75,000 for winning the NHC Tour, won a seat to the 2025 NHC, and is eligible for a $5 million bonus if he takes home the grand prize at the 25th NHC March 15-17 at the Horseshoe Las Vegas.

"Eight years ago, I set out with a goal of winning the NHC Tour. I had no idea at the time if I would be capable of doing it," Costello said. "Although there are other prizes in the tournament world that are more lucrative than the Tour, the Tour always meant something special to me because of the necessity to perform consistently well over the length of a full season. Thankfully in 2021, I had the satisfaction of achieving that goal. To achieve it again in 2023 is a feeling beyond any expectation of which I had previously imagined. As much as I enjoy the sense of accomplishment and the pride I take in my play, it all pales in comparison to the best prize of all that I've received in these 8 years, and that is a new community of friends, tournament directors, competitors, and media folks who have enriched my life more than any title or prize money ever could. I very much look forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas."

Costello finished the 2023 Tour season with 24,053 points from 31 contests. Michael Mulvihill finished in second place with 22,991 points, Evan Trommer finished in third place with 22,709 points, Sally Goodall finished in fourth place with 22,600 points, and Brett Wiener finished in fifth place with 22,399 points. The complete 2023 Tour results can be found here.

Costello is the only player to have won the tour a second time since it was introduced in 2008. Previous winners of the NHC Tour include: Jay Johns (2022), Kevin Costello (2021), Sally Goodall (2020), David Snyder (2019), David Gutfreund (2018), Mike Ferrozzo (2017), Cheryl McIntyre (2016), Jonathon Kinchen (2015), Eric Moomey (2014), Brent Sumja (2013), Mark Streiff (2012), Paul Shurman (2011), Tom Noone (2010), Bryan Wagner (2009) and Sam Brooks (2008).

The NHC Tour is a year-long bonus series offering additional prize money and qualifying berths to the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC). Membership in the NHC Tour is mandatory in order for top finishers of sanctioned NHC qualifying events to be eligible to compete in the NHC Finals in Las Vegas. Membership in the NHC Tour is open to adults 21 years of age or older and requires a one-time, annual membership fee of $50. The NHC Tour membership must be in place prior to the start of any given qualifying tournament in order for one to qualify for the NHC Finals at that qualifying tournament.

Over the past 24 years, nearly 4,000 people have filled more than 10,000 NHC entries and have been awarded nearly $50,000,000 in prizes. This year the NHC will host more than 600 individuals and will award nearly $4 million in cash and prizes. This is the tenth NHC Hall of Fame class to be inducted after being voted on by their peers.

To sign up for the NHC Tour, go to www.ntra.com/membership .

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Your Membership, Your Member Brief and more

Friday, Nov 5, 2021 David M. Dworkin

Your membership will be even more valuable in 2022 when the NHC Member Brief, access to our archives, including conference videos and transcripts, and event discounts become available to members only. Our last free Member Brief will go out in December, and our Solutions for Affordable Housing online convening on November 17, is already free to members who save $50 per registration. We hope that you will take the opportunity to join or renew your membership in NHC today .

Paid Full, Silver and Gold Members will also be invited to our 2021 holiday party, Celebrating Collaboration , held on December 15, 2021, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium. This limited event will allow us to safely celebrate the many ways we have all worked together through the darkest days of the pandemic and the historic opportunity for affordable housing funding – a task still very much underway. As past attendees at our Annual Housing Visionary Awards Gala know, the Andrew Mellon Auditorium has a capacity of 1000 and 40 foot high ceilings. We are confident that requiring proof of vaccination and optional mask-wearing when not eating will allow us to gather safely. This party is our way of saying thank you to Members of our Board of Governors, National Advisory Council, Gold, Silver and Full members. Only 250 tickets will be issued.

2021 was the most influential year for NHC in recent history. We succeeded in building a broad coalition to win passage of the $10 billion Homeowner Assistance Fund. Every major housing industry group, dozens of state and local organizations, and the country’s most progressive affordable housing advocates joined this initiative. The unprecedented ideological diversity of this group was a major factor in getting the Biden administration to include it in its American Rescue Plan proposal and successfully adding it to the congressional legislative package.

On June 18, the first federal Juneteenth holiday, members of the Black Homeownership Collaborative joined HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge; Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) at Cleveland State University to launch the 3 by 30 initiative, a 7-point plan to sustainably create 3 million net new Black homeowners by 2030. NHC founded the Black Homeownership Collaborative, led by a steering committee of executives from the Mortgage Bankers Association, NAACP, National Association of REALTORS®, National Association of Real Estate Brokers, National Fair Housing Alliance, National Housing Conference and National Urban League with the support of research from the Urban Institute. Over 100 individuals from dozens of organizations developed the 7 Point Plan.  See local news coverage of the event here or  read about it in Forbes here . We have also created a new website to support the initiative at  www.3by30.org .

NHC also played a major leadership role in the effort to modernize the Community Reinvestment Act, forming a CRA Working Group that included dozens of community advocates and financial institutions. As one highly influential CRA regulator said, NHC “is an important voice in housing and community development policy, and has provided valuable feedback on the modernization of the Community Reinvestment Act,” including “valuable insights into the unique role and needs of affordable housing providers.”

Last, but by far not least, NHC played an important leadership role in fighting for enactment of the housing provisions in the Build Back Better bill. The bill contains over $150 billion in housing programs and billions more in critically important tax provisions, including the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, enhancements to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, downpayment assistance for first generation homebuyers, and more.

I hope you will join us as we work to move all of these initiatives forward, and ensure that every dollar appropriated by Congress in this landmark legislation makes a difference in the lives of the millions of Americans who need it now.

Once again, your membership can be renewed – or initiated – at https://members.nhc.org/page/join-now . You also can reach out to Amanda Mitchell, Vice President of Operations at [email protected].

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