Prize Money, NHC, BCBC & Pegasus WC Berths Up for Grabs
Registration Deadlines Oct. 12 By Mail, Oct. 14 in Person/Phone
LAUREL, Md. – The Maryland Jockey Club will host the fall session of its bi-annual Champions Handicapping Tournament Saturday, Oct. 15 in the second-floor clubhouse sports bar at Laurel Park.
Berths to the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC), Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship (PWCBC) are on the line, as well as more than $65,000 in guaranteed prize money (based on 150 entries) among the top 10 finishers.
A maximum of two entries per person will be accepted at a cost of $300 each, payable by cash, credit card, money order or cashier’s check. Players must be at least 21 to participate. The tournament will be limited to 300 entries.
The tournament winner will earn a minimum of $12,000 and have their choice of one of two berths to the NHC or a berth in the BCBC or PWCBC. The second-place finisher will get a minimum of $8,000 and the choice of one of the remaining three berths.
A minimum of $4,000 and the choice of the final two berths will go to the third-place finisher, and the fourth-place finisher will receive a minimum of $2,400 and the remaining berth. Players that finish fifth through 10th will earn a minimum of $2,400.
To be eligible for NHC seats, players must be an NHC tour member prior to the start of the Champions Tournament. If a player is ineligible, the NHC berth will be awarded to the entrant with the next highest tournament bankroll.
Tracks available for the tournament are Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita, Belmont Park at Aqueduct and Keeneland. There are minimums of 10 wagers and $20 per wager. Only win, place and show wagers will be considered valid.
The deadline for mail-in registration is Wednesday, Oct. 12. Registration can be made by phone or in person until noon Friday, Oct. 14.
For further information visit www.laurelpark.com/champions-handicapping-tournament/
or contact Diana Harbaugh at 443-547-5953 or Diana.Harbaugh@marylandracing.com
James Staub of Ellicott City, Md. won the MJC’s spring Champions Tournament in March with a final bankroll of $3,672 to top of field of 176 players. It marked the first in-person Champions Tournament since 2019 after the 2020 and 2021 events were canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The NHC will take place March 10-23, 2023, in Las Vegas. The BCBC is Nov. 4-5 at Keeneland, and the PWCBC is set for January 2023 at Gulfstream Park.
David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club
