National Horseplayers Championship

Last week, I wrote about the joy of having a "wolfpack" at the National Horseplayers Championship. A group of friends you see once a year, swap stories with, and share the roller coaster of trying to beat 700 of the best horseplayers in the world. This year, our wolfpack became an "Entourage" when Dylan Donnelly achieved fame and fortune by winning the whole thing in what everyone agrees was the most dramatic finish in NHC history. I wasn't part of the final table. Not even close. Instead of taking you...

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and Caesars Entertainment have entered into a multi-year agreement that will keep the Horseshoe Las Vegas as the host venue for the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) through 2029. The dates for the upcoming NHC are: Mar. 5-7, 2027; Mar. 3-5, 2028; and Mar. 9-11, 2029. "We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Caesars Entertainment and Horseshoe Las Vegas," said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. "Since moving to Horseshoe in 2020, the NHC has seen tremendous growth in player participation, sponsor involvement, and...

Registration is now open for the annual National Horseplayers Championship 'Last Chance/First Chance' Contest at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. The final chance to qualify for the 27th National Horseplayers Championship, the NHC-eve fixture will be held Mar. 12. The top five places at the 'Last Chance/First Chance' Contest are guaranteed to win a qualifying spot to #NHC2026 provided they are a current 2025 NHC Tour member. One additional qualifying spot to the NHC will be awarded for every 20 entries over the first 140 entries. The top 10 finishers will...

Twinspires.com's Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge (KDBC), a live-money handicapping tournament, will feature an increased, guaranteed $300,000 prize pool May 2, while the $25,000 Kentucky Oaks Betting Challenge will debut May 1. The KDBC returns this year with the same $5,000 buy-in structure and the newly added KOBC will have a seeded cash prize pool of $25,000 and will award one KDBC seat for every 10 entries. "Championship Series" races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Road to the Kentucky Oaks will anchor weekly TwinSpires tournaments, which offer qualifying...

Oaklawn Park will host a pair of major live horseplayer contests to be held during Southwest Stakes Weekend in 2026, the track announced Friday. The new events, the Southwest Showdown on Saturday, Jan. 31, and the Oaklawn Horseplayer Championship on Sunday, Feb. 1, will bring together top horseplayers from across the country to Oaklawn for a high-stakes competition offering Last Chance/First Chance seats to the 2026 or 2027 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC), 2026 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC), and cash prizes. "We are excited to introduce a marquee horseplayer contest...

Dan Piazza, a financial advisor from Chicago, won the 26th NTRA National Horseplayers Championship at the Horseshoe Las Vegas held from March 14-16, and took home $825,000, an Eclipse Award as 2025 Horseplayer of the Year and earned a return trip to next year's NHC, according to a press release late Sunday from the NTRA. Sticking to his strategy throughout the contest, Piazza prevailed by amassing a mythical bankroll of $356.52. "I didn't try to do anything different and didn't get me out of my comfort zone," he said. "That...

Mike Gillum topped the field of 765 entries at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's 25th National Horseplayers Championship to take home the $800,000 grand prize and earn the Eclipse Award as the Horseplayer of the Year Sunday evening in Las Vegas. After finishing day one in fifth place, Gillum found himself in the 81st spot with two races to go on day two. He jumped over a few people to qualify into the semi-final round in 64th place, barely inside the 10% cut line set at 77 entries. When asked...

The 25th National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Horseplayers Championship presented by Caesars Entertainment, Horseshoe Las Vegas, and Racetrack Television Network kicks off Friday, Mar. 15, running through Sunday, Mar. 17, at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. The field of an estimated 750 entries will yield one ultimate winner, who will go home with $800,000 and an Eclipse Award as the Horseplayer of the Year. The NHC features more than 600 top horseplayers (including approximately 150 individuals with two entries), awarding nearly $4.5 million in cash and prizes. All qualifiers will receive...

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance has been named the official charity partner of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's National Horseplayers Championship, which will take place at the Horseshoe Las Vegas Hotel and Casino Mar. 14-17. Throughout the weekend, TAA will have a booth set up where horseplayers are encouraged to stop by and learn more about accredited aftercare. Branded merchandise will be available in exchange for a donation and there will be an opportunity to donate and enter for a chance to win various prizes. Winning prizes include a table for...

Kevin Costello has officially won the 2023 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) Tour, the first ever in the contest's 16 year history to win twice, announced the NTRA via press release Friday. Having previously won in 2021 and qualifying every year since 2016, Costello secured a seat to the 2025 NHC in addition to the prize money and is eligible to take home a $5-million bonus should he become a three-peat winner at the 25th NHC competition in Las Vegas. Costello finished the 2023 Tour season with 24,053 points from 31...

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...

The New Jersey-based lawsuit in which a group of bettors are alleging they were cheated out of their property by Bob Baffert when his betamethasone-positive trainee, Medina Spirit, crossed the finish wire first in the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby and purportedly prevented the plaintiffs from cashing winning tickets on the runner-up is on the cusp of being transferred back to a federal court in California where it was first initiated 2 1/2 years ago. In a Dec. 22 filing in United States District Court (District of New Jersey), the judge...