Treasure Island will host DRF/NTRA Handicapping
Championship
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) signed a two-year
agreement with Treasure Island Las Vegas to be the new site for the Daily
Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) beginning January
2012.
The Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship is the
culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments held at
racetracks, casinos’ Race & Sports books and off-track betting facilities, as
well as horse racing and handicapping websites. The top qualifiers from each
tournament are sent to the national finals. The 2012 NHC has an estimated purse
of $2 million.
“We are very excited to bring the National Handicapping Championship to
Treasure Island,” said Keith Chamblin, senior vice president of communications
and industry relations for the NTRA. “The management team was wonderfully
enthusiastic about its interest in hosting the NHC, and I know the property will
provide an outstanding setting for next year’s competitors.”
“We are looking forward to a long and successful relationship with the NTRA
and believe this will be the first of many contests to come,” Treasure Island
owner Phil Ruffin added.
Treasure Island becomes the fourth host of the NHC, which has taken place in
Las Vegas since its inception in 2000. The overall purse for January’s NHC will
nearly double to an estimated $2 million with the event’s grand prize doubling
to an estimated $1 million. Approximately 500 horseplayers are expected for the
2012 event, up from 301 during the 2011 NHC.