Tournament Notes and Tidbits

Northville Downs outside Detroit, Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, and Nassau OTB are a trio of new venues hosting NTRA/DRF National Handicapping Championship (NHC) qualifying events.  Northville Downs will host two separate events on March 27 and June 19 with the winner qualifying for the NHC.  Foxwoods will hold events on April 30 and July 23 with the winners getting their ticket punched to the NHC.  The contest at Nassau OTB is scheduled for August 7.

NYRA has set their dates for their Belmont and Saratoga contests.  The Belmont contest is scheduled for June 25 and 26 while Saratoga is scheduled for August 10 and 11.

The Coast Casinos has set the dates for their major 2011 handicapping events.  The Championship at the Orleans will be on April 14, 15, and 16, the Summer Classic at the Gold Coast will be on July 28, 29, and 30, and the Fall Classic at the Orleans will be on October 13, 14, and 15.

The Twin Spires Leaderboard is back.  It is possible to qualify for the Horseplayer World Series and the NHC.  There are 6 different leaderboards to consider playing.   A handicapper must place a minimum of 40 plays and a maximum of 60 plays a month to be eligible for monthly and yearly prizes.  The contest starts on March 1 and runs through October.

Hawthorne Racecourse is back hosting NHC qualifying events with 2 NHC spots for each of their tournaments in April, July, and November.