**This version corrects the purse of the national tournament in Las Vegas, which provides $750,000 to the winner and an overall purse guaranteed at $1.5 million minimum**
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Contact: Jenny Kellner
vkellner@nyrainc.com
BELMONT HANDICAPPING TOURNAMENT SET FOR JUNE 23-24
ELMONT, N.Y. – With $80,000 in prize money and a trip to the Daily Racing Form/National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Handicapping Championship at stake, the 2012 Belmont Summer Handicapping Challenge is now accepting applicants for the June 23-24 tournament at Belmont Park.
The top three finishers in the tournament will represent Belmont Park in the January 2013 national tournament in Las Vegas, where the top handicapper will receive $750,000 and NTRA Handicapper of the Year honors at the 2013 Eclipse awards.
In addition to prize money, the first, second and third finishers at Belmont will receive airfare reimbursement for the DRF/NTRA tournament, courtesy of The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA). The NTRA will provide a three-night stay at the official tournament hotel for the championship event. This year, all contestants at qualifying tournaments must be NTRA members to compete in the national tournament.
First place in Belmont Summer Handicapping Challenge is $35,000, based on 200 entrants, and cash prizes will be offered to all of the Top 20 finishers. Additionally, the leader after Day One, and the contestant with the highest Day Two bankroll, will each receive $1,500.
The tournament format calls for 10 selections per day at Belmont, Monmouth Park and Churchill Downs, with nine mythical $20 win, place or show plays and one mythical $40 play. Win odds are capped at 15-1, and place and show odds are capped at 8-1.
Entry fee for the Belmont Summer Handicapping Challenge is $400, with a maximum of two entries per person. All entry fees will be returned as prize money. Registration deadline is June 15.
For more information on the 2012 Belmont Park Summer Handicapping Challenge, please contact Kathy Locke at KLocke@nyrainc.com.
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