Recently I attended the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in Las Vegas Nevada.  While this is a thoroughbred contest and I have said in the past that harness racing should not try to mirror what thoroughbred racing does, I saw a lot of potential in this contest that I would like to see applied within harness racing. I have little doubt that handicapping contests on a grand scale are going to be an integral part of the racing industry going forward and I believe that harness racing needs to recognize this point and be proactive in implementing more contests going forward. Harness racing does feature the World Harness Handicapping Championship, with the championship round held at The Meadowlands.  It’s a fine contest, but it isn’t approached nearly the same way as the NHC is handled. The NHC is held in Las Vegas and contested over three days.  Players are given breakfast, lunch and dinner on each of the days and there is a dinner reception after the championship round on Sunday.  Representatives of many different racing entities are present at the contest as well as different outlets broadcasting live from the event.  It is much more of an experience than a contest. Of course, the other factor is the prize pool of the contest, which is north of $3 Million, with the winner’s share being $800,000.  Obviously the pool for the WHHC cannot compete with that.  Perhaps the time has come for funds that are allocated or budgeted for other ventures by the United States Trotting Association that have not proven to be successful yet, should be transferred toward contests, in particular the WHHC. Taking the WHHC to a new level won’t require much ingenuity.  It will require funding though and here is an opportunity to revisit a topic with a direct plan.  For years we have talked about using money from casino revenues to market the sport.  Why not take some of that money and give it to the bettors in the form of a better contest.  If every racetrack with revenue from alternative gaming (there are 23 in the United States by my count) contributed to the contest, would it really be that difficult to make the WHHC a $1 Million event?  If we included Canada in the plan, it would be even easier.  In theory, if 25 racetracks each contributed equally to a guaranteed prize pool for the contest, they would each have to budget $40,000 for the contest to guarantee the prize pool at $1 Million.  Is this really a lot to ask of the racetracks who are receiving revenue from expanded gaming?  If the contributions are not equal, because racetracks would like to see the contributions proportionate to the revenue received from the corresponding alternative gaming, is that not something that can be worked out?  We aren’t talking about anyone ponying up $500,000 here. Here is my idea on what the WHHC could be: $1 Million Guaranteed Championship Prize Pool Each racetrack contributing to the prize pool receives qualifying contests for the Championship. Specifics of how many contests and how many in each contest qualify can be determined rather easily. If a racetrack without alternative gaming revenue wants to contribute to the concept, they can also receive a qualifying contest. Partner with ADW’s and other racing contest websites to host online qualifying events in which those entities also contribute to the funding of the event. Every player can have up to two contest entries in the Championship Round. The day before the Championship Round(s), a Last Chance/First Chance qualifier is held at the same location of the Championship Round.  For those with either one or no entries in the Championship Round, they are playing for a Last Chance to qualify.  For those with two entries, they are playing for a First Chance to qualify for next year’s Championship Event. Get the event broadcast attention.  Full disclosure, I work for TVG so I will not expand on that topic due to a conflict of interest. Expand the contest to a two day format so it takes on an “event feel.” No disrespect to The Meadowlands, but hold the event at a neutral location where other attractive amenities can be provided.  The Borgata would be an interesting location, but Las Vegas would of course be optimal, if travel credits and accommodations can be built into the package. This is a concept that takes money from alternative gaming revenue and injects that directly into the industry’s heartbeat, its bettors.  It would cost the racetracks a relatively insignificant amount of money. It will be appreciated by the bettors. It will drive bettors to individual racetracks for qualifying events and it creates a championship event that the entire industry can embrace.  I’m not saying to just copy the NHC and apply it to harness racing, but there is a winning concept there, and if it’s done correctly, it can be a major asset for harness racing.