Dave Gutfreund
Home: Chicago, Ill.
Age: 43
Occupation: Horse racing writer, handicapper, and television analyst
Road to the Finals: Finished first and won $25,000 in the Belmont Summer Handicapping Challenge on July 10-11.
Bio: Gutfreund, a.k.a. "The Maven" is one of only a small handful of people who has qualified for the National Handicapping Championship four times, and also part of an even smaller minority who have done it four years in a row (the others are William Jackson of New York, and former NHC champion Steven Walker). Gutfreund's best NHC finish so far was 19th place at NHC IV where he earned a total of $2,833 in prize money including a daily prize and bonus money. Finished in 101st place at NHC V as a representative of the North Aurora (Ill.) OTB. Has also qualified for the NHC at Aqueduct (NHC IV), and at Turf Paradise before going on to finish 51st at NHC III. Long time tournament veteran won his first tournament at Bally's in the late 80s, and once won $90,000 at the Las Vegas Hilton and Sam's Town in back-to-back months in Oct.-Nov. 1995. He is coming off one of his best years of tournament play ever in 2004 after having won the $25,000 first prize in the Belmont Summer Handicapping Challenge on July 10-11. Also finished second for nearly $30,000 more in prize money at the Bally's Summer Stakes in August (which also would have been good enough to qualify for NHC VI). Finally, he also recorded a first page finish at the Orleans, which was good enough to qualify him for the upcoming Horseplayer World Series. Gutfreund hosted "The Starting Gate" radio show in Las Vegas from 1997-99, and went on to become a television host on the defunct The Racing Network based out of Philadelphia Park. He is now an outspoken analyst on "Horsin' Around TV," a light-hearted racing magazine show that airs Saturday mornings on Comcast Sports Net Chicago. The Maven is also an occasional contributor to The Horseplayer Magazine, and is currently in his seventh year of writing for Youbet.com's weekly newsletter. When not at the track, Gutfreund can be found rooting for his beloved Chicago Cubs at The Skybox on Sheffield rooftop facility across the street from Wrigley Field.