Calvin Manns of Raleigh, North Carolina topped a field of 4,349 entries to win the Claiming Crown Handicapping Contest on July 17 and qualify for a trip to the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship VI next January on Las Vagas. The online contest centered around the sixth annual Claiming Crown at Canterbury Park was offered free at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's website at ntra.com.

Tournament participants were given mythical $2 win-and-place wagers on one horse in each of the day's 11 live races run at Canterbury Park, including the six Claiming Crown events. Manns won the contest with an impressive total of $155.40.

The contest's top three finishers all earned trips to Las Vegas to compete in NHC VI. Also qualifying were second-place finisher Scott Kilbury of Bloomington, Minn. ($143.80), and third-place finisher Arleen Goldman of West Orange, N.J. ($133.60).