National Handicapping Championship expands to three days

The $1.5 million Daily Racing Form /National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Handicapping Championship will return to Treasure Island Las Vegas on Jan. 24-26. The 15th annual event will be held over three days for the first time in 2014.

In advance of the championship, Treasure Island will hold Wager to Win contests offering cash prizes and NHC berths to the top finishers. The contests have been scheduled for Sunday, April 7; Sunday, May 5; and Sunday, June 9. There is a $500 entry fee for the April 7 event, which offers seats in the championship to the top three finishing NHC Tour members. All entry fees are returned to players in the form of cash prizes.

The complete contest format and rules for this year’s championship are expected to be announced later this week.

There are no “buy-in” entries at the NHC, which is the culmination of a yearlong series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino racebooks, offtrack betting facilities, and horse racing and handicapping websites.