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Ruidoso Downs Handicapping Challenge Set For August
Two qualifying seats to the $3 million National Handicapping Championship will be awarded.

© NTRA National Horseplayers Championship
Ruidoso Downs Handicapping Challenge Set For August

RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 9, 2020— Ruidoso Downs Race Track has announced plans to conduct the inaugural Ruidoso Downs Handicapping Challenge on-track on August 29, 2020.

This on track only contest will offer national and local players a chance to win expenses-paid seats to the prestigious NHC event in Las Vegas, February 12-14, 2021.

The Ruidoso event is a "live money" event with a $400 entry fee and as much as $4,000 in total cash prizes (based on 50 entrants). Contestants will use $300 of the entry fee as their wagering bankroll and retain all winnings from their wagers. The remaining $100 from each entry will go towards the prize pool, and there are no administration fees.

Players will wager on six mandatory races selected from live races at Ruidoso, Saratoga and Del Mar. The top two players with the highest bankrolls from their contest wagering will earn cash prizes and the seats to the NHC. Wagering formats and official rules will be posted at RaceRuidoso.com.

Online "qualifying" tournaments to the Ruidoso Downs Handicapping Challenge begin this Saturday at HorseTourneys.com. These Saturday qualifying tournaments will be open weekly from July 11 thru August 15th. There are multiple daily events at HorseTourneys.com, beginning with two on Thursday, that feed into the Saturday qualifiers.

The NHC is the world’s richest and most prestigious handicapping tournament and is the annual culmination of a year-long series of tournaments conducted around the country at racetracks, casino race books, off-track betting facilities and handicapping websites. Each of these sends its top qualifiers to the national finals where they compete for prize money and awards and the chance at being named Eclipse Award-winning Horseplayer of the Year. Last year’s winner, Thomas Goldsmith, earned more than $2.9 million in prize money and awards.

"We are very pleased to host horseplayers and offer these NHC Tour seats," said Jeff True, President and General Manager of Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino. "This will be a fun event for players that have never been here to Ruidoso and for our local handicappers to compete with national players."

Players will be able to register for the event at RaceRuidoso.com beginning Monday, July 13th.

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For the latest Ruidoso Downs information, go to www.raceruidoso.com, visit the Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino Facebook page and follow Ruidoso Downs on Twitter @RuidosoDowns and on Instagram.