NHC to Treasure Island for 2012-13
 

TREASURE ISLAND TO HOST NATIONAL HANDICAPPING CHAMPIONSHIP

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) signed a two-year agreement with Treasure Island Las Vegas to be the new site for the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) beginning January 2012.

The Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship is the culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments held at racetracks, casinos’ Race & Sports books and off-track betting facilities, as well as horse racing and handicapping websites. The top qualifiers from each tournament are sent to the national finals. The 2012 NHC has an estimated purse of $2 million.

"We are very excited to bring the National Handicapping Championship to Treasure Island," said Keith Chamblin, senior vice president of communications and industry relations for the NTRA." The management team was wonderfully enthusiastic about its interest in hosting the NHC, and I know the property will provide an outstanding setting for next year’s competitors."

Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin added, "We are looking forward to a long and successful relationship with the NTRA and believe this will be the first of many contests to come."

Treasure Island becomes the fourth host of the NHC, which has taken place in Las Vegas since its inception in 2000. The overall purse for January’s NHC will nearly double to an estimated $2 million with the event’s grand prize doubling to an estimated $1 million. Approximately 500 horseplayers are expected for the 2012 event, up from 301 during the 2011 NHC.

Thank God it's back on the strip.

The Red Rock was an amazing property. Perhaps one of the nicest I have ever seen (I rank it right up there with the Wynn). The staff there was also excellent. And I know they wanted us back.

I have never been to TI but the location is excellent. Couple that with the much cheaper room rate I am sure the NTRA got and it makes economic sense.

On the other hand, I doubt there racebook is very big or modern. This will mean holding the contest in a ballroom instead of the book which has never been done.

Hopefully, I will qualify again this year and see first hand if this is a good choice.

Paul

They have a virtual tour on their site and it seems modern but is nowhere near big enough to handle 500 people. I'm sure they're going to have it in a ballroom now, which will be inferior to having it in the racebook. I guess that's the price you pay for having that many people in it and a top prize of $1 million.

Phil Ruffin LOL. . . Did anyone see him on High Stakes Poker?

Shame...Red Rock was great.

Treasure Island is a step down in my opinion. Its a kids hotel, simmilar to the circus circus, and Excalibur.

How far of a cab ride is the Red Rock from the strip?

Too far.

It's about $65. They have a shuttle from the hotel to the Strip nightly as best I can remember. They also have a shuttle to the airport that leaves every even hour from the hotel and returns every odd hour.

Red Rock was great and the setting for the tournament there was perfect. It will be a bit different in a place like TI, especially if they hold it in a ballroom or something of that nature.

It was $50 cab ride from the airport, so too far and too much. The shuttle is a nice feature but it stops running, if I remeber right, at 7 pm (or maybe it was 9) Either way, way too early.

Red Rock itself is nice, but to be honest, it gets really boring after a day or so because it's not near anything. It has it's benefits to be sure, but it could be anywhere. You don't feel like you are really in Las Vegas when you are there.

Vegas is getting to be more and more of a ripoff.

No, we're just finally becoming savvy enough to realise it.