Handicapper of the Year Ray Arsenault Also
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THE NHC ISSUE: Handicapper of the Year Ray Arsenault Also... Take-Outs and Their Effects Best West Coast 3-Year-Olds The Tampa Bay Derby March 2017 / Volume 72 Issue 3 Articles 4 Contest Central 44 Skeptical Handicapper Ray Blew Them Away at the NHC Takeouts and their Effects 14 Betting Freshman Stallions 46 Turf Investor ORB Survive Inevitable Losing Streaks 16 East Coast Update Following the Tampa Route to Kentucky Extras 30 Midwest Memo 19 William F. Hudgins Jr.’s Turf Selections Vic Stauffer Brings Unique Personality to Oaklawn Booth 20 Horses To Watch 34 Horse of the Month 27 Stop Watch and Shed Row Finest City 28 Index to Fit & Ready, Shed Row 38 West Coast Notebook and Stop Watch The Road to Louisville 42 Over the Turf Grassy Maiden Claimers Henry Bomze John Blake, Subscribe by Phone, Mail or Web Founder, 1946 Frank Cotolo, (800) 645-2240 William F. 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The two most-powerful brands in racing have joined forces to become the destination for players to raise their game. Join us. TimeformUS PPs are the perfect partner to DRF PPs! With TimeformUS, you’ll get: Pace Projector Pace-Adjusted Timeform The most-formidable Speed Figures Global Scale pace tool to help you Unique, single number Detailed commentary visualize races quickly shows the horse’s on overseas all-around performance shippers FIND OUT MORE AT DRF.COM/TIMEFORMUS 4 American Turf Magazine / March 2017 Contest Central Ray Blew Them Away at the NHC Canadian Ray Arsenault Wins the 18th National Handicapping Championship By Noel Michaels ANDICAPPER RAY ARSENAULT 5-1 and I love playing bombs because on-site handicapping events. In 2016, had one of those days all the feeling of hitting a longshot is a total of 45 racetracks, race books, H horseplayers dream about – great. Today, I happened to hit quite contest websites, wagering sites, and and had it at the right time – when he a few.” other organizations partnered with delivered a stone-cold beat-down on After his giant Saturday, Arsenault the NTRA to host qualifying contests. the best Thoroughbred players in the then continued enough of a stream of Arsenault had qualified for the NHC at game to score a take-no-prisoners vic- wins and places on the deciding day of the Del Mar Handicapping Challenge tory at the world’s biggest, and richest play on Sunday to secure the victory. back in July. horse handicapping tournament ever. Along with the win trophy, Arsenault Arsenault’s final winning three-day The winner of the 18th annual took home the tournament’s grand point total of $407.70, based on a total National Handicapping Champion- prize worth $800,000, as well as the of 53 mythical $2 win-place bets, gave ship [NHC] was RAY ARSENAULT, a Eclipse Award title of Handicapper of him a clear victory over runner-up 64-year-old transportation broker and the Year that goes along with it. STEVE WOLFSON JR., who finished seven-time NHC qualifier from Thorn- Total NHC Finals purse money with a total of $361.10. The cham- hill, Ontario, near Toronto. Arsenault reached $2,385,000, not including pion’s score was similar to that of 2016 topped the NHC’s new record field of NHC Tour prizes and bonuses that NHC winner Paul Matties, who fin- 654 entries to win in the prestigious added another $290,000 to an over- ished with $399.50 in what was the annual tournament held from Friday, all prize-money haul for the weekend first year of the current 53-race NHC January 27 to Sunday, January 29, of $2,675,000. When other prizes Finals format. Six optional bets were 2017 at the Treasure Island Hotel & and bonuses are factored in, the total added in 2016, and the tournament Casino in Las Vegas. value of the event for horseplayers had been extended from two days to Arsenault, a lifelong racetracker reached $2.9 million. In the end this three days in 2014. and longtime tournament enthusiast, year, about 100 different individual This was the fourth year of the three- cashed on 8 of his 18 plays on Satur- players grabbed at least a small piece day “Final Table” format at the NHC day’s pivotal Day Two of the three-day of that giant pot in this still-growing tournament. Players made 18 mythi- NHC tournament, including a max- handicapping event, which represents cal $2 win-and-place bets on Day One imum-points “cap horse” plus four a unique opportunity for horseplay- (Friday) and Day Two (Saturday) of more double-digit winners, to vault ers to earn big cash, recognition, and the NHC Final, and then as many as up the standings into the lead by a respect. 17 more win-and-place bets on Day margin of $30 by the end of “moving Players must qualify into the field of Three, including 10 optional morn- day” Saturday. It was a lead he would the NHC with a win or high finish in ing plays in the semi-final round, and never relinquish. one of the numerous NHC Tour on-site then seven more mandatory bets in the “I played the same way I always play,” and online qualifying contests held afternoon for those that advanced to Arsenault said after his championship year-round, or by amassing cumulative the decisive “Final Table” with the 10 was sealed. “I rarely play a horse under points on the NHC Tour in online and highest cumulative scores to that point. Photo by Horsephotos.com/NTRA March 2017 / American Turf Magazine 5 Contest Central The races from all of the season’s top Arsenault said despite his slow start. a chance,” Arsenault said at that stage racetracks were open for play, includ- “I got up early on Saturday morning, of the game. ing Aqueduct, Fair Grounds, Golden met by buddy Steve Thompson, and Arsenault had turned his $56.50 Gate, Gulfstream, Laurel, Oaklawn, we started grinding it out.” Friday total into $289.50 by the end Santa Anita, and Tampa Bay Downs. Arsenault ended up doing a little of Saturday thanks to a massive 233- Odds on all days of the NHC were more than “grinding it out” on Sat- point total on “moving day.” His score capped at 20-1 ($42) to win, and 10-1 urday. He started his day by nailing a at that point was comfortably ahead of ($22) to place. $100 winner, Proctor’s Lodge in Race then second-place player DAN KOVA- The starting field of 654 entries – 4 at Gulfstream (odds capped to the LESKY, a 33-year-old sales rep from 529 individuals including 125 play- maximum $64 for scoring purposes), Shorewood, Minn., who had led for ers that qualified the maximum two which moved him up to a $120 total in part of Saturday and ended the day times – was narrowed down to the top pursuit of the Day One leader, retired with $260.80 – nearly $30 behind Arse- 10 percent (66 players) by the start New Jersey firefighter PAT NUFRIO, nault. For the highest Day Two score, of Sunday’s third day of action, and who’d set the pace with $188.70 at the Arsenault earned a bonus entry into then knocked down further to a “Final end of Friday. the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Betting Chal- Table” of only the 10 highest-scoring “I had that $100 horse that got me lenge, a $10,000 value. players on Saturday afternoon. off the schneid to get me in the game, Arsenault remained grounded, how- Arsenault’s performance should and the rest is history,” Arsenault said. ever, despite of his Saturday success. be an inspiration to any tournament “I figured [Proctor’s Lodge] should “Where you finish [Saturday] doesn’t player who has ever, or will ever, have a improve a little bit, and he got a per- really matter because [Sunday] is sub-par day on the first day of a multi- fect trip.” another day,” Arsenault said.