Winner cashes in 7 of 10 contests

Michael Rip of Nutley, NJ, captured the $20,000 grand prize and bragging rights as the sport’s top handicapper in the 2009 National Harness Handicapping Championship on April 25 at Meadowlands Racetrack.
 
With a bankroll of $1,858, Rip topped a field of 111 players who came from all across North America - including Canada, California and Curacao - to play in the 2009 championship.  Contestants who did not win a seat through a qualifying tournament were able to enter through direct buy-in.   The total fee to enter the NHHC was $800 [$400 entry fee plus $400 required tournament bankroll].
 
The NHHC contest format required contestants to bet 10 races: eight Meadowlands races of their choice, plus one mandatory race each from Balmoral and Cal-Expo racetracks.  Bets had to meet a $40 minimum, $100 maximum per race.  Contestants could only bet one horse per race and wagers could either be win, place or a combination of the two.
 
Rip cashed in seven of the 10 contest races.  He got off to a solid start at the Meadowlands, building his bankroll with a $40 win bet on Fifth Wave in race two [$7.80], and $100 win bets on favorite Fox Valley Cruiser [$5.80] in race four, Maltese Artist [$3.00] in race five and E Shopper [$7.40] in race six.  He also connected with a $20 place bet on Brown Bottle Flu in the seventh race at Balmoral Park and a $50 win/place bet on Laguna Beach [$7.00, $4.80] in the eighth at the Meadowlands.  Rip locked up the 2009 NHHC title in the final race at the Meadowlands, cashing $1,010 from a $100 win bet on The Rising N [$20.20], which boosted his bankroll to $1,858.
 
“I got a little lucky in the last race,” Rip said.  “I was hovering in first or second for a while, but I needed to come in with a high-priced winner in that last race and there’s nobody better than Brian Sears in the bike.  I lost two other tournaments in the last race and this time, I was lucky enough to win.” 
 
In addition to the Meadowlands, the following partner outlets sent players to compete in the 2009 NHHC: Balmoral Park, Buffalo Raceway, Cal-Expo, Harrington Raceway, Maywood Park, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Penn National OTW, Rosecroft, TVG, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs, Western Regional OTB, and Youbet.  The Horseman and Fair World/harnessracing.com Associate Editor Gordon Waterstone also competed in the tournament.  He climbed to 20th at one point in the competition of 116 players, but finished in the middle of the pack.
 
2009 NHHC TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
 
Rank, Prize, Bankroll, Name, Qualifying Site
1, $20,000, $1,858, Michael Rip, buy-in
2, $10,000, $1,645, James Kennedy, Vernon Downs
3, $7,500, $1,345, Rick Arbiter, Youbet
4, $5,000, $1,340, Stephen Phillips, buy-in
5, $2,500, $1,148, Andy Berg, buy-in
6, $1,000, $1,136, Don Tiger, buy-in
7, $1,000, $1,110.40, Sam Agigian, buy-in
8, $1,000, $1,110, Matt Gallagher, buy-in
9, $1,000, $1,013, Evan Kallianes, Meadowlands
10, $1,000, $1,005, James Ross, buy-in
 

  (Meadowlands)

« Back