"The Maven" edges Michaels in Belmont NHC Qualifier

[Kasept]

GUTFREUND RALLIES TO WIN BELMONT HANDICAPPING CHALLENGE

Pair of well known names top NYRA qualifier..

ELMONT, N.Y. – Dave Gutfreund of Chicago got up in the shadow of the wire to win the $40,000 grand prize in Belmont Park’s 2010 Summer Handicapping Challenge and become the first person to capture two tournaments held at New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) racetracks.

Along with the second and third place finishers, Gutfreund will be on the three-member Belmont Park team for the 2011 NTRA/Daily Racing Form National Handicapping Championship (NHC), to be held this coming January at the Red Rock Casino, Resort, and Spa in Las Vegas. The NHC is giving out a grand total of $1 million in prize money with the first-place winner receiving $500,000 and earning NTRA Handicapper of the Year honors at the 2011 Eclipse Awards.

Having already won this very contest in 2004, Gutfreund was in sixth place out of 221 total contestants going into the final event, the 12th race at Monmouth Park. With help from friend Ron Clarendon, Gutfreund selected Ready to Dazzle, who won at 8-1 to boost the 48-year-old’s earnings by $188 and give him a $1096-$1069 victory over long-time leader Noel Michaels of New York City.

“My strategy was to pick good horses at good prices,” said Gutfreund. “There were only three horses who really helped me: the Toner horse [La Cloche, the 10-1 winner of today’s fourth race at Belmont], the winner of the last race at Monmouth today, and Levine’s horse [Duke of Naples, 12-1] in the last race at Belmont, who was my $40 wager yesterday.” Gutfreund credited Clarendon for also giving him Duke of Naples.

“I play the NYRA qualifiers because they do the best job of following the spirit of the NHC,” added Gutfreund. “I look forward to [the contest at] Saratoga [August 11-12].”

Michaels earned $14,400 for finishing second, and had previously won $1,000 on Saturday for topping the standings at the conclusion of the first day. Gregory DiStefano of Staten Island took home $7,500 for finishing third, while the reigning Handicapper of the Year, John Conte of Oceanside, N.Y., earned a $1,000 prize for the having the best performance on day two.

The top 20 finishers all received prize money, as well.

[pweizer]

Sorry to see Noel get caught. He is a really nice guy. Even though he wrote the book on the NHC (literally), he had never qualified until last year. I am happy to see him back in it again this year.

Paul