The 2019 NTRA/Santa Anita NHC Super Qualifier Official Rules
CONTEST DATE:
Saturday, April 27, 2019
CONTEST LOCATIONS:
On-Track: Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Dr., Arcadia, CA 91007
Online: www.xpressbet.com
BUY-IN:
$1,500 ($1,000 Bankroll, $350 to NTRA NHC Prizes, $150 to Cash Prize Pool), per entry.
MAXIMUM ENTRIES:
Maximum two (2) entries, per person.
SUMMARY OF PRIZES AT 150 ENTRIES (SEE ITEM 5 FOR COMPLETE DETAILS):
- Ten (10) NHC Entries for 2020 (Based on 150 Entries)
- $25,000 Cash Prize Pool to Top Five (5) Finishers (Based on 150 Entries)
- Airfare and Hotel for all NHC qualifiers to Las Vegas
- $1,000,000 Bonus to the First Place Finisher of the Super Qualifier if he/she wins the NHC (See Section 5)
NHC TOUR MEMBERSHIP
Contestants must be a registered NHC Tour Member prior to the start of this contest in order to qualify for an NHC entry prize. See Section 16 below for complete information. To register for the NHC, please visit: https://www.ntra.com/membership/.
1. PLAYER’S BANKROLL:
This is a “real money” handicapping contest with players competing with live money wagers. This contest requires a $1,500 buy-in, per entry. Of each $1,500 buy-in, $1,000 will be used for a player’s bankroll, while the remaining $500 will be allocated to the prize pool ($350 toward NTRA NHC prizes and $150 to the cash prize pool); 100% of entry fees will be paid out as prizes. Players may compete on-track at Santa Anita Park or online at www.xpressbet.com.
On-Track Participation:
Players that choose to compete on-track at Santa Anita Park will receive at the beginning of the contest an official contest wagering card that has a balance of $1,000 for each of their paid entries, this balance will be the player’s initial bankroll. This wagering card must be used for all wagers that are placed for contest purposes.
Online Participation:
Players that choose to compete online at www.xpressbet.com will have a separate Contest account for each entry that they purchase. Each Contest account will have a balance of $1,000 for each of their paid entries, this balance will be the player’s initial bankroll. To participate in the contest online, follow instructions at www.xpressbet.com. Players must have an Xpressbet account in good standing to play online.
At the conclusion of the contest, any dollar amount remaining on the wagering card or within the Xpressbet Contest account remains the property of the player. Xpressbet will transfer funds from the contest account back to the player’s primary Xpressbet account at the conclusion of the contest.
2. TO ENTER:
Participants may choose to compete in this contest by playing online at www.xpressbet.com, or on-track at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, April 27, 2019. There is a maximum of two (2) entries per person.
Xpressbet.com Entries:
The deadline to enter online is 5:30pm ET/ 2:30pm PT on Saturday, April 27, 2019.
Online registration begins Monday, April 22, 2019. To participate in the contest, follow instructions at www.xpressbet.com. Players must have an Xpressbet account in good standing to play online. The Buy-In amount ($1,500) will be deducted from the player’s Xpressbet account at the time of registration. The player must have sufficient funds in their Xpressbet account to cover the Buy-In to complete registration.
On-Track Entries:
The deadline to enter for an on-track entry is 5:30pm ET/ 2:30pm PT on Saturday, April 27, 2019.
Individuals that would like to participate on-track at Santa Anita Park may enter by: phone, online, by mail, or at the Eddie Logan Suite the day of the event (walk-up entry). Accepted payment methods for entries are check, credit card, and/or cash. Personal checks will not be accepted after Monday, April 22, 2019.
Enter By Phone to Play On-Track:
To enter by phone, please contact (626) 574-6384 and inquire about the 2019 NTRA/Santa Anita NHC Super Qualifier Contest at Santa Anita Park.
Enter Online:
Players may enter online the following ways:
- To participate in the contest on-track at Santa Anita Park, visit: https://www.santaanita.com/events/nhc-super-qualifier/.
- To participate in the contest online at xpressbet.com, visit: https://www.xpressbet.com/april-27-2019-santa-anita-nhc-super-qualifier.
Enter by Mail to Play On-Track:
To enter the contest by mail, send a check payable to Los Angeles Turf Club for $1,500, per entry. Checks should be sent to:
Santa Anita Park
Attn: Nate Newby
285 West Huntington Dr.
Arcadia, CA 91007
No personal checks will be accepted after Monday, April 22, 2019. Only cash or credit card entries will be accepted during the week of the contest.
On-Track Walk-Up Entries:
Walk-up entries will be accepted at the Main Thoroughbreds Club Center the day of the contest. Cash and credit card payments will be accepted. Participants must provide a valid government issued ID to a contest official prior to purchasing an entry. Walk-up entries will not be accepted after 5:30pm ET/ 2:30pm PT on Saturday, April 27, 2019.
3. PRE-CONTEST QUALIFIERS:
Qualifying contests may be held on horseplayers.com. For upcoming contests, please visit https://horseplayers.com/.
4. FORMAT:
Contest Races
Contest races include all live races at Santa Anita Park and all live races at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday, April 27, 2019.
Wager Requirements
Per the NTRA Super Qualifier Format, each entry on Saturday, April 27, 2019 must wager on exactly ten (10) contest races, placing exactly $50 to Win and $50 to Place on one (1) horse per contest race. An entry may not wager on more than one (1) horse in any contest race.
The maximum, and minimum, amount each entry is permitted to wager on a contest race is $50 to Win and $50 to Place. Betting more, or less, than $50 to Win and $50 to Place on a contest race will result in that entry being disqualified from the contest.
Should an entry fail to bet the required minimums and/or maximums listed above on Saturday, April 27, 2019, that entry may be disqualified from the contest, making that entry ineligible to win prizes. Any situation involving a late scratch where it is deemed the players were not given sufficient time to adjust their betting will be handled on a case-by-case basis by Santa Anita and NTRA contest officials.
Permitted Contest Wagers
Permitted wagers will include Win and Place only. Players may not wager on more than one (1) horse in any contest race.
No Show, Exacta, Trifecta, Daily Double, Superfecta, Super High 5, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5 or Pick 6 wagers will be permitted in this contest. Santa Anita Park’s ‘Roulette Bet’ will not be permitted in this contest. The Parlay function for Win, Place and Show wagers will not be permitted during this contest for both on-track players at Santa Anita and online players using Xpressbet.
The entry with the largest total dollar amount of pari-mutuel earnings after the last contest race on Saturday, April 27, 2019 will be declared the winner (pending an official audit). It is the player’s responsibility to meet the wagering requirements listed above. Santa Anita Park and NTRA contest officials will make the decision on disqualification in the event of a rule violation and all decisions are final. The remaining bankroll on the player’s wagering card or their online Xpressbet contest account remains the property of the player. Entry fees will not be refunded in the event of a disqualification.
5. PRIZES:
- One (1) entry into the 2020 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) per every 15 contest entries on Saturday, April 27, 2019.
- Each NHC qualifier will receive a four-night stay at Bally’s in Las Vegas and a $500 travel allowance for the 2020 NHC.
- Cash Prize Pool to the top five (5) finishers.
- 1st Place: 50% of Cash Prize Pool
- 2nd Place: 20% of Cash Prize Pool
- 3rd Place: 15% of Cash Prize Pool
- 4th Place: 9% of Cash Prize Pool
- 5th Place: 6% of Cash Prize Pool
- $1,000,000 bonus to the first place finisher of this contest if he/she goes on to win the 2020 NHC.
PRIZE POOL BASED ON 150 ENTRIES:
- Ten (10) entries into the 2020 NHC.
- A four-night stay at Bally’s in Las Vegas and a $500 travel allowance for the 2020 NHC for each NHC qualifier
- $25,000 Cash Prize Pool to the top five (5) finishers (based on 150 entries):
- 1st Place: $15,000 (50% of Cash Prize Pool)
- 2nd Place: $6,000 (20% of Cash Prize Pool)
- 3rd Place: $4,500 (15% of Cash Prize Pool)
- 4th Place: $3,000 (9% of Cash Prize Pool)
- 5th Place: $1,500 (6% of Cash Prize Pool)
- $1,000,000 bonus to the first place finisher of this contest if he/she goes on to win the 2020 NHC.
The final prize pool is contingent upon the total number of entries in this contest and will be announced after entries close on Saturday, April 27, 2019.
ENTRY FEES:
Per Item 1, of every $1,500 entry into this contest, $350 will be allocated toward the NTRA NHC prizes and $150 will be allocated to the cash prize pool (the remaining $1,000 will be the player’s bankroll); 100% of entry fees will be paid out as prizes. Entry fees are non-refundable.
NHC ENTRY PRIZES:
For every 15 entries into this contest on Saturday, April 27, 2019, Santa Anita Park will add one (1) NHC entry prize to the total prize pool. The final total number of NHC entry prizes will be announced after entries close at 5:30pm ET/ 2:30pm PT on Saturday, April 27, 2019. Every NHC entry prize in this contest will be valid for the year 2020 only.
Players must be a current NHC Tour member prior to the start of this contest in order to claim an NHC entry prize (See Section 16).
DUAL QUALIFICATION FOR THE NHC:
Per NTRA rules, a player may qualify to the NHC twice, but only once in any single NHC qualifying event. At the conclusion of this contest, should a player finish with two entries in a position that each qualify for an NHC entry prize, the player will be awarded a maximum of one NHC entry for 2020, and the player will receive in lieu of the second NHC entry prize a $3,000 transferable credit to a future Santa Anita Park handicapping contest in 2019. The second NHC entry prize will then be awarded to the next highest eligible entry.
In the event a participant that has already qualified the maximum number of times (2) for the 2020 National Horseplayers Championship finishes in a position that receives a 2020 NHC entry as a prize, that player will receive a maximum of one (1) transferable $3,000 paid entry into a future Santa Anita Park contest of his or her choice in 2019 in lieu of the 2020 NHC entry, and the 2020 NHC entry will be awarded to the next highest eligible finishing position.
NHC TOUR POINTS:
NHC Tour points will be awarded in this contest.
THE $1,000,000 BONUS:
The first place finisher in this contest will be eligible to win a $1,000,000 cash prize if he/she then goes on to win the NHC in 2020. Should the player win the $1,000,000 bonus, they will have their choice of a $1,000,000 40-year annuity or lump sum cash payment of $287,500.
6. CHECK-IN FOR CONTEST ENTRIES
On-Track Entries:
Participants that choose to compete in this contest on-track at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, April 27, 2019 must check-in at the Main Thoroughbreds Club Center, located in Santa Anita Park’s Club House, above the first turn. For assistance finding the Main Thoroughbreds Club Center please call (626) 574-6384.
Xpressbet.com Entries:
On the day of the contest, after completing registration, the player must log into their Xpressbet account. During login, the player will be prompted to select their Main Xpressbet Account or their Contest account. The Contest wagers must be placed through the Contest account. If a player has purchased multiple entries, they will have the option to choose which Contest account they would like to use at log in. Players may open multiple browser windows and log into each Contest account in different windows.
7. PLAYER CARDS FOR ON-TRACK PARTICIPANTS
Each participant that chooses to compete in this contest on-track at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, April 27, 2019 will be issued an official contest card used for all contest wagers. This card contains the “real money” bankroll of $1,000. If a player loses his/her card, or the card is not working, the player should immediately report to the Main Thoroughbreds Club Center or a contest official to receive a new card. Santa Anita Park/Los Angeles Turf Club, Inc. is not responsible for any races missed due to a malfunctioning or lost card.
Contestants may not add additional cash to their contest card. Adding additional cash to the bankroll on an official contest card will result in automatic disqualification.
Xpressbet.com Entries:
Upon completion of registration, the $1,500 Buy-In will be deducted from the player’s Xpressbet account. A Contest account will be created and $1,000 will be deposited into the player’s Contest account. All contest wagers must be placed from the Contest account.
8. PLACING WAGERS ON-TRACK AT SANTA ANITA PARK
All participants that choose to compete on-track at Santa Anita Park must place all contest wagers with their contest wagering card through self-service machines. Wagers will not be accepted through mutuel tellers. Players must place all wagers personally, unless pre-approved by a contest official. No person shall directly nor indirectly act as an intermediary, transmitter, or agent in placing wagers for the player, unless authorized by contest officials. All official track rulings will apply to wagers placed in the contest except as otherwise stipulated. The contest will be based on official’s placement and mutuels at Santa Anita. If a player for purposes of the contest on any races that are not considered eligible for this contest, the player may be disqualified and any winnings will not count for contest standings.
Xpressbet.com Entries:
On the day of the contest, after completing registration, the player must log in to their Xpressbet account. During log in, the player will be prompted to select their Main Xpressbet Account or their Contest account. The Contest wagers must be placed through the Contest account.
9. ADVANCE WAGERING
Advance wagering will not be permitted unless prior approval has been obtained by a contest official. Wagers for each race must be placed after the race prior has been declared official. This rule is designed to maintain an accurate leaderboard. If a player needs to advance wager for any reason, please contact a contest official by phone at (626) 574-6288. The contest official will decide if an advance wager will affect the integrity of the leaderboard. All decisions are final and penalties for violating this rule will be at the sole discretion of contest officials.
10. CASHING OUT THE BALANCE OF THE ON-TRACK PLAYER WAGERING CARD
Players competing on-track will not be permitted to cash out their wagering card until 10 minutes after the results of the final live contest race on Saturday, April 27, 2019 become official. Should a player cash out his/her card before the last live contest race is official, that player’s entry may be disqualified from any prizes.
Xpressbet.com Entries:
Players competing online will not be able to cash out their account balances until 10 minutes after the results of the final live contest race on Saturday, April 27, 2019 become official. After the contest is official, the funds from the Contest Account will be transferred back to the player’s primary Xpressbet account.
11. IRS WITHHOLDING
Per the tax rules by the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service.
12. NON-RESIDENTS OF CALIFORNIA
This section is intended for informational purposes and should not be relied upon as professional tax guidance. Individuals are encouraged to seek professional tax service for information and guidance.
California Revenue and Taxation Code (R&TC) Section 18662 and the related regulations require withholding of California income or franchise taxes from payments and distributions made to non-residents on California source income. This includes prizes and winnings received by non-residents for contests in California. When the total payments or distributions of California source income to the non-resident is greater than $1,500 for the calendar year, Santa Anita Park is required to withhold and remit to the Franchise Board at the current withholding rate (7%).
Note certain exemptions apply, most notable being a California resident.
Players may be exempt from withholding. Qualified exemptions can be found on California Form 590. Contestants may download a copy of Form 590, along with instructions, via the links below. Completed forms should be mailed to:
SANTA ANITA PARK
Attn: Accounting Department
285 W. Huntington Dr.
Arcadia, CA 91007
Copies of California Form 590 and instructions may be downloaded here:
Instructions for Form 590: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2018/18_590ins.pdf
Form 590: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/misc/590.pdf
Please note, Santa Anita Park must make all checks for prize winnings payable to the payee identified on the Form 590.
As stated previously, this section is intended for informational purposes and should not be relied upon as professional tax guidance. Individuals are encouraged to seek professional tax service for further information and guidance.
13. SCRATCHES
If a horse is scratched after a wager is placed, it is the player’s responsibility to change his/her selection prior to the start of the race subject to all other contest and pari-mutuel wagering rules.
14. CONTEST STANDINGS
Contest standings will be based off of each player’s bankroll on their official contest entry. Standings will rank all bankrolls based off of dollar value from largest to smallest, with first place being the largest bankroll and last place being the smallest bankroll.
Current standings will be posted after every race, or as soon as the information is available. Standings will be posted at xpressbet.com, and on a designated television channel at Santa Anita Park. For on-track contestants, please inquire at the registration desk at Santa Anita for the television channel number.
15. TIES
In the event of a tie, the following tiebreakers will be used in order:
(1) Most number of winning selections in the contest (only the wagering activity of the entries that are tied will be considered).
If the entries that are tied have the same number of winning selections in the contest, then the contest judges will use Tiebreaker 2.
(2) Highest mutuel payout on a single contest race.
If the entries that are tied have the same highest mutuel payout on a single contest race, the contest judges will use Tiebreaker 3.
(3) Most money earned on the last contest wager.
If the entries that are tied have earned the same amount on their last contest wagers, the contest judges will use Tiebreaker 4.
(4) Whichever entry registered for the contest first.
Once an entry wins a tiebreaker, that entry will be declared the winner of the tie and awarded the higher placing in the final standings.
16. NHC TOUR MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NHC
As required by the NTRA rules: All contest participants must be members of the NHC Tour prior to the start of the contest in order to participate in the NHC in Las Vegas. Contest participants may register for the NHC Tour at https://www.ntra.com/membership/. NHC Tour members must be at least 21 years of age to participate in the NHC in Las Vegas.
It is solely the responsibility of each contest participant to confirm if they are a current member of the NHC Tour prior to the start of this contest. Santa Anita Park, Xpressbet, and The Stronach Group are not responsible for confirming a contest participant’s membership status with the NHC Tour and will not be held accountable in the event a contest participant is not awarded an NHC entry prize as a result of their NHC Tour membership status, or the lack thereof.
17. INELIGIBILITY / DISCLOSURE
Must be 18 years of age or older by Saturday, April 27, 2019 and have a valid government issued ID to register and participate in this contest.
The following are ineligible to participate in this contest: Contest officials of Santa Anita and Xpressbet, employees of the NHC, and all employees of AmTote.
If anyone has any ownership interest in any horses running in any of the applicable contest races then all involvements must be fully disclosed to Santa Anita contest officials prior to the start of the contest.
18. HORSE OWNERSHIP & WAGERING ON A COMPETING HORSE:
Per Rule No. 1970 of the California Horse Racing Board.
A contest player that has any ownership interest of a horse that is entered in a contest race shall not wager on, or include in any wager, any other horse competing in such race to finish first regardless of whether such wager is “exotic” or “conventional.”
The contest player may elect to skip the contest race that the horse they have ownership interest of is entered in, but the contest player must still meet the required bet minimums as explained above in Section 4 – Wagering Requirements.
Should a contest player that has any ownership interest in a horse that is entered in a contest race fail to adhere to Rule No. 1970 of the California Horse Racing Board, that player’s entry will be disqualified from the contest.
19. TAXES
Liability for any and all federal, state, and local taxes is solely the responsibility of prize winners.
19. AFFIDAVITS
Affidavits confirming compliance with all of the rules of this contest will be required of all participants playing on-track. For online participants, registration confirms compliance to the rules, but Affidavits will be required for any winners that participated online before prizes will be distributed. Prize winners acknowledge that if they enter this contest under a fraudulent name and/or Social Security number, they will be immediately disqualified from this and all future contests held by Los Angeles Turf Club, Inc. Positive identification is required of all prize winners. Positive identification is a valid government issued ID with a picture and the same address and birth date used on the entry forms, and/or such other form of identification as deemed adequate by contest officials. Social Security information is also the responsibility of the player.
20. JUDGING AND DISPUTES
The management of Santa Anita Park/Los Angeles Turf Club, Inc. reserves the right to interpret all questions and conditions in regard to this event, without claim for damages or recourse of any kind. The management of Santa Anita Park/Los Angeles Turf Club, Inc. with those decisions to be final will decide all questions and definitions not covered explicitly in these rules.
If for any reason there is a cancellation in racing on Saturday, April 27, 2019 the contest will be based on the races completed during the event. If the cancellation takes place prior to the first race, the contest will be cancelled and all entry fees will be refunded. Santa Anita contest officials will make an announcement and all decisions are final.
Anyone found to have engaged in or attempted to engage in any act that contest officials believe in their sole and absolute discretion compromises or could compromise the competitive integrity of this contest, including collusion, will be subject to sanctions imposed by Santa Anita Park management. The nature and extent of the sanctions imposed shall be in the sole and absolute discretion of Santa Anita Park management and may include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
- Forfeiture of prize money
- Disqualification from the contest
- Loss of privilege to participate in future Santa Anita handicapping contests
