Kinchen Suspended From NHC Tour for Two Years

Jonathon Kinchen, a Fox Sports handicapping analyst on the New York Racing Association circuit and a top handicapping contest player, has been suspended from competing on the National Horseplayers Championship Tour for at least the next two years, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Feb. 8. In its Tuesday afternoon release, NTRA did not identify Kinchen by name, only as "the player disqualified from the 2022 National Horseplayers Championship," though Kinchen acknowledges he was that person. He violated a rule requiring contestants to be on-site at the competition. According to a Jan. 31 tweet from Kinchen, while participating in the NHC in Las Vegas late last month, he traveled to Gulfstream Park to witness the Jan. 29 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Presented by 1/ST Racing (G1) He tweeted that he did not realize at the time that he was violating any rules, though he knows now that he did. He does not believe being in Florida gave him an unfair advantage. The suspension was issued by the NTRA following discussions and a recommendation by the NHC Players' Committee, a group of NHC players who act as a sounding board on NHC policy and rule matters. The suspension covers the 2022 and 2023 NHC Tour seasons and the 2023 and 2024 NHCs. At the end of the two-year suspension, Kinchen may request the NTRA reinstate him to the NHC Tour. In a statement issued Tuesday, NYRA chief revenue officer & president of NYRA Bets Tony Allevato said: "Jonathon Kinchen is an ambassador for horse racing who provides an important perspective on the sport. Jonathon remains a valued member of the NYRA television team."