On the heels of arguably the most exciting National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) in the 27-year history of the event, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that the winner of the 2027 NHC will receive a cash prize of $1,000,000 along with a coveted Eclipse Award symbolically recognizing the important contribution all horseplayers make to the sport.
The 2027 NHC, presented by Caesars Race and Sportsbook, Racetrack Television Network (RTN) and Horseshoe Las Vegas, will be held March 5-7, 2027, at the Horseshoe in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.
"Since its launch in 1999, the National Horseplayers Championship has realized unprecedented growth thanks to sustained participation by horseplayers and our members and partners who host qualifying events throughout the year," said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney.
"On behalf of all participants, we're proud to offer a life-changing grand prize along with total cash and awards expected to exceed $5.5 million in 2027. The NHC is one of horse racing's most successful national promotions and an event that has become an annual gathering of the nation's top horseplayers."
The 2026 NHC Champion, Dylan Donnelly, won $825,000 after a three-day, 53-race competition that saw him narrowly prevail. Donnelly will officially accept his Eclipse Award during a Winner's Circle ceremony this Saturday at Santa Anita Park.
Silver Sunday Contest Strikes Gold
In addition to the move to a $1,000,000 grand prize, the NTRA announced several other enhancements to the NHC.
Similar to the last three years since the contest was introduced, all NHC participants will receive a free entry into the Silver Sunday Contest that requires participants to select 10 optional races and seven mandatory plays. Beginning in 2027, non-qualifiers to the NHC for the time will be able to purchase an entry into the Silver Sunday Contest offering an estimated purse of $200,000 and entries into the 2028 NHC.
The NTRA earlier this year introduced reduced pricing for online qualifiers on HorsePlayers.com, the official online contest qualifying platform for the NHC and Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC). Those contests, which offer entry fees for as low as $17, have proven to be immensely popular and will continue throughout the remainder of the year.
