Collusion claims lead to 2-year bans from handicapping contest

Without naming names, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association suspended three competitors who were accused of collusion during this year’s National Horseplayers Championship, banning them from the 2024 and 2025 renewals of the contest.

“The NTRA publishes each player’s selections on its website following the conclusion of the NHC,” an association statement said Thursday. “In this instance, an individual brought an allegation of collusion to the attention of NHC auditors after reviewing the players’ selections on the NTRA’s website. The NTRA investigated and corroborated the claim.”

The three players had a combined five entries in this year’s NHC, which was held March 10-12 in Las Vegas.

Under NHC rule 34, “collusion among contest players shall be grounds for immediate disqualification and forfeiture of all contest prizes. Collusion is often defined as ‘an agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose.’ ”

The NTRA statement said the NHC auditing committee and players committee provided input before the sanctions were made by association executives. The suspensions prevent the three players from taking part in the rest of this year’s and all of next year’s NHC Tour events across the country.

In two years the competitors could ask to be reinstated, and the players committee would then consider their request.

“Protecting the integrity of the NHC against wrongdoing is the highest priority for the NTRA,” president and CEO Tom Rooney said in the association statement. “This includes collusion to gain an unfair advantage over the rest of the field.”

For as long as handicapping contests have been going on, collusion has been a slippery slope. The Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge notably faced questions about its 2017 winner Nisan Gabbay before a subsequent investigation cleared him.