Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Palmer Wins Harness Handicapping Championship

June 21, 2008

David Palmer of San Diego, California captured the $50,000 grand prize - and ultimate bragging rights as the country's top harness handicapper - in the 2008 National Harness Handicapping Championship, presented by Fig Is Big, on Saturday, June 21 at Meadowlands Racetrack.

Palmer earned a seat in the championship by winning one of three qualifying tournaments held by YouBet and Cal-Expo this spring. He competed against 85 players - who came from as far as Curacao - in the 2008 championship. Contestants who did not win a seat through a qualifying tournament were able to enter through direct buy-in. The total fee to enter the NHHC was $1,000 [$600 entry fee plus $400 required tournament bankroll].

The NHHC contest format required contestants to bet 10 races: eight Meadowlands races of their choice, plus one mandatory race each from Balmoral and Cal-Expo racetracks. Bets had to meet a $40 minimum, $100 maximum per race. Contestants could only bet one horse per race and wagers could either be win, place or a combination of the two.

Palmer finished the tournament with a $1,692 bankroll, cashing in eight of the 10 contest races. He netted significant scores early on the Meadowlands card with a $40 win/place bet on Lady Juniper in race 4 [$8.00, $4.00] and $50 on Dave Panlone [$13.60 to place] in race six. He also cashed in both mandatory races, netting $195 from a $50 win/place wager on Suprizemeagain [$4.80, $3.00] in race four at Balmoral, and another $220 from a $100 win bet on Simply Made [$4.40] in the fourth at Cal-Expo. Palmer locked up the 2008 NHHC title in the final race at the Meadowlands. He cashed $862 from a $98 win bet on Romantic Star [$17.60], which boosted his bankroll to $1692.

As part of his prize package, Palmer will have the chance to have his handicapping picks published in the Meadowlands program on major stakes days.