Fuchs Finishes 45th At NTRA/NHC Tourney

The winner of the FHBPA seat to the NTRA/NHC tournament in Las Vegas, Bill Fuchs, represented well out in the big show February 8th – 10th. Taking on a field of 668 handicappers, Bill hit the wire in 45^th place bringing home a tidy booty for his efforts.
“It was a dizzying experience” according to Bill, “never had l played 48 races over a three day period before. The format, selecting 16 races per day and making a mythical $2 win and place bet in each, left him seeing horses in his sleep. “It was handicap, eat, sleep, and handicap” he said, never venturing out to see the city. “It has been 30 years since we were last in Vegas, and things have certainly changed” said Bill.
On the first day, Bill hit with his second selection from Tampa Bay and was tied in 1^st place. Throughout the weekend, he floated between 35 and 50 on the big board. Winnings on each selection were limited to $42 on a win bet and $20 on a place bet. Since this is not a pre selection day, he said a number of players having bad days just tried for bombs in the late going.
The weekend was not without some socializing, as he sat with a family group from South Florida who were making their 13^th appearance in the finals. He also visited with a familiar face that he recognized from Monmouth, which is where Bill does his summer race tracking.
Bill enjoyed his time at the championships and says as a first timer, he learned a lot about the process and how different people approach it. I think all FHBPA members and Florida handicappers can tip their hats to Bill Fuchs on a job well done representing at the NHC finals. He will be the man to beat in the local qualifier in 2020.