Treasure Island to be new host of national handicapping event

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association has signed a two-year deal with Treasure Island to have the annual DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship there beginning in January 2012. The purse of next year's final will be an estimated $2 million.

Treasure Island is the fourth Las Vegas resort to host the NHC, after MGM Grand, Bally's and Red Rock.

A key factor in the new location was the NHC's hope of increasing the number of finalists from 300 to 500. A large ballroom was needed, and more expenses would be accrued in hosting 500 players, and Treasure Island stepped up.

Handicappers cannot buy their way into the NHC. They must qualify in a yearlong series of racetrack and Internet contests. Treasure Island race and sports director Tony Nevill has indicated that his book will be active in hosting Las Vegas qualifiers.

Treasure Island is owned privately by Phil Ruffin, who could write a book about owning Las Vegas resorts. He has followed the buy-low, sell-high mantra in acquiring the New Frontier cheap and selling it at the top of the market, then buying Treasure Island at a below-market price.

■ FLORIDA DERBY -- The $1 million Florida Derby is clearly the most important Kentucky Derby prep so far this spring. Most of Uncle Mo's main foes will be at Gulfstream Park on Sunday.

Soldat (9-5), Dialed In (2-1), To Honor and Serve (4-1), Flashpoint (6-1) and Stay Thirsty (8-1) are among eight entered. With five weeks to the Kentucky Derby, this probably will be the final prep race for each horse.

Soldat will be way overbet off a perfect-trip win in the Fountain of Youth. Expect solid pace pressure on Soldat from Flashpoint. To Honor and Serve will stalk the pace-setters. However, an honest pace will set up deep closers Dialed In and Stay Thirsty.

This is a fascinating race and should reveal a lot moving forward to the Kentucky Derby.

My choice to win is Dialed In. I will also use Stay Thirsty in my exotic wagers underneath Dialed In.

■ HAWTHORNE -- Beginning today, Hawthorne Racecourse will pay race finishers sixth through last 1 percent of the base purse. The remainder of the purse will be split 60-20-11-6-3 percent to the top five finishers.

I mention this because here is a track trying to increase field size by sharing purse money among more horsemen while using existing resources.

Hawthorne did not raise the takeout. In theory, its handle should increase as field sizes increase.

Richard Eng's horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com.