The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and 'At the Races' host Steve Byk will once again partner for the 'Beat Byk NHC Challenge' this summer, offering one NHC tour member the opportunity to compete in the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) at the Horseshoe Las Vegas from March 5-7, 2027.
"'Beat Byk' season is my favorite part of the year because it means great summer racing and an opportunity for a horseplayer to compete in a free contest to win a seat to Las Vegas, complimentary airfare and hotel accommodations," Byk said. "It's a terrific introduction to contest play for many players and I'm proud to be part of the NTRA's ongoing effort to bring people into the sport and cultivate players."
Last year's contest attracted better than 11,000 entries. Every Thursday, Byk will choose the weekend stakes race that make up the week's contest and announce them both on the radio and on his X page, @Steve_Byk.
Byk's selections will be announced no later than each Friday. There will be 17 chances to qualify for the Beat Byk NHC Online Qualifier on September 19 during the promotional period. Listeners will be encouraged to log into https://www.ntra.com/beatbyk/ where they will either use Byk's selection to win the featured race or try to 'Beat Byk' by selecting another horse.
All who correctly select the winning horse in each round will advance to a NHC 'Beat Byk' online qualifier on Sept. 19 held on Horseplayers.com. Participants may qualify only once during the promotional period.
Membership in the NHC is required to take part in the September NHC Online qualifier.
