Handicapping loot at stake during second half of year

The top request I get from readers is for information on handicapping contests and tournaments in Las Vegas. Since we are starting the second half of the year today, this is a good time to list a busy calendar of handicapping events.

There are two weekly contests in which horseplayers can win prize money plus free qualifiers for a season-ending finale. The South Point Cool Qualifier is every Thursday, leading up to the Hot August Open on Aug. 12 and 13 at the South Point. The Open entry fee is $400, but the qualifiers offer a cheaper and possibly profitable way to win a free entry.

Station Casinos and both Fiesta locations are hosting the We Luv Locals contest every Saturday in their race books. The top five finishers each Saturday earn their way into the $30,000 finals Aug. 20. There is no buy-in for the finals, so each Saturday becomes a key mini-tournament.

The Gold Coast Summer Classic is scheduled July 28 to 30, with a $400 entry fee. That will seem tame compared with the $2,000 entry fee for the $150,000 guaranteed Wynn Las Vegas Race Handicapping Challenge on Aug. 5 and 6. The unique focus at Wynn will be only Saratoga and Del Mar as contest tracks. The top two finishers also will earn a free berth into the 2012 DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship at Treasure Island.

The second of three Pick the Ponies tournaments will be Aug. 25 to 27 at the Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook. The early-bird entry fee (until Aug. 22) is $450, then $500 until closing. The contest is capped at 200 entries and typically sells out.

There are good reasons Las Vegas is the center of the horse racing tournament universe. The race book operators know it’s the one bet when the casino is rooting for all its customers to win. Winning players churn their money back through the windows, creating more profits for the casino.

That’s why I tip my cap to those casino operators who go the extra yard in trying to help the players win. In the long run, it’s well worth it.

■ REMEMBERING CHARLES — Horse racing lost a big supporter last week with death of broadcaster Nick Charles. Charles’ favorite sports to cover were boxing and horse racing. We crossed paths at many major stakes races and he was always aces as a person and a broadcaster.

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